#hope the answers made sense

[luna-loveboop]

'I've never been in a dungeon before' and 'Who's Ganon?' have literally made some of the BEST reaction panels in Lu I just-

They are very similar conversations- where a Link is pointing out/asking about something that the others have experienced and they haven't. Which is really cool to compare and contrast but they all just freak out about it

Genuinely some of the best conversations in Lu

The lesson here is that apparently the Links will always be freaked out when one of them has missed out on one of the Zelda Fundamentals™

.

Art by Jojo @linkeduniverse au :)

[burningcheese-merchant]

What potential dynamic do you imagine with Eternal Sugar and Hollyberry, and Whity Lily and Silent Salt?

One final ask before I play the update lol. I'm holding off just for you, Anon. You're welcome

I see Eternal Sugar being attached to Hollyberry, because... of course I do lol. I'm the Beast x Ancient spokesperson at this point (and they actually are canon, they are soulmates, it is true). Beyond that soul bond, though, perhaps Sugar both resents and is fond of Holly's outgoing attitude. The way Holly is always smiling and laughing, the way she always champions friendship and unity. The way she's always happy. Sugar was probably like her once, and perhaps some part of her genuinely likes that she finally found a like-minded person after an eternity alone. But she's frustrated, too, because to some degree, Holly's happiness (Holly jolly lol) isn't real. It's a mask. It's Holly making herself strong for everyone else's sake. Being everyone else's shield, like she always has been. Why does she do this to herself? Why does she waste time and effort pretending? If she let go of her burdens, if she gave into sloth completely like Sugar did, then she really would be happy.

And I say "completely" because... well, that's the other thing Sugar likes about Holly: Holly already is slothful. All she does anymore is drink and be merry. She surrendered her shield and her crown ages ago (she may have taken the former back, but the latter is forever lost). She ran away from her kingdom, she ran away from her friends, she ran away from her family, she ran away from herself. In her despair over having failed so many people so many times, from Pure Vanilla to her own missing granddaughter, Holly threw her life away and instead turned to "happiness": the sweet but fleeting kind found at the bottom of a beer stein, the foregoing of all responsibility and reality in favor of believing everything is fine. Their "in the end, you will become me" moment will be Sugar pointing out that Holly already IS her. She's been her for a long time now. So why keep pretending she's not? Just give up and be happy. Be happy for real, for once in your life. They can be happy together once she does. Wouldn't that be nice?

As for Silent Salt and White Lily... Personally, I would really, really enjoy if Salt was exactly like Lily in that he is "the odd one out". I always imagined Salt being some sort of outcast, both in general society and among his own friends. Just like White Lily is. Two people that are just too different from everyone else. Who think too differently from everyone else. Who just don't fit in anywhere, no matter how anyone tries to pretend that they do.

I want their relationship to be a deviation from the norm. I don't want Salt to want to fight her (if he does, then he does so only because he feels he has no choice. He finds no joy or satisfaction in it), I want him to want to commiserate with her. Because in the end, she already is him. She became him a long time ago. Before Holly became Sugar. Before any of the Ancients "became" their Beasts. Lily has already fallen to darkness and turned her back on the world, just like Salt did. And there was always something missing from her life, even before; just like him. Salt does not see an enemy, he does not see a thief. He just sees another person who the world couldn't help but disappoint. It would be nice if their battle was primarily a philosophical one, as opposed to a physical duel. I want Salt to be the one Beast who has always been 100% self-aware of his flaws and mistakes (no verbal dressing down necessary, like all the other Beasts got), and is not afraid to acknowledge them publicly, but sticks to them anyway because he chooses to. He CHOSE evil. He CHOSE to become a Beast. And he will gladly tell Lily why, because now, there's someone who could finally understand. Because the exact same thing happened to her.

If there is just one scene, one single scene, of Salt and Lily just sitting somewhere, watching the dark horizon in melancholic silence, then I'll feel complete

[casscainmainly]

i know cass is the best hand-to-hand fighter, but how does she measure up compared to the rest of the batfam in other metrics? like speed, strength, intelligence (more as in cleverness in the field), team synergy, whatever else you can think of. for example i typically hear that jason is the strongest in the sense of brute force, but i get the feeling that’s a little exaggerated..? like if we’re talking ability to take down someone much bigger than them, i think cass would be at the top or close to it cuz she’s on the smaller side

I'm really not a power scaler or anything like that so I don't have super defined thoughts! I guess I can spitball but these are not going to be accurate because I don't have the best grasp on certain characters' strengths, such as Tim or Jason.

Speed: I'm giving this one to Cass because of this quote from Batgirl (2000) #14:

Like her speed makes people think she's a meta! She's probably the fastest of the bats.

Strength: I think Cass is very much up there, she once broke a concrete wall by punching it. This is comic books though so all Batfam members probably have some variety of this feat, particularly Bruce, Dick, and Jason. It's hard to pin because depending on who's the protagonist of a story, they'll likely be made stronger - people who have multiple runs like Bruce and Dick will also have more feats in general due to their history. (Also male characters tend to have more strength-related feats due to gender biases).

