#he's always been one of my favorite characters but i hardly see anyone talking about him like everybody just forgets him

[shiqingxuanz]

so glad that the donghua is giving lang qianqiu so much screentime because everyone's appreciating him and paying attention to him

[helluverse-rewrites]

Rewriting I. M. P.

So let's talk about how I would rewrite the Immediate Murder Professionals, shall we?

The show really tries to gaslight us into thinking they're found family when we hardly see them interact. Vivzie please stop trying to gaslight us :(

👏 Anyways

Blitzø

I don't really have that much to change about Blitzø tbh. He's perfect just the way he is <3

Well, that's a lie but I want to keep the premise the same. Guy who did have people care about him but he keeps pushing them away due to self-hatred is a really interesting concept and I want to work with that. His arc stays relatively the same, where he eventually makes amends with the people he's hurt (or doesn't because you're not obligated to forgive someone who has hurt you) and learns to love himself and all that jazz

With that said, we definitely have to do something with him stalking M&M. I hate how it's portrayed as lighthearted and how Millie doesn't even care that he records their intimate and private moments that are just supposed to be between the two of them. Are we gonna forget that he followed them to Ozzie's?

So he's not stalking them anymore, but he is deeply jealous of the seemingly perfect relationship his two employees have. So when he sees the two being couply in the workplace he tends to lash out and state that whatever happens outside of I. M. P. is their business, but whenever they bring that stuff in the building and on missions, that's a no

In Blitzø eyes, they're rubbing their relationship right in his face and are trying to make him jealous. In the rewrite he also has BPD and ADHD so that kind of contributes to his lashing out, as does his rejection sensitivity. Keep in mind that those things are an explanation, not an excuse

But that stalking thing is kind of the only thing I wanted to fix. I'll get to his relationships with other characters (including a certain owl) in a different post

Millie

Millie is still relatively the same. I wanted to get her and Blitzø out of the way because Moxxie and Loona are the ones I really wanted to change

Yeah, she grew up in Wrath to a very loving family and eventually got hired by Blitzø in the same way as is shown in Ghostfuckers.

I want to keep in her insecurities of being important and only being the brawn of the group and actually have them explored god dammit

Like Blitzø she also has ADHD because I want more neurodivergent characters. She's very much the happy-go-lucky type and doesn't let anything bring her down. The entirety of hell could be on fire and she'd just be like :)

Sorry Millie fans but worry not! For I will eventually be talking about M&M and their dynamic. Which is kind of just me playing a game of who many ship tropes can I fit in here so far I got three

Moxxie

The boy!!! The lad!!!

Moxxie has always been my favorite Helluva characters along with Millie, Octavia, and Striker (favorite Hazbin character being Angel Dust)

So Moxxie, being a child in the mafia, is a very quiet, cold and calculated, and easily annoyed imp. He doesn't talk much and prefers to keep his thoughts to himself most of the time. He likes to use brains instead of the usual desired brawns.

When he first joined I. M. P. he just kept to himself and only spoke when spoken to. You would usually find him organizing or polishing all the weapons. He's never one to express his emotions but a way he found it to be easier is by music. His father had never let him play music or even let him look at a guitar. So he started to get into music ever since he started a new life for himself and even wrote some of his own! Of course he would never show anyone and would rather die than have someone read it, but it's always nice to dream

Since he doesn't really say all that much, I. M. P. (and almost anyone who knows him) hang on to his every word in the rare chance that he does speak, and usually it's the most insightful shit they've ever heard

He does, however, have quite the ego and always thinks he's right, and sometimes he is. But other times he would rather die than admit he was wrong. Mozzie is also quite the know-it-all which ends up annoying other people. If he's mad at you, he'll be extremely passive aggressive and insult you in sign language, but you need to really piss him off if you want him to get confrontational. Which is never

Moxxie is autistic, and uses sign language as a way to communicate when talking is just too hard. He is rather blunt and takes things literally most of the time. He is convinced Millie's family hates him even though Millie thinks they like him more than her (that's not the case but goddam does it feel like that)

Sure, he may seem cold on the outside, but on the inside he's the nicest person you'll ever meet

Loona

First things first, no more fat jokes directed at Moxxie. That man is the skinniest bitch alive. Also no fatphobic undertones either

Instead of being an adult, Loona is in her late teens. She's either sixteen or seventeen in here, but was fourteen when Blitzø adopted her. Yeah, she's been severely abused back at the adoption center so when Blitzø took her home, it took her awhile to open up and become comfortable around

She's not as much as an asshole as in the show, but she still has her angsty teen moments from time to time (which is honestly pretty understandable) if anything she's pretty shy and just likes to stay behind the desk as the receptionist, she feels pretty out of place among the three imps since she doesn't know much about weapons and is the only non-imp in the group

Don't get her wrong, she loves Blitzø and Millie is... alright. But they do tend to be a bit too loud for her taste and she likes it quiet, so she actually found quite a liking to Moxxie after realizing that he almost never talks. So they kind of have a mutual respect for each other

Now let's talk about Loona being bi, in some official art for pride month it shows most of the cast with their sexualities, which includes Loona being bi, which we literally never see, we only see her crush on Vortex and that's it, it kind of feels like the staff just put that in for extra brownie points. So, I think it would be pretty nice if Vortex and Bee was her awakening, it was kind of like Squidward's "OH NO HE'S HOT!!!" but Loona about Bee. Of course since Loona is a teenager in this, it doesn't go anywhere and is mostly just a puppy crush, but she does end up being pretty good friends with the two of them

[moscnios]

HIII ur writing is so cute!!!!! i love them a lot, i wanna request law, luffy, n crocodile with maybe a crush ( or s/o whatever u see fit!! ) on reader who is gen like?? super duper quiet doesn’t interact n show emotion but the min anyone brings up what they enjoy ( animals, art, manga, etc!!) they just don’t shut up about it?? they get so passionate and can ramble on and on about their interest and i kinda want the boys to be like “cute… :)”

⟡    ֺ   𓂂  headcanons  ,  with an stoic s/o who is passionate about their interests.

!!     characters! . . .  law, luffy, & crocodile.

!!     cw(s)! . . .  n/a. gn!reader. no pronouns used. not proofread.

!!     notes! . . .  thank you so much for the love !! such a cute request !! plus one of my favorite character tropes, stoic bub who is actually babie. thank you for requesting !!! <33

law doesn’t realize he hardly knows what things you like until your face lights up after penguin brought up one of your hidden interests

watching you ramble on and on about your interests to penguin, he realizes he’s never seen this side of you.

it surprised him seeing you show any emotion other than your regular stone face

if you remember that face he made after bepo was acting cute after eating fish from the river, that’s the face he makes with you

he does listen well, so he remembers your interests. he’ll ask you about them later, happy to listen to you talk about what you love for hours

every day he finds a new reason to fall in love with you all over again

luffy is very interested in your favorite things. he will go down a giant list of things in order to figure out what makes you happiest

it started off as a challenge to see how to get you to smile. a challenge that he failed. finally, you saw something related to one of your interests and you smiled big

he’d never seen you smile so big, let alone smile at all. he thinks your smile is so beautiful, and definitely wants to see it more

he asked you about your interests, listening to you talk about them. you know luffy as someone who doesn’t have the best attention span in the world

but here he is, laying on the deck, looking at you with stars in his eyes, still engaged in the conversation

you both look really cute

soon after he joins in on your interests. now the two of you are rambling together about your hyper fixations

crocodile has always been interested in what makes you happy. you’re always so quiet and don’t seem interested in most things

when he finally asked you what you’re interested in and your eyes light up and you start rambling, he’s taken aback by just how adorable you are

he loves listening to you talk

during his free time at work, he’ll call you up and ask you about your interests just to listen to your voice, sitting back in his chair with a small smile

he loves buying you things related to the things you are interested in, bringing them home, and surprising you

seeing your eyes light up in joy and that smile of glee, it gets him every time

but of course, don’t forget to give him a kiss on the cheek as a thank you

©MANGEKYUOU — do not copy, repost, or translate my works.

[20kmemesunderthesea]

AMC's Nautilus

Action, political intrigue, plot twists and a healthy amount of sea monster skirmishes:

These are just some of the many reason why even those unfamiliar with the works of Jules Verne will find "Nautilus" to be an engaging SciFi adventure series.

Here are my (spoiler-free) thoughts on the show.

Note: as I write this, "Nautilus" is airing only on SVT: This is How I Watched it Living Outside of Sweden

When I heard that there was going to be a TV series about Captain Nemo's backstory, I was mightily aprehensive. The main reason for this apprehension was the mere fact that Captain Nemo's past is so dark and tragic. Thankfully, the series begins after the horrific events of the 1857 rebellion and just as the Nautilus is launched. What happened to Nemo's family is shown in flashbacks which explain the events without being graphic.

When I began the show, I honestly had very low expectations. I didn't really expect to like it. To my delighted asonishment, it turned out to be one of the best film tributes to Jules Verne I've ever seen - no hyperbole.

