#i am allowed a little hubris. as a treat.

[pixiestein]

bigstupid ramble/rant incoming feel free to ignore//cursing cw

it’s actually very disturbing to me how many people in the monster high fandom think it’s ok to say that abbey & twylas g1 sculpts are “ugly” or “offputting” because they have strong/square jaws & the new molds are sooo much better bc they no longer have them. like i really really really try to be nice here & pardon my language but are you fucking stupid? did you miss literally everything monster high was trying to teach you? did you miss the whole “everyone is unique & beautiful in their own way” thing? or did you just forget that the features you’re calling ugly are features that real people have? genuinely asking because it’s baffling to me how many people who praise g3 for it’s body diversity are foaming at the mouth excited over characters’ unique features being replaced with conventionally attractive ones. u don’t like strong jawlines? awesome, people who have them still deserve to feel beautiful & have gorgeous dolls that look like them & the fact that mh had that & got rid of it is objectively bad. like first of all, a franchise that preaches accepting ppls differences SHOULD have characters with both body types & facial features that aren’t considered “conventionally attractive”. that was one of the issues w g1, their message was about everyone being different but everyone had the exact some skinny body type. & now g3 has greatly improved on body diversity (pls give us an actual plus sized doll tho) yet they’ve been removing diversity in facial features. it fucks me up bc WHY can’t we have rep for diverse body types AND rep for diverse facial features?? and second, bro they are literally monsters. they absolutely should have features that challenge traditional beauty standards because hello she’s a yeti, she needs jaw space to house those bigass tusks. and if those unconventional features look strange to you? GOOD. bask in their strange weird abnormal beauty!! i literally don’t care if u think abbeys new face is cuter & her old jaw was ugly, if you see a person with a prominent jawline & think “hm not aesthetically pleasing enough” unpack that with your therapist, don’t post it on the internet where impressionable kids with those exact features get to see it & gather more fuel for their insecurities. this goes for literally any facial feature or body part btw. basically, bottom line, if it’s a feature that real people have that they can’t control, don’t fucking say a WORD about how aesthetically unpleasant you find it. criticize the fashion, criticize the quality control & messed up face screenings, criticize the weird continuity errors & questionable representation, but if your issue with a doll is their body type/facial features look ugly to u, shut the fuck up!!!!!!

[alethianightsong]

Atlantis: the Lost Empire subverts the "White Savior" trope so well and here's my Ted talk tangent

Atlantis: the Lost Empire is just Avatar but with a smarter story. Both films feature a young white man discovering a foreign culture, falling for the culture's princess, and saving the natives' way of life. Both films commentate on the exploitation of indigenous people for their resources. The biggest fundamental difference between Avatar and Atlantis is how the white male leads approach their scenarios. Milo Thatch is a wide-eyed scholar who just wants to learn; Jake Sullivan is a soldier infiltrating the culture so he can exploit them. Milo never had any intention of hurting/exploiting the natives but the people around him did; Jake knew the end goal was exploitation and only changed his alliance when he fell in love. Kida comes to Milo for help and he approaches her with respect not condescension; Jake has to learn the planet and its people are worthy of respect. Milo is attracted to Kida but he doesn't save her so he can get the girl; he saves her to save her people (getting the girl was a luxury and even then, it's obvious they'll take things slow cuz there's more important things than romance like reconnecting the Atlanteans with the lost parts of their culture). The Atlanteans are also not harmless, primitive natives. They had super-advanced technology ie the Leviathan that took out a modern submarine in like 2 minutes while the Navi are overtly primitive, their simplicity treated as a virtue. The Atlanteans were so advanced that they sent themselves back to the Stone Age with their war tech. This little detail keeps the Atlanteans from being hippie-dippie natives who need rescuing and make them a cautionary tale; they used to be greedy, hyper-advanced warmongers and that hubris leaves their race and culture on the verge of extinction. Both the Navi and Atlanteans have spiritual, mystical aspects to them, but the Navi are anti-tech while it's only the rediscovery of their tech that allows the Atlanteans to save themselves. The primitive life we see the Atlanteans lead is not presented as ideal; it is the death throes of a culture, a fatal stagnation at the bottom of the world. When Kida and Milo meet, it's not the typical "more advanced culture taking from the weaker culture" that has come to define first contact between societies. It's quid pro quo: we both answer, we both listen, we both come away with more not one party coming away with less. No one is humbled or talked down to. As for the antagonists of both films (Avatar and Atlantis) the antagonists of Avatar are just cardboard cutouts. The antagonists of Atlantis are just disinherited individuals coming together for a treasure hunt. There's a gag where Milo asks what each character seeks and they all say "Money" but that's not it. They each want to pursue goals unique to them and they need money to do it. When the chips are down and it's either money or NOT dooming an entire lost tribe to death, they choose saving the tribe. The main big bads, Rourke and Helga, have just spent a day walking through a ruined city where people live in the remains of their greatness and think, "Yeah, we are so stealing their technology so we can reenact the fall of their civilization on our OWN civilization. Why? Cuz capitalism." Why am I talking so much about Atlantis but not Avatar? Because Avatar lacks depth. I've watched Atlantis a thousand times on my cheap 2000s-era TV and get pulled in each time but Avatar's just a pretty screensaver playing in the background.