Intelligence/Detective Skills: This one to me is a bit moot because being a Bat associate kind of entails being a great detective. Cass is maybe not as experienced in detective skills as Bruce/Tim/Dick, nor in problem-solving as Steph/Duke, or in tactical fighting as Jason/Damian, but she's certainly a detective and intelligent in her own right (see Batgirl (2000) #34 for an exploration of how being a detective is important to Cass). I think I can't really rank the Batfam on intelligence because all of them are really intelligent, though in different ways. Cass would rank probably bottom for tech skills though because she outsources to Babs 😭.

Team Synergy: Interesting one! I think Dick is the obvious pick for best team synergy, if nothing else because of the length of time and variety of groups he's been in (people also just really like him!). On the whole Cass would be on the lower end - she is adored by her current BoP team, but it took her a bit to get there (see Outsiders). My Duke bias is showing but I think, though Duke also had a learning curve and was not great in the beginning of WAR or Outsiders, he becomes an essential part of both teams quick and now is joining another team in Power Company! Dick + Duke + Babs + Tim I think have the most experience in long-running teams. (Oh and Bruce)

This kind of stuff really really depends on people's personal interpretation and what they've read!! Basically take all these with a healthy dose of salt idk if any of them are accurate😭😭.

[juicebuck]

I don't know if it's just me but is there more to Maddie’s “If there's something you need to tell Eddie” scene than Maddie referring to Buck coming out to Eddie in his own time? Bc I see a lot of people saying that that scene was so loud in terms of buddie which yes it definitely was but it was more to do about Buck's sexuality and not necessarily his feelings towards Eddie but his feelings about coming out to Eddie... I feel like I'm missing the subtext of it all here sometimes😭

P.S. I apologize if that sounded rude, that was definitely not my intention, I'm just confused

you don't sound rude at all, anon. don't worry! it's a lot about the ambiguity of the statement that betrays a double meaning to it. like, the wording is deliberately ambiguous. "if there's something you need to tell eddie." if. something. eddie. first off, there is something he needs to tell eddie. their conversation already established this. and also crucially the conversation itself is not about buck being confused about his sexuality. it's about the fact that he lied to eddie. buck's major concern here is that he lied to eddie about being on a date with a man and trying to figure out why. that's what they're talking about. and maddie is like. well okay the fact that he’s a man may be the point. but then buck lets slip WHO his date was and she quickly clocks the eddie of it all. the way she says "it's the same tommy?" and "eddie's friend?" (emphasis on both eddie and friend) always makes me laugh. like, you mean the same tommy you wanted dead for spending time with eddie (and also significant, christopher)? and only THEN does she tell buck she thinks he’s confused about his feelings. also bearing in mind buck literally admitted to her post-basketball game that he was trying to get eddie's attention. and now buck's telling her he's DATING the guy he was trying to divert eddie's attention away from. so yeah, that "if there's something you need to tell eddie" is very ambiguous in that context.

like, there are so many more ways it could have been phrased. but it was done so with a deliberate ambiguity and emphasis on the eddie of it all. they could have emphasised the sexuality aspect, but the focus was on eddie. and just the context of it in general, especially after 7x04 where eddie was at the centre of everything. buck is confused about his feelings. but specifically about eddie. "my attention?" "i guess so" -> "i think you're confused about your feelings. and if there's something you need to tell eddie, you will."

[paintpanic]

Res AU Joronia drawings. Character rambling and bonus doodles under cut.

This AU takes place a good while after the events of Triple Deluxe happened. Since then, Taranza's mostly recovered mentally from everything. He was able to move on from his grief and (somewhat) forgive himself. Now that Joronia's in his life again, seemingly back to her former self, some of those wounds he'd thought were fully healed have started to ache again. He still feels ultimately guilty for what happened to her.

He's thrilled that Joronia's been given a second chance at life, but is somewhat wary deep down. This feels to good to be true, that she's just back with seemingly no strings attached. The other shoe could drop any day now, and he could lose her all over again. Fearing this, he wants to make the most out of what could be a short time to be together again with his friend.

Joronia senses that there's a distance between the two of them now that wasn't there before. It shouldn't be surprising; he's probably still hurt from what she did. Other people definitely are. She's determined, though, to work hard to make it up to everyone she's hurt, and to prove to them (and herself) that she's not really like that, that she's capable of being better.

The Mirror's influence twisted her mind and her perception of reality. It made her feel like she was inadequate, and that everyone else were enemies to be subjugated. Now, she's supposed to be normal and better, but she still feels like there's something wrong with her head. She still doesn't feel good enough, and it still feels like everyone hates her. It's hard to trust herself. She's not sure if it's some lingering effect of the Mirror, or if there's just something inherently wrong with her now. She's scared.

She's afraid that something will happen, that she'll revert to how she was as Queen, and that she'll hurt Taranza again. Someone who'd always helped her, who'd stuck with her even when she was absolutely horrible to him, and who's kindness she's relying on again now, staying at his home as she worked on getting her life back together. She's a burden on him, and she always has been. She hates it.