Throughout the series, there are fight scenes, periodic depictions of people bleeding and a couple "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" innuendo jokes, so I wouldn't watch it with a small child, but I think it would be appropriate to watch with most young teenagers (13+).

I believe both well-read Jules Verne fans and those who've hardly heard the name "Captain Nemo" will enjoy the intriguing storyline, likable characters and aesthetic scenery. There are many other factors which made me fall in love with "Nautilus" as well:

The Man of the Seas

The character of Captain Nemo has always facinated me. I was blown away by how perfectly and accurately Captain Nemo was portrayed in this series. Shazad Latif, in my opinion, is an immaculate Captain Nemo and he really brought the character to life with all his complexities. Out of all the film portrayals of Captain Nemo I've seen, I'd have to say his has been by far my favorite.

Tributes to Indian History and Culture

I'm American an my husband is Indian. He and I were both very impressed with the way in which Indian culture and history were presented. I want to see more shows like this to teach our son about his heritage. 

Many of the action scenes reminded me of South Indian cinema. In one episode there is a scene where the Nautilus crew is playing cricket against some Englishmen, which may seem a little disconnected from the rest of the story, but Bollywood fans may recognize it as a delightful tribute to "Lagaan."

The Writers Were Well-Verse in Vernian Lore

Although the story wasn't 100% accurate to the book, the writers obviously had read Verne's books and knew the nuances of Nemo's story and background quite throughly.

There were certain details which made me excited, such as when Nemo has an enigmatic exchange with an Englishman in which they greet each other warmly and seem to be thanking each other for...something. Nemo ends the conversation by saying, "Give my regards to Phileas!"

In Verne's other classic, "Around the World in 80 Days," Princess Aouda is the widow of the Raj of Bundelkhand. Since Jules Verne often dropped little hints that his books existed in the same universe, I always wondered if Aouda and Nemo were distantly related, since Bundelkhand is Nemo's kingdom of origin.

A question is posed: in this conversation, was Nemo thanking the Foggs for saving someone he cared about? This is the first time I've ever seen anyone address the detail that Aouda and Nemo might be relatives.

Tributes to the artwork of Alphonse de Neuville and Édouard Riou

I noticed several shots which were obvious tributes to the first-edition illustrations of Jules Verne's classics, such as Captain Nemo standing on the submarine deck with his spyglass, and the map of Lincoln Island on a cave wall. Those details absolutely thrilled me! 

Everything I've Ever Wanted in a Verne-Inspired TV Series - Except for That Cliffhanger!

Everything about this show absolutely floored me. It was everything I could have hoped for in a Captain Nemo TV series...and then it ended.

Such a well-done series ending with fairly significant loose ends felt like a punch in the gut more forceful than the maelstrom itself. I've been trying not to let it overshadow the rest of the show. I wish with all my heart that there could be a season two!

If anyone's curiosity gets the better of them, I compiled a list HERE of questions I desperately want to know the answers to. I hope someone may be able to answer my questions one day!

I want NEED more!

While I'm still coping with my post-series let down, I find myself pining away for more shows like this; shows based off of classic adventure novels which honor the spirit of the origional author.

I want shows which are imaginative, exciting and engaging, but have snippets of real-life science, culture and history woven in. Incidentally, I daresay these are the same elements which make the stories of Jules Verne himself so timeless.

[yourlilkaiju]

Here is the Reason Why I Am Not A Destiel Fan Anymore:

And the reasons I refuse to go back to being one:

So in retrospect, the SuperWhoLock fandom has been by and large a pretty big fandom that has been running a good while. I don't think it's stopped. I have always loved Doctor Who, as that- alongside the works of Mr.Henson and the brilliant creations from his creature shop, were my first introductions to all things weird and other worldly. Horror was another story. I will be more than happy to talk about that another day. So as time went on, in abouts the late summer/early fall of 2005, right before I turned 13, I was introduced to Supernatural. Starring Jared Padelecki and Jensen Ackles. The person I was watching it with was bouncing up and down, all excited because "Oh my gosh, it's so nice to see you watching something other than anime." (The cow.), and because it was nearing Halloween time and it was both of our favorite time of year for two very different reasons. This would end up being the start of my enjoyment of a long running series that had a good premise, but a very confusing story line after season five. (Sorry but it felt...skewed after that point. But I stayed loyal.) In any case, I eventually started shipping Destiel because of the constant queer baiting. Which didn't exactly, idk help the situation? And with that I ended up being a shipper for a good seven and a half, I repeat, SEVEN AND A HALF FUCKING YEARS. Hardly anyone sticks with a shop that long. (But being autistic you kind of stick with a lot of things for a long ass time. *Mumbles something about a certain one winged angel from the nineties*.)

My enjoyment of the ship came to a close when I was at a fantasy convention the spring of 2016. I was at one of the Double tree locations with an ex of mine and dressed up as a fae queen, laughing, having a good time and just having good conversations with the people at our table. I was with a troupe that my ex and I had started and we were initially responsible for acting out as "hosts" for the opening and closing for these events, and even "opening the portals to the realms" 🙄. When out of character we were still expected to be gracious hosts....well, more like I was. The man could get away with spilling a punch bowl over his head while mooning an entire audience, yet still somehow do no wrong. If I complained, or made a peep in my defense, the whole world would come crashing down. Even with some of the people we spent time with. And some of the people we spent time with were Destiel shippers who liked to bring strangers into our space without asking, or without any given warning or invitation. At that time, it'd been Supernatural fans who were not only Destiel shippers....but also Cockles fans.

[I am going to pause for a moment here because I feel the need to emphasize that shipping is fine. Shipping is a great way to escape reality for a period of time and even let loose the pent up need for some sort of intimacy in ones life, regardless of the type that is needed. But to allow it to interfere with reality, to force real people into seeing each other and actually make it so that it can't be left alone for years after? That's where there is an issue. And people who can't see that need to re-evaluate themselves and get some fucking help.]

There were few things that my ex and I agreed on, and one of them had been that uninvited guests had been a nono. However, the rules at play prevented me from saying anything while in costume. He had to dismiss the person. He had to tell them it was time to go and that "appreciated the travellers journey, however it was time for the court to take it's respite." . And yet he didn't. So as these people went on, our troupe laughed and carried on with the conversation. I did my best to segue into a different topic, and tried my hardest not to show discomfort. Because to do so would be breaking the rules. The uninvited guests went on....and on...and on. They ignored my attempts and ignored the fact that I had requested two glasses of wine and a white Russian. They carried on about how Destiel was technically canon, and how Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins were secretly dating behind the scenes. I looked for any reason I could to get the hell out of dodge. And I found my salvation when I found a friend of mine standing over by the bar.

"Pardon me, my dear..." I said, with a soft lilt in my voice. "As compelling as this conversation has been, I find that I have urgent business with a friend of the forest." As bewildered as my poor guest was, I immediately left before they could say anything more. I hated the conversation. I hated feeling trapped. It felt draining and honestly, going to my friend was the best decision I felt that I could make. And when I got to him, he mentioned that I looked like I needed help. And for a man like my ex to not say anything, he was a little disappointed.

Over the next few years, I ran into several more of these shippers at events that I'd helped run. I insisted that the rules be changed, and while he did not like it, he knew that I would not back down on the issue. The same people tried joining our gathering by one of our troupe members behest, and without warning. Upon recognizing me, they grew excited and hoped to continue the conversation from the last time they'd seen me.

"Why don't we talk about something else?" I groaned. I recalled the unpleasant experience I had with them last time as they hardly allowed a word in edgewise.

There was a long pause.

As if summoning a great storm, I was suddenly accused of being homophobic and told that I only played a queen because I whined and sobbed my way into it. And I stood there, allowing the insults to continue until they couldn't anymore. I figured it was just best to let them kick dirt at a statue and smile at them exhausting themselves.

I'm sure some of you may think me a horrible person fo this. I am sure some of you are thinking "why are you telling us this? There's no point."

Because some of you need to know the extent of how some fandoms and their shippers behave.

Back then Destiel and Cockles were as bad as LDS's. Now...well they're still just as bad. But twice as aggressive. And while I was one, I don't think I ever went that far. I would often ask things like "Aren't those two married?" When it came to the Cockles fans. Or say "I'm from way south Alabama and experienced ISA, please stop." To the Wincest shippers. Every single time I would say something like this, some would try to come directly for my throat. Literally. Hell, someone grabbed me by the hair once. All because I dared to disagree.

It's a fucking series.

With fictional characters.

Played by actors.

And all the special effects are done by the crew.

But some people can't seem to grasp that.

I refuse to entangle myself back in that sticky little web and I would rather watch it burn itself out. I would prefer to see it go up in flames as it gets rejected by the fandoms it tries to infect, JUST because it is politely disagreed with.

Because it doesn't leave people alone after being told no or receiving the sense that, maybe, a person is uncomfortable.

[destiny-in-the-universe]

Whump Whumping Whump

Updates on Whumptober, meows!