Still, her deepest, most selfish wish is that they could be real friends again.

---

These two need to have a long, honest discussion about their feelings toward each other and themselves. Both of them are absolutely terrified about that prospect, though, because they each think that the other secretly resents them to some degree. If they actually talked through it, they'd quickly realize that they both want the same thing.

[elizabeth-mitchells]

Something I noticed in my Yellowjackets rewatch is that, whether she intended to or not, Laura Lee is the one who sent them into chaos? Coach Ben tried to stop her from flying the plane, which, you know, he was right, but it was also what he had to say/do as the Adult Authority Figure. But by getting on the plane anyway Laura Lee fully ended the illusion of his authority and any kind of adherence to the kind of civilized hierarchy they'd been trying to cling to, and all hell broke loose almost immediately after. Probably the things everybody does after that are not what she would have wanted lol but by telling Coach Ben to politely go fuck himself Laura Lee empowered everybody else to go wild.

yes!! this!! i know i'm biased because she's my favorite character but Laura Lee's influence on the yellowjackets entire plot is so so significant. the obvious thing is the way she encouraged Lottie to believe in her visions -> Lottie started believing in the wilderness -> literally everything that's happened because of that. but!! this thing about Coach Scott is sooo real too. she really was the first one to defy and actually full on disregard his authority. that absolutely was the the beginning of his downfall

and there's so much to consider about it too! like. the cutest, nicest, least threatening member of the team standing up to him and winning? oh that ruined him. but also! uh. she very much died. you can't blame him because she really insisted and nobody else stopped her either but... what if you can blame him a little? he's even more ruined!

and now i'm thinking about previous interactions between these two. there's obviously the scene in the pilot where she smoothly manipulates him into letting her make the whole team pray with her. but also there's the moment before she basically exorcises lottie. to be fair he was drugged by misty. but there was a crisis in the cabin, the girls might have been in danger, she asked him to help, and he just threw up. so useless... again, i know it wasn't his fault. but i'm thinking maybe it was then that she lost her respect for him and that emboldened her to stand up to him the way she did about that plane. "what are you going to do to stop me, coach? (because last time you didn't do anything at all)"

and one last thought! as if laura lee defying him and even dying to make it worse wasn't enough to completely ruin his reputation and authority, what happens next with him? who's next to brush him off? lottie! lottie, who believed everything laura lee said and in turn will make everyone believe what she says. he tries to step in during jackie and shauna's fight, lottie tells him to stay out of it, he does, and then another girl dies! final nail in his coffin (and that's without even going on s2 and how he didn't participate in the jackie feast and didn't help when shauna was giving birth. but that's another subject)

[linterteatime]

what color pencils/markers do u use!!!!!

(Here is a drawing as an example) Hi, i use a lot of highlighters! mostly because they usually have softer colours and don't make ballpoint pens bleed, i usually use the ones that are called "morandi", these:

Because they have some very nice colours, but like, most highlighters from other brands should work just fine as well (and i really mean it because i also use from many others a lot of the time, i just recommend these cuz they are the ones i use the most and also work the best, at least for me) i also use gel pens sometimes if i want more detail and alcohol markers (both not from any particular brand) sometimes.

Also i don't use colour pencils at all anymore lmao (no hate to colour pencils they are just not very comfy for me to use :P)

[nekrosmos]

questions about nikolai and price (originally from an ask meme about original characters but i wanna hear your thoughts):

what do they want to hear?

what do they need to hear?

what do they dread to hear?

Thank you for the ask !! I honestly struggled with the answers, I'm not the best at deep character introspection so this really had me scratching my head. I hope what I came up with makes sense !

What do they want to hear?

Nikolai: "I trust you."

Nik is intimidating, isn't he ? Intelligent, strong, well-connected Nikolai. People know that. It usually takes only a half a second glance to know that you do not want to be on this man's bad side. He's used to it, really. But how many times as he entered a room only to see people shift uncomfortably, suddenly very aware of his presence? He makes people uneasy, whether he wants it or not. It's fine when he's on an op and needs to be menacing, but it gets old quickly when he just wants to relax, sometimes.

He's trustworthy, despite his shady dealings, he's loyal. Thankfully, a handful of people know that.

Price: "You made a difference"

Yes, his hands got bloody, but it was all worth it in the end, right? He saved people by pulling the trigger when it needed to be done. No hesitation, it's what the world needs. So what if he can't sleep at night and his file is covered in black ? He made a difference, the rest, he can live with.

What do they need to hear?

Nikolai: "You need to think of yourself, too."

Nikolai puts others first, this has always been true. He likes to help out, likes to feel useful, ready to answer a call. Loyal to a fault, devoted to his friends. But when was the last time Nik put his needs as a top priority ? Has he ever done that ? He has no trouble flying to the other of the planet at a moment's notice if someone asks him to. How many nights of sleep has he missed because someone needed a hand? How much time has he spent fixing up his helo because it got banged up the last time a friend needed transport in hostile territory ? It's always others first, never himself, and he needs to be reminded of that.

Price: "You matter."