Alllriiight, my dear readers, I'm very much on a roll when it comes to Whumptober. For anyone stumbling across my page for the first time, Whumptober is an event hosted during October where you write "whump", or rather the psychological, physical, and other forms of torment against a "whumpee" (person receiving the angst).

I had the thought of doing a combination of prompts into a single one-shot, just to get a feel of something a little different! I wanted to talk a little about the chosen fandom and some information about the au itself because why not? For fandom, I decided to go with the current fixation, in other words a K-Drama known as Vincenzo.

This one's going to be particularly whumpy, especially due to the nature of the content with my idea but before that - this idea follows a canon divergent setting! It does fit under au, though honestly I named the fic after a song! Due to my rewatch of the series, I realized how dear these characters are to me so I created my own canon because, well, one of my favorites did die and I am upset lol.

Read below for information about the au and the fic itself!

Changes to the Canon

Jang Hanseo deserved so much better. After suffering from Hanseok's abuse, I felt his demise was too brutal for my tastes and decided he would get the chance to live here!

Vincenzo still did leave Korea after the end of the series, but then came back - deciding he couldn't abandon his new family. Geumga Plaza is an unofficial family and are highly protective of each other

Vincenzo and Hong Chayoung got together post-canon; though it took a while, considering just how stubborn both of them are. They're only dating, and neither has brought up marriage

The au itself does take place in Italy though! I had thought of Vincenzo taking Chayoung and Hanseo to visit where he had grown up, and so I decided to have them take a vacation

Hanseo took over the business, now running it legally. Though he also decided to volunteer at an animal shelter during the weekend

Vincenzo is a legal consultant, apart from still being part of the Jipuragi Law Firm

Hanseo suffers from PTSD and an unspecified anxiety disorder. While he has recovered immensely from the abusive dynamic with Hanseok, he does have vicious nightmares

He considers Vincenzo to be his true brother and rarely talks about Hanseok

Chayoung is highly protective of Hanseo, making sure no one comes after him. Though, this has hardly been an issue

Hanseo also has Autism Spectrum Disorder. I'm not going to lie; a lot of his depictions of having ASD in fanfiction doesn't always make me comfortable. I'm using my own experience with autism for how his represents

Vincenzo also has PTSD, but he doesn't talk about it. Ever

Fanfiction Details

As mentioned before, Vincenzo - alongside Chayoung and Hanseo - take a vacation to Italy, but of course things end up going a little south

For reasons I won't be disclosing yet, a hit is placed on Vincenzo. He discovers what's happening, and finds himself slowly distancing from Hanseo and Chayoung in order to keep them safe

Chayoung immediately notices something's up, attempting to confront Vincenzo but he gets defensive and it leads to a situation. That's all I can really say

Hanseo is not confrontational, but he does worry over his hyung and decides to help Chayoung figure out what's bothering Vincenzo

A fight does break out, but I will not be saying anything beyond that yet! That's spoilers, I'm afraid

More will come in a little while if anyone wants a WIP and would like to see me keep yapping about this idea. I haven't written for Vincenzo in ages, and last time, it had gotten a little... spicy to say the least but I adore Vincenzo's relationship with Chayoung and, well, Hanseo should've had a chance to heal from Hanseok's torment. In the meantime, I bid you adieu!

[beechaotic]

So, I don’t talk about my stories on here much. Maybe about different characters in passing, but nothing too in-depth. However, I wanted to share a story I wrote outlining how one of the main characters for my Sci-Fi story met her best friend (an alien) for a contest. I wanted to share it here to see if you guys like it, because I’m kind of proud of it.

Title: The Monster Who Saved Her

Word Count: 1,684 words

She was young, when she was taken.

She hardly remembers anything about Earth. Sure, she remembers bits and pieces of her language, her culture, things she learned; but she only remembers little things.

She doesn’t remember what different flowers were called, but she remembered that her favorite ones were multicolored (and likely genetically modified) with layering petals that curved around the center. She can’t remember any concrete or important words, but she does know how to say “Are you here to help me?” (because she said it too much on those ships; too many times she’d beg for help from anyone who would listen. They never helped). She also remembers the word “A-May”. She doesn’t remember her mother’s face, but she knows that her mother always sang to her when she had a nightmare. She had a beautiful voice. She doesn’t remember any common names from her homeworld, but she does remember that there was a girl she considered her best friend who was named “Estée”, which she said meant “Star”. She also remembered thinking it was fitting for the girl, as she had shown brightly and was always happy to shine light her on someone’s dark day. But she didn’t remember anything important about her life, her culture, her language.

She still remembers the night she was taken to the first ship.

She had been in her room, listening to her parents argue (she remembers that they did that often; that her father usually came home smelling gross and being clumsy, and that her mother would be mad every time). She couldn’t sleep because of the shouts and the banging of fists hitting counters. She curled up closer to her beloved toy, a little stuffed cat that her father had given her once when he wasn’t stumbling and his mood was light. She had named it Sarr-u, a suggestion from her mother. She remembered her parents joking that this was her first child, and that they would give all their money to the toy when they were gone.

She remembered hearing something break, and how footsteps echoed in the apartment. She remembered hearing her father shout in surprise, before hearing what she now knows as the shot of a High-Powered Plasma Shooter. Then, she heard her mother scream. She hid her head under the thin blanket. She stayed huddled there while she heard voices speak in an unfamiliar tongue. A tongue that she now speaks, that she knows better than her Homeworld’s.

She remembers hearing them slam her bedroom door open with such ferocity that she shuddered and tried to meld with Sarr-u. They ripped off her blanket, and she saw the horrors that had killed her parents.

She doesn’t remember what Humans look like, just vague features and skin tones; but she remembers knowing that these were not Humans. She remembers thinking that they were monsters, come to eat her soul and feed her bones to whatever monstrosities they called pets. She remembers screaming and clinging to Sarr-u as they picked her up roughly, how she squirmed and writhed in a vain attempt to get free. The monsters didn’t even react to her struggles beyond grumbling in their language. She remembers them taking her outside, where they were rounding up other children she knew from the apartment building. She remembers playing with them, their parents taking turns on who would watch the children each day. She remembers how they would all laugh and just be free.

Some of the children were crying, some were also fighting, but most were frozen in terror. She could tell now which ones had been with their parents when the “monsters” had barged in, which ones had watched the fatal blow. Those were the children that looked empty, like they weren’t even alive anymore. Like they were floating out of their body, far away from what was happening, where everything was safe.

The “monster” shoved them into cells with clear doors. She remembers trying to touch the barrier, only to get a jolt of pain through her hand. She remembers how she had pulled it away only to find charred flesh where limb had met with barrier. She remembers sitting in the corner of her cell and crying in fear. She remembers screaming for her “A-May” over and over again.

They were in those cells for what felt like decades, though it probably was no more than a year. The older kids would try to reassure the others by saying that they would make sure nothing bad would happen, that they would all get back home soon. She remembers believing them. That this would all end with a heroic soldier coming in and opening their cell doors, killing all of the “monsters” in their wake. The monsters always came back, usually bringing strange food with them. The food tasted like nothing and was always dry. It was also never enough to fully satiate them. And the water that they got was always warm, and they could only drink small mouthfuls at a time to save it. They never knew when they would next be fed.

Then, the monsters came back, not with food, but with cages. They began opening cells and loading children into the cages, even as the older ones screamed at them and the little ones cried in fear. Some of the older children even tried ramming themselves into the invisible barrier, and she watched as their skin and clothes got charred like her palm had been.

When they got to her, she didn’t fight back. She tried to hide away, to make herself too small to be seen. But it didn’t work, because they grabbed her anyway and shoved her into a tight cage without remorse.

When everyone was loaded into their cages, the monsters began to walk them out of the ship. They were put into a dark area where they couldn’t see. Some of the children cried, while others whispered reassurances. One even began to sing, soon joined by the other children held captive there. She remembers the song they sung vividly, how the childlike voices made it more haunting with the fear etched in every word.

“What do we do when we’re half-starved and mad?

We fight till we’re dead,

Fight ‘till we’re dead

What do we do when our enemies hound us?

We fight ‘till we’re dead,

Fight ‘till we’re dead

What do we do when the mob surrounds us?

We fight ‘till we’re dead,

Fight ‘till we’re dead!”

Now, whenever she hears someone singing a tune vaguely similar, she gets a jolt of peace. It was the only moment of true safety she would feel for a long time. Yes, she was in a cage and shrouded by darkness, but she also had people with her that she considered to be her friends. Estée was there, too. She kept trying to make everyone laugh, just like she used to.

She wondered sometimes where Estée was, and if she was safe. Was she still on one of the ships? Was Estée being tortured, like she had been? She could only hope that she was on one of the ships that actually care about Humans.

One by one, the cages were grabbed and taken into another room. As they were taken, the younger children would scream and wail, and the older children would try and shout platitudes. Eventually, she was taken into the room.

The room was a stage, with thousands of monsters staring at it from the stands. Her cage was roughly placed on the ground, and the monster at the podium she had glimpsed began talking. Monsters began shouting and raising their appendages. And with a chill, she realized that this was an auction. She was being sold.

She had heard of Humans doing this to other Humans in the past, but she never expected it to happen to her. She curled in on herself, desperate to disappear.

She was dragged onto a new ship, to a new cell. She was tortured and experimented on day in and day out. Eventually, they got bored of her, and sold her to another ship. This happened over and over again, until she became numb to the process.

Then, one day, after a long session of pain, she heard blaring alarms go off on the ship. Pounding resounded through the halls, along with the inhuman language she had grown accustomed to. Shots rang out from their weird guns, and she heard bodies hit the floor as shrieks filled the air. Soon, a new monster appeared at her cell door.

He was tall and very heavy-set. Not with hulking muscles, but with a broad body that years of hard labor would give you. But that wasn’t what caught her attention; no, it was that he looked like a pig.

Even then, her memories of Earth had begun to fade. But she remembers distinctly thinking “Wow, it’s like a pig on two feet”. He looked at her for a moment, before clicking some buttons on the keypad. The door opened, and he stepped inside. Weakly, she growled (a sound she had heard the monsters make to scare her), but he didn’t move away. Instead, he just held up his-hands? Hooves?-in a placating way. In a way that was so achingly Human, she couldn’t help but pause for a moment. He stepped closer, and she began to growl weakly again, curling around Sarr-u for comfort.

He kept his hands slightly raised as he approached, always in her view. He kept his movements slow and predictable, so as to not startle her. Slowly, he knelt down in front of her. Her growls petered out as she took in the kindness his eyes held. He made a strange cough-like noise, probably to try and calm her. Surprisingly, it worked.

He took her to his ship and showed her a room she could stay in. He taught her Galactic Common. And when the time came, he asked for her name.

She looked at him, her protector, her savior.

“My name is Burma, thank you for saving me.”

There you go, the story of a future Spaceship Captain, Burma! She actually has a stutter, but I imagine that that happens due to a head injury after she meets this guy.

Also, I have no idea what to name her alien friend. You guys have any suggestions? I would rather have non-European names, because in the Lore of this world, the aliens used to occasionally come to Earth and teach/talk to Humans. His species settled in like, the Caribbean. Don’t ask me what island, I haven’t thought that far ahead. However, I think it would be somewhere like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, or Haiti. So they picked up pieces of each other’s cultures.

Also, yes, Burma’s family is from Burma. However, she isn’t. She was born in America, since her family immigrated there before she was born. That’s why she said some things in Burmese, rather than in English. Like Sarr-u. It’s the Latin Alphabet version of the Burmese word for “First Born”. (Y’know how I put in the jokes her parents made? That was why).

Side note, I wanted to imply that her father was an alcoholic without directly saying it. I hope that came across in the text.

Anyway, yeah, that’s the origin story for my Ship Captain Burma! She learns Galactic Common AND her friend’s native language, which is comprised of grunts and chuffs.

Tell me what you think!!

Ps: I made up the song they sing, and I imagine it to a similar tune as “What should we do with a drunken sailor?” Because the contest wouldn’t let me use preexisting songs and I still wanted to show them singing.

PPS: None of the characters are white!! I didn’t decide the races/ethnicities for most of them, except for Burma and her best friend from Earth, Esteé. Esteé is Haitian and is very much not white. I imagine her having a VERY dark complexion. Not like those influencers social media pushes on you, darker than that. Like, Oh-Fuck-I-Can’t-Find-Makeup-In-The-Right-Shade-That’s-In-My-Budget kind of dark. Why did I come up with all this information about her AND MORE? Because I have no life. 🙃

[peculiarbeauty]

seriously, i don't talk about enough how much i love la belle et la bete here but .. the symbolism that has been given over within so many different versions and the fact the original story is very very similar to how cinderella's story is has to be my favorite.

the white rose symbolism and beauty's father - beauty is an innocent , pure hearted woman. she symbolizes the white rose. she is her father's little beauty. his pride and joy. still , i always find it funny in renditions that he loves her so much within the story but also is quite cowardly after facing the beast for the first time and would willingly give his youngest and most beautiful daughter over for his own freedom / desire to not be executed. he isn't nearly as kind hearted in MOST tellings .. yet beauty still loves him very much and is always trying to find a way to help him.

sisters and jealousy - beauty has six sisters. they are all very beautiful but vile of heart. beauty is the prettiest out of the bunch. she is the only one who does not have a vile heart. the sisters willingly push their father to get them expensive things on his travel that he can hardly afford whereas beauty only seeks a white rose. beauty also is one of the only sisters that is willing to clean the house for her father. her sisters believe they are ABOVE that.

dreams and mirrors - beast asks beauty to marry her a million gazillion times and gets rejected a million gazillion times. every time he gets rejected , beauty has a dream about this beautiful prince that night. this prince is also the beast's true human form which initially beauty is much more smitten with. mirrors within jean cocteau's version are important symbolically within the enchanted castle. mirrors are the windows of our souls. within the mirrors encountered when family comes to visit the castle , each sister can see the true version of what they are. ugly since their hearts are not pure. the difference here when beauty looks in the mirror is her appearance does not change. she is beautiful inside and out. ( this is one of my favorites and i think more people should talk about how impactful it is .. )

lavish items - beauty living within the enchanted castle is given as much room to enjoy her lavish items that the beast has given to her. she is able to request time AWAY from the beast bc .. girl , she is kinda not into being near him early on. he gives her that space though. he assumes the role of someone who can court her if he allows her the things she wants , which is just privacy. let her have a place of her own and she's fine , bro. we know that she is someone who has not cared for lavish items though. not in the way her vain sisters might. beauty is so rare. which is the main reason why she CAN love the beast for who he is. she is pure. she does not need to be courted with fancy things. she needs other means. which i feel inevitably is one of the most important factors of her character through almost every rendition of her portrayal including d.isney. no matter how she is portrayed in the different renditions , she normally is pure of heart.

the terrifying beast - now , to also consider about beauty in meeting the beast she is not someone who is right off the bat ready for marriage to him because she is so "kind hearted" or "good natured" .. even good natured people would need some convincing and she is a girl who wants a genuine find. a true relationship. he still has to find a way to truly court her. which isn't exactly easy ??? i mean , she is still held captive for eternity to be with him as a semi prisoner. that would make anyone kind of repulsed by the idea even if you are showered in gifts idk idk , just me ??? she also does faint when she sees him for the first time (oop , yikes ) . that's relevant and valid i guess. inevitably , she falls in love with him though. she wants him for who he is. and the most important part .. which definitely takes place within the portrayal on this blog , SHE DOES NOT LIKE HIM WHEN HE TRANSFORMS BACK INTO A BEAUTIFUL PRINCE. she's once again repulsed by his human appearance. she has grown to love the beast for who he is. she is CAPTIVATED by the end of the story by his appearance which is why when he turns back to a human , she is kind of horrified. it also does not help that he is actually kind of ??? beautiful ?? she doesn't want beautiful in the end. she wants the beast. if you take anything from what i'm saying here though .. my belle is repulsed by humans bc humans suck. thank you for coming to my ted talk.

also don't even get me started on that dang evil fairy. i'll go OFF , girl. i think i already did talk about her in previous posts enough bc when i talk about this i write big long posts .

[foolishpensandidioticink]

Harry Potter Characters + Love Languages II

Part I

Neville Longbottom

Expressing

Acts of Service

Neville is always willing to put himself out for others, as we see when he helps Harry out during the third task.

Neville's grandmother was never one for physical affection or particularly kind words either, so I think that the language Neville has had the most experience with is acts of service.

For Neville, love is making sure you're always fed and never, ever cold.

Best believe this guy gives you all his sweaters. Those lovely cable knit ones too.

Very shy when it comes to giving compliments, but he's always thinking adoring thoughts.

"Neville," you gasp. "You didn't." You look up from the box in your lap in utter amazement. "Your favorite sweater? The one your Nan knit by hand?" He ducks his dark head, avoiding your eyes. "Well," he says. "Well. I know- I know you really like it. And I've got loads. Of sweaters, that is. I've got loads. So I want you to have it. Happy Birthday." You're silent. Neville's cheeks are reddening rapidly. "There's a scarf. I- I've been practicing my crocheting." When you don't reply, he rambles on, "I know it isn't much, but I thought you'd like it, so I-" "Neville Longbottom, you are the greatest partner on earth," you announce solemnly, and then launch yourself at him. "Oh," he murmurs into the kiss. "Oh, alright."

Receiving

Words of Affirmation

Neville struggles a lot with self esteem, and like I said, his Nan doesn't seem as if she was very verbally affectionate.

A partner who is constantly telling him how valuable he is would be amazing for him.

He wouldn't believe you at first. He finds it really hard to accept the fact that anyone could think highly of him, hell, he can hardly believe you're dating him in the first place.

After you've been together a while, he knows that you mean every word you say and it flusters him even more.

He also gets very bashful during physical contact. I'm talking stuttering, physically CANNOT look you in the eye, hands trembling, ears RED

It takes him quite a while to be comfortable with touch, but if you're patient with him, he'll come to really enjoy it.