It's easy to forget that you're someone when you've been used as a weapon since you were 16. You forget that you have a purpose outside of your work, too. You forget you're a human first, with needs and wants and desires. You are Captain John Price, but you are also just John Price, and he matters too.

When he comes home for a break, what does he see outside of blank walls and a barely lived in house he never really took the time to make his ? It's temporary, he thinks, he doesn't really live here.

Maybe John needs to be reminded that he exists outside of his work.

What do they dread to hear?

Nikolai: "You don't belong here."

From either side. I think Nik feels strongly about his relationship with his home country, how he's been working against it and how his actions might be perceived by his countrymen. I think he's scared of losing this part of himself, and being rejected, even though all he's done was in the name of his country.

And then on the other side, Nik knows he stands out, knows people see him as a "could have so easily been the enemy" kind of guy. People like him, sure, but how many, aside from Kate, John and Gaz actually trust him ? Everyone else sees him as useful, but ultimately, they still look at him with a suspicious eye.

Where is home for Nikolai, really ?

Price: "You failed them"

Losing people, he's used to it. It never gets easier though, does it? Men and women under his command, people he's known for years, people who trusted him, friends. But, there is something entirely different between losing someone when you did everything you could have done and it was the way it was supposed to go, and losing someone because of your mistake. He failed them, he knows that, and it haunts him.

[vigilskeep]

Do you have any thoughts on the differences (or similarities!) between Sol’s relationship with Viago and Lucanis’ relationship with Caterina? In a mentor/protege sense, I mean

Viago clearly cares about Crow!Rook and worries about their safety so it’s hard for me to imagine him being as cruel as Caterina was, even if it is the norm for the Crows. Then again, Caterina is a prime example that you can love someone and still hurt them

i think the different age gaps are one main difference on a basic level!!

viago is in his like late thirties maybe early forties currently, and probably only became talon after most rooks were finished with training. i can’t imagine anyone is going for more than a 20yr age gap tops, and for my rook i usually hc a 5-10yr age gap. he might have mentored them a little and seen potential in them, but it’s still closer to growing up together than being raised together. he’s not responsible for their situation in the same way, he’s just someone ahead of you going through the same situation. the previous talon would have been in power, so they would have had a “shared enemy” to blame for the hardships in both their training. also, viago is so all bark no bite with rook that personally i truly cannot imagine him being cruel in the direct way caterina was. he doesn’t have that in him imo

(does any of this make rook feel better about the fact that, now he is talon, he must be putting more kids through what they went through together back then? well that’s a different question!)

anyway, my point is that caterina is lucanis’ grandmother and was afaik already first talon. she had all the power in the house and was singularly responsible for raising him. there’s no-one for either of them to blame but herself!

also, you have to remember where viago and caterina were coming from and the effect those differences probably had. caterina had spent a long life in the crows, watching all her family members die and determining it was because they hadn’t been pushed hard enough. viago spent at least the first decade of his life outside the crows, in at least superficial comfort, and probably compared to almost any crow isn’t quite hardened to how their children are treated

caterina devoted a lot of her own energy to her remaining grandchildren (or, you know, to lucanis, and illario was also there) and seems to have been personally training them day to day. whereas i would not be surprised if the worst things that happened to rook were because the person they had latched onto/earned favour with was just a young assassin answering to somebody else and couldn’t be there all or even most of the time. if viago was planning some kind of takeover and that is how he became talon, as i like to hc, it might even have been a bad idea for rook’s safety and a liability for himself for him to be too overtly invested and always intervene when they were having a bad time. which is a hell of a way to justify letting a kid you care about get hurt but that’s the crows for you

to summariseeee i don’t want to completely soften the rook viago dynamic and make them the “exception” to how i read the crows but as i see them as kids who ended up in a survival horror together, i think they basically did the best anyone could’ve expected? whereas caterina was a grown powerful woman fully responsible for her grandchildren, and because she let her own trauma and ambition rule her, she chose to hurt them like that. i think those are quite different setups

[nabi-unveiled]

I like how most of the time you seem to try and understand all of the characters. sometimes it helps me see things I missed.

But you aren't doing that with something's not right.

Why do you hate ba woo so much? I dont get it. Ji hoon is annoyingly clingy.

Hey Anon!

First off, I'm happy to hear that you typically like how I approach things. There are a few different things to unpack in your message. But warning: This is lunch break, and I have no time to think as carefully as I normally would. I cannot promise that I will word things eloquently.

Let's start with this one:

But you aren't doing that with something's not right.

I am doing that with Something's Not Right. But I haven't been writing detailed meta for that particular show so you haven't seen that process. You've seen the conclusion not the processing.

In short, I looked at things from Ba Wu's perspective too. I did. But when I judged his actions, even taking his perspective into account, I didn't like what I found.

Ji hoon is annoyingly clingy.

I could go with a simple "I love him, your honor" to excuse everything this sunshine does. I'm certainly doing that for reading the diary which I didn't think was his best move. But I'll elaborate as I have seen a few people say he's too clingy.

He is clingy, but I don't agree that he's overly clingy.

Yes, Ji Hun prioritizes Ba Wu. In high school, he changed the direction of his life to try and stay with Ba Wu. In a high school drama, where we didn't have a designated piner telling the story, people would have found that sweet.

But you know what Ji Hun DIDN'T do when Ba Wu quit music? He didn't quit too. He may have went to the same college as Ba Wu, but he's developed his own friend group. A friend group that doesn't know Ba Wu well, and a friend group that we see him FREQUENTLY hang out with without Ba Wu. Ji Hun HAS built a life for himself outside of Ba Wu. He just really wants Ba Wu to be a part of it.

Have we seen Ba Wu's friend group? If you don't count Ha Min who is a new addition to Ba Wu's life, no. We've seen him work in the cafe and study alone in the library. As Ha Min said, he's way too easy to find. He might SAY he wants a life outside of Ji Hun, but he hasn't taken a lot of steps to build one. And he gives confusing and mixed messages to Ji Hun on a regular basis. For the record, it's also possible that Ba Wu chose the college after Ji Hun. We don't know for sure how that went down.

I also think it's important to remember the time frame of this show. The modern timeline is essentially one day per episode. We're seeing what happens in the course of the week.

What people may see as clingy (the phone calls, seeking Ba Wu out) are signs that he is actively reaching out to Ba Wu to try and figure out what's going on with his best friend.

But you know what - if my bestie of over a decade suddenly said they wanted nothing to do with me and stormed out in the middle of a meal, I'd be actively trying to figure out what was up with my friend too. Even without the added layer that (I believe) Ji Hun very much has an "unrequited" love story too.

If my bestie said even a few of the things that Ba Wu has said to Ji Hun in the span of essentially a couple of days, I'd be immediately loading into my car and driving 5 hours to their doorstep. Because SOMETHING was up, and friends don't let friends drown in pain or spiral alone. There have been too many suicides in my life for me to let a "it's none of your business" from someone close to me just slide without making sure it was an actual boundary and not something more.

Ba Wu has YET to communicate in the sincere, honest way Ji Hun would need to understand that his friend (and person he loves) is really okay or to grasp what's actually going on. As Ji Hun repeatedly said and Ba Wu should know anyways as his best friend, he needs it spelled out for him. And yes, there were ways for Ba Wu to do this step without confessing his love.

Add in that losing Ba Wu even as a friend has always been Ji Hun's worst fear. Add in that Ba Wu essentially walked away from what was always his dream. Add in that Ba Wu seems generally unhappy and depressed. Ji Hun's actions make a lot of sense to me. If anything, I don't think he's been in his business enough. As I said, I would've been considering a road trip after episode 1. Loaded up and driving after episode 2.

Why do you hate ba woo so much?

Hate's a strong word. Essentially, he's a college student. For part of the show (the flashbacks), he's a high school kid. He's figuring himself out. I don't think he's a villain. But I definitely don't like him, and I don't think Ji Hun and him will be good together.

In basic terms, I can't ship it. He can go get with Ha Min. That's fine I guess. I don't like either one of them. Ha Min may be getting negative energy by extension though. I honestly haven't thought about him much at all.

Ba Wu has "loved" Ji Hun since high school. I fully believe Ji Hun has loved him that long too.

Ba Wu decided that the relationship was impossible. Ji Hun did too.

Both ended up in their own "unrequited" love story.

With unrequited love, there are choices - cut ties, confess, or stay silent/stay in the friend zone.

Ji Hun chose the latter. He decided that Ba Wu was important enough to him that he wanted to remain in his life and do everything he could to make Ba Wu's life the best possible even if he really wanted more. I also figure he was biding his time until Ba Wu decided he was interested in dating. Remember, Ba Wu directly told him that he didn't want to date, and Ji Hun implicitly trusts Ba Wu. Jealousy would eventually prompt Ji Hun to take action. We already see that.

I'll also add in that some of Ji Hun's statements like "I treat all of my friends this way" are a direct response from him thinking Ba Wu will cut him out of his life if he asks for too much. His "ambiguity" or "obliviousness" is him trying desperately to not ask for too much from Ba Wu.

On the other hand, Ba Wu can't decide. He confesses, and then he takes it back. He cuts ties, but then he calls him up. Which...I'm actually okay with that fickleness. It's not great to do, but figuring stuff out is hard. I wouldn't judge him if he did decide to cut ties and did so cleanly too.

You know what makes me dislike him? He's mean to Ji Hun. His words are sharp and targeted. His actions too. And not in the type of playful, sarcastic way that I enjoy. The friends do that type of roast. They just take it too far especially since Ji Hun isn't giving that energy back. It should be obvious to them (in ep 5) that he's hurting.

I need to clarify that I'm adding a layer of judgment onto Ba Wu here, because I think Ba Wu DOES have the right words to use. Some people struggle to word things. Some people don't know that their words are painful. That has to be considered for some characters. But from what we know of Ba Wu from his diary and narration, he can use words and use them well. We see him do it with Ha Min. But with Ji Hun? He's choosing either to not use his words or to use them in a hurtful way. It's a choice not lack of skill.