Once he does, he loves holding your hand. It just makes him feel so safe. Even linking your pinkies is enough.

"You're so cute," you murmur idly. You're sitting on a couch in the common room together, holding hands as Neville reads. He chokes on air. "What?" His fern-colored eyes are stretched wide, his mouth is slightly ajar, and the tips of his ears are beginning to go pink. He looks slightly scandalized. "I said," you repeat, with a grin on your face, "You're adorable." His eyes dart from side to side, as though he thinks you might be talking to someone else. "I-well. Me?" he asks weakly. You laugh outright. "You. You and no one else, Neville."

Cedric Diggory

Expressing

Physical Touch

His father is very affectionate with him, so it just comes naturally.

He's very respectful about it though. He'll grab you in a tight hug and then pull back to ask if it's alright with you.

Cedric uses kisses as currency. By this I mean that if you upset him slightly, he'll insist on a cheek kiss to make up for it. You ditched a class without him? Kiss on the cheek. You stole his food? He doesn't mind, as long as you kiss his cheek.

Schedules study sessions for the two of you. He brings lots of snacks and water to keep you hydrated. He's a very patient tutor and rewards you with a kiss when you focus.

Cedric loves it when you lay on him.

"Merlin's beard, Cedric," you exclaim. "I thought you were half decent at quidditch." Cedric is stretched out on a cot in the hospital wing, with a cast on his left arm. Lying so still, he looks dead, vampiric. For a few seconds your heart stops, and then he winces playfully up at you, and the illusion is broken. "Ouch. Words hurt, you know." "Bet they don't hurt as much as flying directly into a bludger," you retort. "Nothing does, I suppose," Cedric grimaces. Then he looks up with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Are you going to kiss it better?" You stare. "Cedric Diggory, you have broken your arm. You have a broken arm and you want me to kiss it better?" He nods, honey-colored hair falling over his brow. "Pretty please?"

Receiving

Quality Time

Cedric is very busy most of the time, what with prefect duties. quidditch, and trying to keep up with his grades. If you make an effort to spend time with him against his oppressive schedule, he will be head over heels for you.

Please, please, please go on walks together. Cedric knows a ridiculous amount about any animal you could come across, and with him, every walk is a nature walk. He's the kind of guy to follow an ant to make sure it gets safely back to its hill.

If you go to his games, you'd better believe he's going to do his very best to give you a win. The fact that you're supporting him is almost euphoric, and he can't help but apply the adrenaline to chasing the snitch.

"Diggory dives for the snitch, he misses, he HANGS OFF HIS BLOODY BROOM, HE'S GOT IT, THE MAD LAD'S GOT THE SNITCH, AND HUFFLEPUFF WINS!" Lee Jordan screams into the microphone. "RAVENCLAW, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO LOSE TO A TWINK?" Cedric's jubilant expression drops visibly, and you burst into laughter. You move down the stands towards him. "Good game, twink," you greet him, throwing your arms around his neck. "Oh, not you too," he sighs, looking down at you with mock sadness in his golden brown eyes. "And here I was about to thank you for the victory." "Thank me? Whatever for? That was all you, Ced," you protest. Cedric pulls back to look you solemnly in the eye. "Thanks for showing up. You made me want to win, for you. That energy? That win? It was for you."

[kalechipslives]

sorekara setting design

Here are some notes on the development of SOREKARA's style and presentation. If you couldn't already tell, SK takes a lot of inspiration from 70's/80's anime, Nobody's Boy Remi being the reference point for much of it. I've always respected Dezaki for his monumental work so I've always wanted to pay tribute to it (especially the early stuff). I don't think I was as successful as I'd like to have been, but alas! There is still more to come! So without further ado!

I was just talking about Dezaki , but now I shall talk about something completely different. To set the tone, I created the cat and the trolley setting first. The Girl's design should be plenty obvious (lol). But the background here I paid special attention to... I find the paints of Night on the Galactic Railroad to be very unique. They have a line less, airbrushed quality to them that blends in surprisingly well with the characters. I did some research and studied 児玉喬夫 Takao Kodama's work, as they were credited with setting design for this film as well as Genji Monogatari. Actually, if you look at Genji Monogatari's backgrounds, they have the exact same airbrushed quality! I had never done a background like this before (I am certainly not an environmental artist) but I think I did a fairly good job of it.

...I immediately switched gears and without thinking, went back to Dezaki works. I can't say I was very faithful at all. The night sky is easy to paint, with it's notable color spray and paint blots, but I diverged quite a bit with the watercolor textures. Shichiro Kobayashi is the artist I looked to the most, and this project made me appreciate him more than ever before. Just looking at his paints gets me emotional... The vibrant colors, the dramatic angles, you can just feel his reverence for life overflowing from the work. There really isn't anyone better. I need to study more if I'm to capture even a fraction of his skill. That being said, I did make sure to animate the backgrounds slightly with the sparkles on the water-- The reflection of light on water is my favorite to draw! Also, flowers are a very important motif (for various reasons, ohohoho). Kobayashi seemed to love drawing flowers, the paint around the edges give is a delicate look. Actually, if you look at the textbox...

Instead of full-color CGs, I opted to use "postcard memories". This was a technique Dezaki used where he would show a detailed, scratchy-lined illustration to highlight important moments instead of fully animating them. It creates a really memorable image that draws out all of your emotions! I tried to emulate them (the more single-toned ones, that is) for the game. It was 1/3 Dezaki worship, 1/3 time-saving technique, and 1/3 excuse to draw lots of scratchy lines. I love scratchy lines. This way, I could make a lot of memorable shots that were visually interesting without overworking myself.

As another note, I looked to Akio Sugino's character art when drawing. The characters don't really look like Sugino characters, but I was emulating his shading technique with (once-again) the scratchy lines. Ah, I was in heaven. Looking at his older work, the linework is hardly ever clean-- but the rough, hand-drawn edge gives everything a tactile quality and the strong anatomy makes everyone so gorgeous. It's like an engraving come to life.

Finally, the anime effects! On the left you can see soothat before his values are adjusted (very dark, isn't he?) and on the right you can see he is in-game, values adjusted with a more appropriate "anime" look. This is because anime cells are put onto a CRT screen, so they end up looking very different. I created an auto action in CSP to adjust the color grating and line quality of every asset before popping them into the game for the chromatic aberration to take effect. The lines are slightly crunched a blurrier compared to the original. It gives it a more "physical" look. The colors are fixed up-- you'll see there is no pure black. If you look at a physical anime cell, you'll see they more often than not do not include pure black. There is usually a tint of green or red in there.

The chromatic aberration filter... I don't know how noticeable it is to the average player, but the game actually has a built-in filter that creates a slight "chroma" effect to emulate the look of frames through a crt/light. This means the red + blue + green values of the entire screen are split up and adjusted to layer slightly off from each other, giving it a little visual interest. It was AN EXTREME doozy to put in, with my poor programmer coding it and re-coding it until the end. It seemed simple at first, but there are parts where the game zooms in which totally broke the filter! It made out eyes bleed! But it was repaired in the end, so blessing upon you, Sandy. You saved my life.

The reason why I looked to Ie Naki Ko/Nobody's Boy Remi specifically is because that's where I feel the most "pure" energy from. It is a show that leans incredibly hard on it's techniques to get by but because of that it really embodies what I love about old anime-- It has a selfless reverence for its subject that drives you to watch and surrender your heart. Dezaki's powerful directing, Sugino's gorgeous drawings and Kobayashi's majestic paintings come together to make a work that shines. The setting is truly at the forefront with the characters getting lost in the grandeur. That's the attitude I had with SOREKARA: "There are things much greater than us, so isn't it wonderful that we are able to see them side-by-side?" There are many animation techniques that are cost-effective while still being utterly beautiful, I would love to copy them someday but I wasn't able to go that far yet. At least not in the demo. There's still time, I suppose... Studying limited animation from old anime is actually extremely useful when creating visual novels. Understanding the placement of cells and their layering/movement has given me even more ideas for stories!

I ended up going on a rant about anime again ^^" But it's so beautiful, you must now understand my heart going into the work. I always think of my characters and their journey, of course, but before that I think of the setting. I want the player to experience beautiful and mysterious things alongside their traveling companions. There is still so much more to make. I hope to incorporate more Dezaki-style techniques in this and future works. Please remember the true message of my works.... Not that love finds a way, or that your connections can transform your world...it's that....anime is very, very cool.

Thank you for reading 🙇🏽‍♂️

[el-moscorrofio-y-el-mercachifle]

Hi, this is the girl who sent you the message about your favorite canon and non-canon 🥰

(Ignore if there is a wrong word or phrase out of context, I'm Brazilian and I'm writing this using Google Translate)

I'm sorry if I didn't explain it correctly, I wanted to say that I love that you bring this information (plot headcanon), and I mentioned that you forgot a headcanon that if I remember correctly, was mentioned. That's what Marcela says that she would ask Mario to be the best man at her wedding with Armando, I hope I explained it better now. ☺️

But I loved knowing that these are your favorite headcanons!!! Patricia's - oh, I love this crazy woman even though I can't stand her sometimes (most of the time) 😭🩷, I also like the one with Mario and Armando's (I really imagine the headaches they must have given their parents during their adolescence together). I didn't remember that Daniel bite his nails when stressed, but I remember him bringing candy to Marcela, a cute side of him that we hardly see lol.

And about noncanons: I believe that Nicolas doesn't know how to cook anything is super canon 🤣

Marcela always waiting for her dad to come home— it breaks my heart to imagine that, but I believe it happened.

Yesss, I also firmly believe that Armando was a very troubled teenager, one of those “problem teenagers”, it’s practically canon for me.

I also agree with what you wrote about the Valencias: what you said about Daniel having to mature quickly when he was practically still a child, and now being almost a teenager trapped in an adult's body, really enters my mind and how I I believe it's real, it explains a lot about the character even though it doesn't justify many of his attitudes (as well as those of others too). I feel as if he had a greater affection and desire to protect more Marcela than Beata, of course he loves them, but he tried to take more care of Marcela. That little girl who was daddy's favorite, who was very attached to them and who was more “sentimental” (I believe that Marcela was a very sentimental girl, even though she might not show it much) than Maria Beatriz, who I believe wasn't as close to them and always lived in her own world, and didn't even have time enough to think about his parents to the point of suffering from their absence. That's what I think.

In fact, I believe and have this noncanon in my head that Marcela was the typical intelligent girl (not a nerd), antisocial (with few, but some friendships) and insecure (despite being pretty) during her adolescence. The opposite of Beata, who has always been very extroverted, friendly and doesn't care what others thought/think of her (but I don't believe she was the typical mean girl, I believe she was that “nice girl” but with confidence, without being mean to anyone because that's not the vibe she gives to me). And I like to think that it was during Marcela's teenage years that she met Patricia 😂🥰, (although they have already commented that it wasn't during her adolescence? but anyway, I don't care) and I also have this image that Patricia had what Marcela didn't have: confidence during her adolescence, and she helped her with that. I can see Patricia putting Marcela's makeup on and the two of them laughing together, Marce saying things like: “I feel so ridiculous” or things like that and Patri saying "there's no reason for that", saying she's beautiful and other things. (Situations that I wish we had seen in screen 🥹, because you know, they have changed but they already had their cute moments and sides). I also see Beata doing this, but I believe she didn't have as much free time to spend with Marce.

Anyway, I loved reading your comments, you are awesome!!! And I would love to talk to you about everything related to YSBLF 🩷🩷🩷

Hi againnnn!🥰

Don't worry, it's okay! I see what you mean now, and you're right, I forgot about that canon detail!! I'm still writing my next "canon details" list so I'll definitely add that!! Marcela does mention that the day after she finds the letter!

Yessss, those are all little details that caught my attention! I love that they bring so much personality to these very alive characters!! And I'm glad you like my headcanons too🥰🥰🥰

Yes! I totally see what you mean. You can tell Daniel really does have a favorite sister, probably due to seeing how much it all hurt her. You can tell he has a very tender spot for her with all those candies and the way he straight up said multiple times that Marcela is the mot important thing in his life

We do see Marce was very antisocial! She doesn't like collection launches or going out, she says so herself, and we never see her with anyone else besides Patty as her friend so maybe she doesn't have many friends at all. We also know she's very good at her job so I totally agree that she was the kind to always study hard and focus on her goals. Regarding Beata, idk!! She is pretty mean. She trashtalks Betty behind her back... I think she's the kind who never ever would pass the opportunity to gossip! Like Bertha😆 but she isn't confrontational nor passive aggressive at all. She can definitely say rude things but it's mainly because of her lack of awareness lmao imo! I imagine her as being the type to inadvertedly create insecurities by mistake by saying tone deaf things like "omg girl!! I can give you the number of my surgeon so you can get the bypass and get your waist libe back!!" To someone who wasn't bothered by her weight till that moment lmaoooo she gives me those vibes, it's not ill intentioned but we know she isn't very socially aware

Patricia is definitely the type to hype her friend up! She actually does a few times in the show, although always making sure to remark that she is prettier than Marcela jajaja I love to think they also met during their teen years! Idk if it's ever mentioned un the show when they met, I can’t remember-- good thing I'm rewatching it again rn!😂😂

Awww I'm so glad you liked it!! I'd love to chat too, whenever you want you can send me a private message or an anon ask if you're more comfortable like that!🥰🫶

[brothersonahotelbed]

my coworker and i were talking today about the new season of loki and how neither of us has watched any of the new episodes yet and what was crazy was that he said he had heard next to nothing about the new series, whether it was bad or good or anything like that, and he's on tiktok and instagram and twitter, like he's very active with social media. and then i was like ..wow you're right come to think of it i have not heard a LICK about the new season with the except of one piece of fanart from the tumblr radar. and he was like if i didn't know better i wouldn't have known at all that there was a new season because there's been zero talk about it online and only a few commercials on tv. and then i confessed to him that despite loki being one of my favorite characters ever i really wasn't all that into the first season and hardly excited about the second and i really felt like they didn't do his character justice and also i think the sylvie arc was stupid as hell and mobius should die and to make things even worse they barely gave loki ANY cool sexy audacious outfits to wear. like. he wore a fucking dirty white button up and slacks and a tie nearly the whole time it seemed. also i didn't say this to him but i hhaaated that they were pushing loki and sylvie to be together, and i didn't hate that because it was "weird" that it was "selfcest" or whatever like that wasn't even the worst bit the worst was that sylvie's character is bland and boring and kind of anoying and it makes me feel like i'm a misogynist for not liking her but honestly i think th emarvel writers just threw her in there and maybe they're the real misogynists here. like everything about the show just sucked and it's like okay are you going to give loki an actually interesting arc or are you just going to make his whole character about being abused and neglected and soooooooooo close to redemption but it turns out he'll always be the bad guys haha! like what the fuck. marvel always fucking treats him like trash not to mention i thought the plot of s1 was kind of boring and i would MUCH rather watch a loki tv show that was all about his youth on asgard or honed in specifically on his relationship with thor OR GOD FORBID HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS MOTHER??? QUEEN FRIGGA??? DOES ANYONE REMEMBER HER CAN WE GET A LITTLE SPOTLIGHT ON HER?? AND THE WAY SHE TREATS LOKI SO WELL AND MAKES HIM FEEL LIKE HE'S REALLY WORTH A DAMN IN THIS WORLD?? I WANT TO SEE THAT KIND OF STUFF NOT MARVEL'S SAD AND SORRY ATTEMPTS AT HETEROSEXUAL ROMANCE CONCERNING A CHARACTER WHO IS CANONICALLY QUEER. GET LOKI A FCKING BOYFRIEND AND THEN DIE !!!!!!

[maschotch]

hello I've been an on-and-off CM enjoyer(?) for a decade, with Hotch being my main area of interest… I just spent literal hours going through your blog lol. tbh it was exactly the kind of CM content I desperately wanted but had trouble finding initially (jfc the sea of x reader I had to wade through) anyway I stopped watching full eps at around S5, but I'm aware of how things go for Hotch and I'm v bitter about the missed opportunities. maybe a popular opinion in the fandom, but I've always hated how the Foyet attack was glossed over for example - my disbelief when I first watched 5x02 and Hotch just... shows up to work?? why'd they bother with such a major injury if its consequences were limited to one (1) episode years later, and even then the mental trauma was 99% ignored. no mention of meds/painkillers/recovery? nothing about "your scars are gonna look just the same"?? BUT that almost pales in comparison to all the other Hotchner things you got me thinking about, like his subtle aversion to fire or autistic traits or other facets of his character/relationships that are soooo tantalizingly hinted at but not expanded upon. I don't know the whole show that well so idk how Hotch fared compared to other characters but it felt like we got crumbs, especially since he was there for 11 goddamn seasons sorry this is so long but I've never talked CM to anyone before and you've made me love Hotch even more as a character, and now I'll have to further stew in my despair over him getting zero closure

i have similar issues with the show and fandom. the show looooves to traumatize its characters and then pretend it didnt even happen the second the arc is over. i understand its the nature of an episodic show like this (and i love that style for this show! i do!) but they could MENTION how hotch has scars (especially in season 10 when theyre all comparing scars on the plane) or how he needs medication (considering thats the only reason why they found foyet in the first place). foyet was the first big arc, so i understand why they needed to get on with it and bring hotch back to work by 5x02, but i wish they’d had an extra episode in between dealing with the team’s emotions about their leader being attacked (the way we kinda see them reeling from haley’s death and the potential of hotch not returning in 5x11 (or whatever the next ep after 100 is)).

no matter who your favorite cm character is, anyone can have the same complaint of them not following through about what undergoing these kind of traumatic events would mean for the characters. it’s definitely a sore point with criminal minds. especially because the only time they do it is when they want a character to leave (like gideon, blake, and kate). it fucking sucks bc there’s so much potential

and that’s where i feel like the fandom lets me down too. there’s not a lot of talk about it—mostly it’s just self inserts and shipping. there’s hardly any good character analysis out there, but that’s why i started this blog in the first place: if it doesn’t exist, make it yourself! (i would encourage you to do the same if you still feel this way. i talk shit ab the fandom all day but i still get so much positivity despite that from people who value the characters just as much but express it differently)

sorry for getting to this ask so late! maybe you’ll come across it eventually. if you do, let me know your other thoughts on the show/fandom! if youve seen more, if youve interacted more, or if you just have more to say!