I considered whether it was just lashing out in pain. And it IS coming from him finding his "unrequited love" to be painful. Ba Wu does it because he's trying to protect himself and his own heart. But that's also why I don't think they'd be good together.

Ba Wu will prioritize himself. Ji Hun will prioritize Ba Wu. Ji Hun is too gentle to stop/counter Ba Wu's self-sabotage and he isn't the type to be able to figure out the difference between a mean word said in pain and a mean word said in sincerity. He's going to feel every one of them as a small knife cut to his heart. He will believe Ba Wu's words.

This relationship will shred Ji Hun's soul over time, because Ba Wu will resort to this behavior EVERY time there is a problem in their relationship. Ba Wu will lash out and run, and Ji Hun will run after him and slowly bleed to death.

Yeah, I don't ship it.

They both need something different in a partner than what the other can provide.

[sapphicseasapphire]

Ok found the Merspeak alphabet https://www.tumblr.com/sapphicseasapphire/747828546899247104/i-dont-know-if-ill-ever-actually-use-this-little?source=share

But you also state here that Legend has a song to refer to each Link that's from their respective games?

Is Time's the obvious Song of Time or more nuanced Song of Healing. I imagine when Legend meets Malon she'll end up with Epona's Song, the fact she's always singing it might trigger mixed emotions. I mean a Redhead with a beautiful voice, that's not complicated

Sorry!! I got so caught up in Mermay, I didn’t have the mental capacity to think too hard about putting these thoughts into words. Prepare for me to ramble for too long.

Legend’s “songs” that refer to the other Cryptids are just what the Merspeak version of the name sounds like. It’s written as a code version of English, but in the world it exists as a series of clicks and melodies- like whale songs.

Time’s name is different than his song.

His name is given to him by Legend, and used VERY rarely. (Legend will speak in Hylian when he’s with the rest of the Chain. He knows they can’t understand Merspeak). When Legend addresses Time, he’ll just call him Time. But of course, Time is a God worshiped by all…. Or he will be, at some point. So he has to have a name in Merspeak.

Names in Merspeak have to come from the Link’s respective game. It has to be a piece of music that exists in the game, but not in the world of the game. For example, the Ballad of the Goddess is a song that exists in the world of Skyward Sword. It is a song that is already claimed, in that sense. People know how to play it and associate it with a completely different idea, so it can’t be Sky’s name. It was made by the Hylians of that world, so it can’t be Merspeak anyway.

The Song of Time and the Song of Healing are the same way.

But it gets a little more complicated as a God.

Because he does answer to the Song of Time. Later on in the story, when he’s more comfortable with his Godhood, he will Know when that song is played. It summons him. But it’s less like calling his name, and more like calling him to work. It’s not personal. It’s not loving. It’s just… a stranger playing the right notes in the right order to summon a deity that they couldn’t possibly understand. It’s not Merspeak, it’s just music.

Now, Time’s Merspeak name? That is given with trust and understanding. With love. It has to be from either Ocarina of Time or Majora’s Mask, but it can’t be a song that he played during his adventure.

His name is the Opening Theme from Ocarina of Time.

“But Sapphire! That’s a musical motif that Link plays on the flute in game as early as in Zelda 1!”

You’re right. But it doesn’t exist in any of Time’s games, so it counts because I say so. The reason it has to be limited to in game music is because I want it to match the Vibe of the characters. Also because I am a NERD about Zelda music.

Legend only gives names to people that he’s CLOSE to. Realistically, Malon won’t get one. Not even a song she always sings- that exists in the game. And it calls Epona, not her. It should be Epona’s name.

Aaaand of course, in case you’re curious, here are some of the other Cryptids’ Merspeak names:

Legend: As I said, his is the First Search theme from Link’s Awakening. (Keep in mind that Ravio named him)

Ravio: Already has name! Ravio’s theme, Link Between Worlds. (The beloved)

Sky: Crimson Loftwing because COME ON, GUYS. OBVIOUSLY. It’s even a duet, are you kidding me? This song makes me so emotional, I love it so much. My Skyward Sword bias is showing

Hyrule: Palace Theme (Zelda 2) mostly because this song deserves more credit as one of the best pieces of Zelda music ever. And Let Hyrule Be FEIRCE!!!

Twilight: FUN FACT! This Link is the only one to actually have a theme! It’s most clearly heard in the Hyrule Field theme, but it weaves its way into the majority of music in Twilight Princess. So. Yeah, that’s him, alright.

Wind: I’m so tempted to make it the Pirates theme. BUT WIND IS SPECIAL!! HE IS AQUILI!! RAISED ON OUTSET!! BESIDE MER!! He also knows Merspeak- with such an accent that Legend can hardly understand him sometimes. But still, singing his grandma’s name or Aryll’s name brings him comfort on his travels

Spirit: Whatever this is (In The Feilds, I guess). This is one of my favorites of all time, too. It’s so joyful! So adventurous!