[catty-words]

Oh! The mustache thing and David. Okay, okay. It still feels kinda weird to say someone is racist over this, but yeah, now that you point it out I see it. I had a childhood friend who got in a foreign exchange student program for a year in high school and when she came back she told us how since the gringos couldnt say her name properly they just defaulted to calling her "Brazil" 😑

I feel a bit called out about twitter, even if its true and I'm only there cuz I'm an addict being held hostage. I've also curated my fandom experience, but I was really needing more info and saw stuff that bummed me out while researching 🥲🥲 I dont mind seeing people criticize characters cuz like we are all entitled to our opinion even if I disagree, but I guess it kinda shocked me still. I guess I forgot about how in some ship wars I participated in when I was 13 some people would call the other characters rapists and stuff after being away from typical fandom toxicity for so long lol.

About the tone shift: yeah I did, but it didnt feel "drastic", just different. In a bad way. Like one of the first metas I read talked about how Devi lacked autonomy in season two and I was like YES THAT WAS WHAT I WAS THINKING even thought not really I was just "wait why is this feeling a bit off... weird... let me play the next episode and just hope is merely a vibe" I dont hate season 2 as much as you seem to, however season 1 and 3 are indeed superior. Season 3 is my favorite out of the three because I really like how the characters matured. A favorite episode is probably 1x10, like the scene of Nalini with dr. Ryan moves me, then Ben driving cackles me up, then I back to being moved by them spreading Mohan ashes with beautiful day playing, then boys like you as "you stayed" and benvi kiss and paxton calling and back to the kiss and I'm like OMG WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO I HAVE CLASS TOMORROW AND ITS ALMOST TWO BUT FUCK I NEED TO KEEP WATCHING THIS. I always feel like that when I'm rewatching even if it's not two am and I dont have class the next day lmao

You are going to think I'm super horny but probably "why don’t you show me the bitty spark you’ve been saving for his mattress?". It's the one I reread the most after all. The awkwardness of the situation?? Their great characterization??? Devi having no idea of what to do with Ben of all people making her feel like that??? Fab and Eleanor still unsure about him at school and being cutely protective of Devi??? Ugh, just kill me already (please dont)

"you're gonna fall (but i'll catch you)" is also great! I love to read adults au for shows about hs characters and hs aus for shows about adult characters idk why but there are not enough adult aus for nhie in my opinion and yours is my fave!!! Plus Ben being so into stories is adorable as someone who really sees herself in Abed Nadir. Plus the way is not just about their romance but also Devi dealing with grief and her complicated relationship with her mother and self destructive tendencies and... ugh I just love it.

It still feels kinda weird to say someone is racist over this, but yeah, now that you point it out I see it. - i think the disconnect comes from the way fandom uses words like 'racist' to build cases about how it's Objectively Wrong for anyone to like a certain character, whereas the word itself applies to a whole spectrum of behavior and morality. like, it shouldn't actually be that uncomfortable to admit that ben can be and is sometimes racist, he is a walking definition of privilege. him internalizing racist sentiment should hardly be surprising. but it also doesn't make him irredeemable scum. he's obviously a really caring character, as well.

on a related note, yikes @ those students who committed micro-aggressions to your childhood friend. as they get further and further into their life, may they reflect and do better rather than double-down.

I dont mind seeing people criticize characters cuz like we are all entitled to our opinion even if I disagree, but I guess it kinda shocked me still. I guess I forgot about how in some ship wars I participated in when I was 13 some people would call the other characters rapists and stuff after being away from typical fandom toxicity for so long lol. - i get it, i get it. for me, there need exist a gaping divide between exposing myself to critical or even harsh reads of characters i love and/or identify with for the sake of refining my own read of the text and giving the time of day to people who aren't engaging sincerely with the text. protect yourself in the echo-chamber!

About the tone shift: yeah I did, but it didnt feel "drastic", just different. In a bad way. - VINDICATION

but jfgdf - I dont hate season 2 as much as you seem to - i feel compelled to clarify that it's not that i hate season two, not really. it's more that the season let me down and then, by nature of netflix shows' release schedules being what they are, forced me to sit with that disappointment for over a year. it's that i love season one SO MUCH, i couldn't reconcile how much i didn't vibe with season two. on paper, you're right, the tone difference is not drastic, but the emotional response it elicited in me definitely was.

and I'm like OMG WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO I HAVE CLASS TOMORROW AND ITS ALMOST TWO BUT FUCK I NEED TO KEEP WATCHING THIS. I always feel like that when I'm rewatching even if it's not two am and I dont have class the next day lmao - i love you for this, and 1.10 is such a valid choice she really is That Bitch

You are going to think I'm super horny but probably "why don’t you show me the bitty spark you’ve been saving for his mattress?". - first of all, embrace the horny within. it's important to the show that you do, we're in the spirit of the source material here! second of all, this choice makes me really happy because i love that fic and generally speaking, people are a little shier about giving feedback on smut but, like, that's hands down some of my best writing (both for d/b and more generally). so. thank you.

Fab and Eleanor still unsure about him at school and being cutely protective of Devi??? - you may already know that i'm writing a long-form follow-up with 'bitty spark' acting as the prologue since it sounds like you picked through my blog a bit and i feel like i never shut up about the sequel BUT ANYWAY one of the best parts about it is ben finding himself enmeshed in the girl squad, if i do say so myself. (x)

I love to read adults au for shows about hs characters and hs aus for shows about adult characters idk why but there are not enough adult aus for nhie in my opinion and yours is my fave!!! - okay, well now i'm going to think about you every time i read an adult AU for a high school show or a high school AU for an adult show.

thank you for fueling my vanity and for stopping by my askbox in the first place!

[drbtinglecannon]

Hi, friend! 💕 I hope you've been well

I come here to give you Darius for the character's ask because I'm predictable. BUT also adding that one Herlock Sholmes guy because I remember a snippet you shared and he seemed fun

Thanks pal, today's my anniversary actually so I've been doing fairly well!

Listen. Listen. I'm always willing to talk about Darius, I'm just as predictable hahaha! But I'm down to talk about both!

Darius

1. Sexuality HC:

Ace Darius ace Darius ace Darius. I vibe with bi or aro for romantic inclinations tho

2. OTP:

Dariraeda, or maybe camdariraeda. But I also like not shipping Darius with anyone, depends on the mood

3. Brotp:

Darius & Eber mean so much to me, it's one of my absolute favorite Darius relationships and it gets ignored so often (I understand why but I'm still salty). Rebel trio too, bah I wish we got an episode about those three

4. Notp:

The worst theory for why Alador and Darius grew apart is that they were both into Odalia. Darius was never into Odalia, come on people

Darius x the prev GG kinda squicks me out too, I know the Grimwalkers tended to not live a long time so there's a chance he wasn't much older than Darius but the mentor-student ship dynamic has never been a favorite of mine

5. First HC that pops into my head:

The only CH that's been in their position longer than him is Terra

6. Favorite line from this character:

"And your treachery. Whatever."

The foreshadowing that he was a rebel lies in him caring more about his fit than treason. I loved him immediately

7. One way in which I relate to this character:

I can also be a bit of a neatfreak who just wants to relax instead of doing anything, and I also suffer from "bitch that cares about others" syndrome

8. Thing that gives me second-hand embarrassment about this character:

Him yelling at Raine about the CATTs name, omg he's so whiny in the name of his ego sometimes haha

9. Cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

100% problematic fave, he bullied kids and doesn't seem to have any qualms against murder

---

I'm very curious how my answers on this char will influence the very brief impression you have of him haha! I'm certain you will be surprised by some of it

Herlock Sholmes

1. Sexuality HC:

Pan to match the test tubes he's always wearing

2. OTP:

Vanlock, I just. Love how stupid they are. Loser wet cat addicts that have to interact because his daughter is his niece and vice versa, giant bitter exes energy, their dlc case & escapade were soooo funny

3. Brotp:

I can definitely see the appeal for hmmk and I sometimes vibe with fanart for it, but I significantly prefer them in a platonic/familiar sense than a romantic/sexual sense. A very unpopular opinion but idc haha

4. Notp:

Honestly the only ship I like for Herlock is vanlock, I really don't care for any of the others.