Wild: Ancient Zora Waterworks (Tears of The Kingdom). Please please please, I love this song. The Faron Woods motif from Skyward Sword that they snuck in??? And it sounds like something you’d find in Twilight Princess. It sounds peaceful. Almost mournful? But with a silent hope? UGH one of these days, I’m just gonna have to rant about my favorite Zelda songs.

(Realistically, it’d only be a few notes from each song. Or else it’d take FOREVER to have a conversation. But just for fun, we get to listen to the full context)

[deliriouslyshipping]

do you actually think sincaraz is real?

Hi Anon!

Not quite sure what the tone of your question is, but that’s a non-issue! The answer is the same regardless. 💜

I am a shipper. It means I take parts of the dynamics of people and characters and mold it to fit a constructed narrative. I can take canon events (i.e. the way that Carlos speaks of Jannik) and call it cute and analyze it to fit a “Carlos likes Jannik” narrative. It doesn’t mean it is real just because it is based on real events, but just construction of a story. Shipping is oftentimes a big ‘ol thing of fanfiction, if you try squint hard enough. While it’s much easier to digest (audience wise) for fictional characters, shipping becomes more difficult when it involves real people as more is at stake emotionally and in the physical world. There’s an invisible line to tread between going too far and enforcing your beliefs onto someone else and just enjoying a good moment in time between two people. If you say too much or it reaches wrong person, you get backlash regardless of intentionality. Remaining respectful is the key to shipping, otherwise it dips into delusion and not the fun kind.

Short answer, yes because they do know of each other. The degree to which Sincaraz can be “real” is dependent on what you think real is. They are colleagues and know of each other; that is real. Carlos speaks highly of Jannik; that is real. Jannik and Carlos have a mutual respect of each other and their game; that is real. Now do I think they kiss and have sex? That’s a different story. There’s levels to the real. I don’t know these men’s lives on a deeper level and I shall never claim to.

(Realistically, based on my own and my perceived shared morals and beliefs, Jannik has a girlfriend and both men are - until listed otherwise - straight men. That’s a direct “What does Lexi think” answer.).

Sincaraz is real because they are real people who have interacted. They do have a relationship; it just may not be the one that you or I or someone else can envision.

This is a long and convoluted way to say that I think they are real in the sense that they are real people with real interactions with each other. I, functioning as a shipper, have only taken what is in front of me and interpreted it in my own way. My interpretations don’t make it real in the sense that they kiss or whatever. You can honestly just see it as me having fun, if you’d like, because that’s really all I’m doing. I am well aware of the reality that both men present and will not personally delude myself into thinking there is some super secret undercover relationship that has to be hidden under wraps that ATP has enforced to keep the gays away. These are grown men and I am a grown woman.

Until it is presented otherwise, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are just as they are. I just write and blog and I find sense of enjoyment in that. If Sincaraz is real, cool. If not, cool. Life moves on. I still find enjoyment in watching tennis and watching their interactions.

I hope this answers your question 💜

[theheirofthesharingan]

Sorry to bother you, but can you please analyze Itachi’s mannerisms? Like how he talks with different people and stuff? I’m not sure if you have been asked this before.(sorry if you have)

I wasn't asked this before and it's okay. I'm not much familiar with Japanese and the words characters use. I had to talk to a friend for this answer, so it is inspired by the conversation we'd had.

Itachi is considered humble and polite. His way of interacting with people is very, very formal. He doesn't talk to anyone like he's speaking to a friend, but rather that he means business. He shows little to no respect to the Akatsuki members. He's very much disrespectful to Kisame as well, which makes Kisame respecting him even sweeter and their bond more personal than just the two criminals paired up with each other for crimes.

He uses honorifics to address the Konoha Shinobi when he visits the village. He adopts a "softer" tone to talk to them. He refers to Jiraiya as Jiraiya-San (or Jiraiya-sama). He's very, very respectful towards Naruto, addressing him as 'Naruto-kun' even though he doesn't have to be.

The way he talks to Naruto is also quite interesting. The way he talks to everyone else (including Sasuke) is very cryptic. But with Naruto he doesn't beat around the bush. It's probably he thinks Naruto isn't the brightest bulb in the room and others might suspect he's hiding something, so he's more ambiguous talking to them.

Itachi let's himself be slightly more honest with Naruto. Not a lot, but slightly. When he goes to Naruto before his death, he directly asks him why he's obsessed with Sasuke and when Naruto's answer satisfies him, he gives one of his rarest smiles. And then, he sounds desperate to know what Naruto would do if Sasuke were to attack the village and if he'd kill Sasuke.

If it was someone else he was speaking to, Itachi would be on his guard. But here, he wants to know and lets himself look slightly worried (even Naruto himself is perplexed afterwards).

Whenever he's talking to Sasuke, though, he maintains a dignified distance verbally. He has to keep up his facade of looking evil, but he still manages to throw in the double entendre in his statements as if he can't help it. He sees Sasuke after years before his death and his first words are "You've grown a bit taller." He is worried about Sasuke, he is invested in Sasuke's life, but he expresses his concern through the most random phrase ever.