5. First HC that pops into my head:

I know it's canonically disproven and doesn't really track for his character, but I like to sometimes think about a Herlock that gave up smoking & hard drugs when he became Iris' guardian

6. Favorite line from this character:

Though this was from the fan translation of the game years before the localization came out, the classic Herlock line "That deduction was so hot you'd hardly believe this detective is single." (I can't find it rn but I'm pretty sure that was the line. I also love his offer of jumping into a caldron of boiling wax for what equals ~16.4mil£ in today's money lmao)

7. One way I relate to this character:

Adhd 😔🎻

8. Thing that gives me second-hand embarrassment about this character:

Ooooh I'm so weak to second-hand embarrassment and this bitch caused it so frequently he's SO unhinged and cringe. Absolute loser of a man, should've been punched in the face by Ryuu after a big plot twist reveal

9. Cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

He's absolutely 100% a problematic fave. He steals, he lies constantly, he does hard drugs, he raised his daughter to think some random guy was her dad and let her believe said guy abandoned her, he's immensely flawed as an individual but he's really funny and has good intentions so. Problematic fave material

[umutisiktagiyev]

Book Notes | Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen | 12.03.2024

It was one of the best, if not the best, books I had the pleasure of reading. The book arrived at my doorstep on March 5th. I was halfway through “How to Live With Life,” so I told myself I would read this work later.

The next day, on the 6th, I wanted to glance into the contents, especially the opening paragraph. I had previously listened to 20 percent of the book in audio format, and seeing the opening myself, I couldn’t help myself. I was compelled, drawn in.

It’s been six days, and I am done with this book of decent width. Initially, it was 10-20 pages a day. The more I read, the more I could contain myself. It soon became many hours of my day dedicated to reading.

The story is said to be mainly about Elizabeth’s Prejudice and Mr. Darcy’s Pride, though it was more than that for me. The entire setting—the characters, the world, the interactions—was full of life and so full of charm. Yes, charm is the only word I can come close to describing Jane Austen’s style; her work is charismatic.

The story takes place in Longhorn, though the names of the towns do not matter. We are first introduced to a family, Bennet’s.

Mr. Bennet married his wife while young, though later, when he saw how foolish and silly the said wife was, he pulled away from the relationship—taking refuge in his library, amusing himself by his wife’s folly.

Mrs. Bennet—How can I say this without being rude…All she thinks about is her perception of others in her society who are middle class; unlike her husband’s family, her family has a bad background. She is a shortsighted, emotional, selfish woman. All she cares about is the optics and how they affect her.

They have five daughters, and by age, they are Jane, Elizabeth, Maria, Lydia, and Catherine.

Jane is a highly compassionate girl, aged 22. She is caring, self-sacrificing, and good-humored, yet she has the vice of never finding blame in anyone. She always assumes the best to a point, even when done wrong; she cannot fault it.

Elizabeth, the main person the story revolves around, is 20; she is wise, clever, honest, and frank, making her disagreeable in her time. She claims to be a study of character, is self-aware, amuses herself with the foolishness that she sees in people, is emotional, and, although to a lesser degree to her sister Jane, compassionate. While Jane is Fe, I’d say Elizabeth is Fi, for lack of better words. She is her father’s favorite. Jane is the second favorite.

Maria is hardly ever talked about. I believe even Jane Austen forgot to include her until the later parts, ironically, since the middle children are often forgotten. Maria felt she was competing with her sisters in beauty, maturity, and education. So she tries hard to be better, always studying, yet never really maturing. Her studies are the result of her insecurity rather than a virtue of a good mind.

Lydia is the carbon copy of her mother; she is 16 (the story takes place within 1 to 2 years; 16 was her latter age in the story). Being thrown into adult society from a young age, she had a taste for men’s desire and attention from a young age. Extremely imprudent, like her mother, she flirts with everyone; there was a dream of her in which she was to flirt with six officers simultaneously. She cares not for the men in particular, but their attention towards her is her drive.

Catherine, the youngest, was initially to follow Lydia around, and because of it, became like her. Later on, when Lydia is married, she becomes a decent character. There is little to say about her personality, as it greatly changes.

There is Mr. Collins, a proud clergyman and cousin of Mr. Bennet.

Charlotte Lucas, later on, Mrs. Collins, as they marry after Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collins. Elizabeth’s childhood friend. Lucas’ is a family friend.

Mrs. Phillips is Mrs. Bennet’s sister and the girls’ aunt. Her wife, Sir William, was a retired soldier.

Gardiners, Edward Gardiner is Mrs. Bennet’s brother. He is an honorable, intelligent man. It is a miracle that this family is even related to Mrs. Bennet.

Bingley moves into town, where the story gets going.

Mr. Bingley has two sisters, Mrs. Hurt and Miss Bingley. He comes to town with his friend Mr. Darcy.

Mr. Collins’s patroness, Lady de Brough, is Mr. Darcy’s aunt—the late Mr. Darcy’s sister. The late Mr. Darcy had a godson, Wickham, who grew up with Darcy.

De Brough has a daughter who is entailed as Darcy’s wife from birth.

Darcy has a sister, Georgina, Miss Darcy.

There are also many other characters that I am now too tired to write about. I don’t have to portray the story in detail, but the lessons.

I remember screaming at the pages in some parts and spanking my cat in excitement. That is how this book should be remembered. I remember yelling, “Stop edging me, Austen!” after five chapters passed without Darcy, only for him to appear suddenly.

The work provides a good understanding of the middle-class life of her time, which included some mingling with the upper class. There were a lot of balls, and people visited each other. 

I saw a comment that said, “The book is about people going to each other’s houses,” with a one-star review. That’s like saying the story of the Underground Man is about a man getting angry at a prostitute and his work friends. Sure, that’s what occurs, but not what happens.

Darcy seems disagreeable initially, but he is an introvert, a well-bred man of virtue. He becomes the talk of town to be the worst kind of man after they leave with Bingley, as Wickham lies about him. He is indeed proud, to the point of pride. We will discuss this later.

Elizabeth, even though smart, fancies herself to be objective and impartial. Yet, she is prejudiced. She believes her conclusions are accurate; she studies and decides on people’s characters.

This is why their relationship with Darcy is good; the entire point of the story is how, in the end, Elizabeth is humbled by Darcy’s true virtue and sees her prejudice. While Elizabeth humbles Darcy’s pride, and he becomes a better man. 

The story is about how companionship and love can temper the personality of the two parties involved. Changing them for the better, for each other. This is a conclusion reached by many before, including me, but it is a good reminder of the truth. 

Jung puts this best:

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.

It is, beyond a doubt, a fact of life. It is also a good reminder of my pride and prejudice. We should always check ourselves for the vices we all possess.

I did like Maria, the middle child. She reminded me of Asuka. Her constant dialogues about morality were funny since she was doing it all to be “not like other girls,” while Eliza (Lizzy) would often roll her eyes at them.

The scene where Darcy first confesses his love, and Elizabeth goes HARD on him, saying how much she hates his conduct, was so funny and shocking to me. It was so sudden that I was on the edge. And when Darcy, the next day, comes to her with a letter that takes six pages of the book, I laughed even harder about it.

When Darcy was teased by Miss Bingley, who was envious of Elizabeth because Darcy fancied her from the start, she teased him.

“A lady’s imagination is rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”

Who can forget the start:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

Elizabeth’s admission to Jane:

“There are few people whom I really love and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”

Darcy, upon being asked by Elizabeth at the end when he started his love for her:

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”

“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”

Elizabeth’s letter to her Aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, after Darcy proposed:

“I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but not one with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh.”

This scene was funny, Mr Bennet:

“An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day, you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

A glance, at first, at Darcy’s pride, yet it also applies to Elizabeth’s thinking.

“My good opinion, once lost, is lost forever.”

In this scene between the two, earlier on, what flirts:

“There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.” “And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody.” “And yours,” he replied with a smile, “is wilfully to misunderstand them.”

Darcy’s admission on how Elizabeth changed him:

“I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child, I was taught what was right, but I was not taught how to correct my temper. I was given good principles but left to follow them with pride and conceit. Unfortunately, an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, and almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty, and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you? You taught me a lesson, which was hard at first but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.”

I like Darcy’s honest character:

“Nothing is more deceitful,” said Darcy, “than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion and sometimes an indirect boast.”

One criticism I have about this beautiful story is that it depends on coincidences. What if Elizabeth’s trip with the Gardiners weren’t cut short, and they went to the lakes instead of London? What is the likelihood of Darcy coming to Pemberley a day before while the Gardiners were doing a home visit? What is the chance of Mrs. Gardiner having known someone at the house to warrant the visit in the first place?

The suddenness of Darcy’s confession of love, though it is all explained later on, embarrassed them both. They couldn’t make a move on the other. What I don’t know is why Darcy is so madly in love, yet that is how love works to begin with, so that is not a point I will press on.

I like how everyone has their faults, especially Elizabeth. No one is a Mary Sue, though Darcy, the more we knew him, became a sort of Mary Sue, but it is balanced by his previous pride and claims of superiority.

Sadly, I focused so much on practical works that I had forgotten novels and stories. That still teaches you great lessons: the world, human interaction, perception, and emotion.

Overall, it was an AMAZING book; if I ever forget the story’s details, you can re-read it. I am ashamed that I have not read this sooner. 

9/10