Throughout their fight, Itachi keeps pushing Sasuke and challenging him both verbally and physically. That's the height of him being ambiguous. He's a bit more honest with Naruto but despite being more vulnerable in Sasuke's presence, he shows zero honesty here.

When they reunite again, Itachi is still aloof and formal with Sasuke, and while he doesn't exactly change the way he speaks, he is more expressive through his "jokes" and encouraging words. The English translation of his dialogues in the anime is made to look a bit negative, but he's more encouraging to Sasuke for his achievements (killing Danzo and perfecting susanoo etc.).

Itachi is fragile on an emotional level, but he's also very, very confident, sure of himself on an intellectual level. If he doesn't like you, he'd show it in his words. He's more casual with Sasuke. The kind of words he uses with Sasuke are meant to show he shares a very, very close bond with him.

He uses 'Ore' おれ (I or me) to refer to himself mostly. And talking to Sasuke, he uses 'Omae' お前(you). It's not to show that he sees himself above Sasuke but that their bond is that close that it's okay to use such words.

He's surrounded by the people he doesn't like and respect, so he makes it very clear how he views them. He does come to like Kisame (as is obvious from their interactions).

Throughout his life, he continues to be an enigma. Kind of like he puts on the perfect mask and plays his role perfectly and no one remotely guesses what kind of person he really is.

[lyxchen]

Okay I want to say something that is really important to me personally!!! If you make fanart, any kind of fanart that's about or related to a part of a show that has not come out yet (for example a new season)... Then that is still valid fanart once that part of the show is released. Even if the speculating fanart you made can not be canon anymore after the new season is released.

And just as importantly: if you have fanart planned concerning a part of a show that hasn't come out yet, but aren't able to finish that fanart before that part of the show is released, then you should still make that fanart after the new part of the show has come out!!!!

As an example I'll take Squid Game cause that is what I'm currently stressing myself about. I have a lot of fanart ideas that I want to draw or have already started that are speculation on what will happen in season 3. I won't be able to finish or even start most of them before season 3 comes out on friday. But that's okay!! It is totally okay for me to still make that fanart Even If my idea or speculation on season 3 will be proven to be wrong. And that goes for everyone in this fandom. If you have a really cool fanfic idea on how for example In-ho's identity reveal to Gi-hun will go and then the season comes out and it happens differently (which is very likely), then you should still write your fanfic about it!!!

The same goes for fanart that's based on lore that has been updated in the new season.

Also lastly: it's also very cool to make fanart of things that have happened in past seasons and topics that have already been resolved. Just because Gi-hun after season 3 will know that In-ho is the frontman doesn't mean you can't make fanart of him not knowing that anymore. Okay? Okay! Great <3

I love you, keep making great fanart and don't stress yourself because you feel like you need to get all your stuff out there before it can be "disproven". Fandom is about fun and creativity and there is never a point in time where your fanart is "wrong" or "too late" <3

[kittycatred]

hm... two neatly folded pride flags floating. weird. oh wait. no its probably just Dark.

they get placed on the floor next to Red. on top is a note in red ink. it reads as follows:

"I got distracted. its hard to communicate but Im here. dont know for how long. this place gives me goosebumps. -TDL"

a few of the letters had lines struck through them. as if Dark's hand occasionally jerked trying to write on it.

above... two floating gloves? one of them made a peace sign as some sort of greeting.

this was probably the only way hed be able to be seen or interact with the world as he was for most. he hoped cat red did not somehow misunderstand the situation. in fact he offered one of the gloved hands to be sniff-inspected. as was the courtesy with cats.

- @avasts-nightmare ((I tried so hard to have his introduction makes sense wehhh. this guy went through so much within a few weeks))

red walked over to the flags on the ground, sniffing them briefly, as they started to purr after realizing what they were, not only that, but who they were from

his attention was towards the letter briefly, ( miraculously, still able to read whilst being a cat ), eventually glancing up to eye the gloved hands above

however, despite the gloves being at red's eye level, red kept....glancing upwards occasionally ? almost as if xe saw something...rather someone...?

red sniffed the glove, silently appreciative over the courtesy, but as she did so, her gaze now was steadily eyeing up, briefly squinting, as their head slightly tilts in curiosity, almost as if trying to discern if what xe sees is real, or not

odd....its almost as if they could faintly see dark....?

[king-candybug-backup]

I NEED to know how the rest of the group would react to King Candybug saying "Turbotastic!" I know it probably wouldn't have any effect on Calhoun and Vanelloppe, but how would Ralph and Felix react?

I don't see either of them having super-big reactions or anything like that, since they've had a good chunk of time by now to accept "Wow, this guy was our weird old cabinet neighbour the whole time, how about that" lol 😂 Ralph might lowkey side-eye him because he lowkey side-eyes everything Turbo says or does lmfao, and they didn't have much of a relationship back when he was actually Turbo anyways, so I don't think it would spark anything too big in Ralph.

Felix, on the other hand, has had a far easier time going back to "normal" in regards to KCB being Turbo and would probably just see it as, y'know, Turbo being classic Turbo, lol. If anything, he might see it as a relief that he's being a bit more "himself", if that makes sense