[torchbearing]

#i am once again thinking connor needs to have a chat with kyle about how deification is not inherently bad#it's very western the idea of deification being something to inherently fear and the wrongness of it and all that!#the greek “comparing yourself to god is hubris” vs the eastern “work harder and you'll be god eventually after 10000000 lifetimes or smt”#saying eastern bcos buddhist/daoist/hindu all have this concept and maybe more but i don't know enough#sometimes godhood is a goal to be attained!!!!#i'm not saying he shouldn't be terrified and terrifying BUT the story shouldn't frame it as the only possible interpretation of his power#that's boring!!! i want an exploration of if and how his white-lanternification relates to the stages of ascensions or whatever#and the stages of reincarnation blablabla#it is very kyle to be like nope nope no thanks tho#also damnnnn i need to read this cos the making the entire army feel compassion for the people they were attacking?#this is just a power upgraded version of that time as ion when he literally enforced the no violence allowed i will appear to stop every#single instance of violence so your ONLY solution is diplomacy

@covertblizzard

okay, i should leave that in the tags and all, but i can't! because that would be GENUINELY an interesting conversation between them!

kyle was definitely raised by a very "god-fearing irish catholic mother". maura was catholic enough "she did not let him participate in trick or treat" and while kyle was never really portrayed as overtly catholic / christian himself, it's the sort of upbringing that unless you actively try to disengage itself from, it tends to stick to you and your perception of the holy / godly. "kyle was definitely raised by a very "god fearing irish catholic mother. maura was catholic enough "she did not let him participate in trick or treat" and while kyle was never really portrayed as overtly catholic / christian himself, it's the sort of upbringing that unless you actively try to disengage itself from, it tends to stick to you and your perception of the holy / godly.

green lantern 1990, issue #93

so his guilt about being too powerful and being a god may definitely come from that. if his views on being a deity were a little less tinted by that particular shade of fear, i feel like he'd be able to embrace his multiple ascensions a bit better.

(though, to be fair, they might just want to write him as the old trope of 'person who gives away power because they are aware of its burden' since a lot of his narrative is about the burden of power and choice.)

[misrepresentedmorallygrey]

PROPAGANDA

Tony Stark

The whole fucking point of this character is that he is an arrogant billionaire arms dealer who realizes that he Kind Of Sucks and consequently spends the next fifteen years trying to Not Suck to mixed but ultimately decent results. On one hand you’ve got the people who act like hes terrible and like I get it I would hate him in real life too but this is a fictional character and you have to admit theres more going here. On the OTHER hand are his legions of fans who insist that he has never done anything wrong ever, he is the smartest nicest little boy who isn’t actually even a little arrogant, and actually everyone who ever went against him even for understandable reasons (incl. very morally upstanding Captain America) is Evil, actually. I say this as a fan of the character: PLEASE you can like this man and have him suck a little at the same time!!!!! I am begging you!!!! Help!!!!

Literally a millionaire who started out manufacturing weapons for the military. Was then chased by the consequences of his actions while not making any sort of reparations. Of course stayed a millionaire the whole time. Then did not communicate with the team about making a sentient "suit of armor" that turned into a massive slaughter bot. People claim that this should be excused as a result of PTSD but is his responsibility to seek out help and he most certainly had access to whatever treatment he could choose as a -in his words- "millionaire playboy philanthropist". Then supported an accords rife with human rights violations that he was of course exempt from - and refused to hear any of the others rebuttals to it - like they were not millionaires and did not have access to entire legal teams that would work to exonerate them. Then exposes Clint's family and farm which he had revealed to Tony in confidence and kept secret from any authority to protect them. Then Tony spends the rest of Civil War trying to straight up murder Bucky - ignoring that it had already been established that Bucky had no agency nor autonomy in his time as the Winter Soldier, in doing so ignored the Accords he had advocated for. He then kidnapped a 16 year old child - who he did not tell why he was taking him - in direct contradiction with the accords and then allowed for Steve's team to be held in a maximum security prison with no trial. He then proceeded to refuse any sort of communication with Steve, resulting in a delay of him defending Earth from Thanos' invasion. After this - despite his failure playing part in the deaths of half the universe, and the child in front of him he treated as a son - he refused to rectify his failure because he had a family now - ignoring the literal entire universe who had lost their families. Upon his death he was treated as a hero and the one who saved the universe, despite his actions being that of hubris.

The Darkling

Okay so this guy is the main bad guy of the series. He made “the fold” this barren wasteland of darkness and monsters dividing the land, causing like hundreds of thousands of people to die. He killed his mom. He psychologically manipulated his girlfriend (like, he caused her to hallucinate and a whole bunch of other crazy stuff). He made one of his followers (a young girl) use her body to slowly poison the king over time. He started a cult. He did a LOT of crazy stuff. However, we do see his backstory of him as a kid, and learn that he did all this in the name of equality, so people would stop torturing and killing the ‘grisha’ or the witches/magic users. Later, he fakes his own death and starts a cult worshipping him and acts as the leader of the cult, going by his old name Aleksander. He is a very complicated character. So tell my why everyone thirsts after him and is like “he did nothing wrong” HELLO?! He is NOT your poor little meow meow he is complies please please don’t sanitize him

[firecrackerhh]

Like I dunno, maybe I’m just sick and fucking tired of everyone treating me like I’m a fucking idiot just because god fucking forbid I actually have the capacity to have some fucking empathy for my fellow human beings? I’m under the impression immigrants don’t actually cause as much crime in the USA as retarded right wingers fucking believe. Immigrants if anything are a net good!

But nooooo we gotta blame the IMMIGRANT and the HOMELESS or POC or whatever kind of scapegoat humanity can muster all because almost everyone in this wretched country is a blithering retard who should barely be allowed to use a microwave and they think if whatever makes them big angry goes away they’ll FINALLY be fucking happy!

But they aren’t happy, it doesn’t matter, they can kick out every fucking immigrant tomorrow and Americans would STILL be unhappy. Every homeless person could die tomorrow and the average American would still be unhappy. Every POC and every LGBTQ+ person could die and the miserable wretches would just find another target to fucking persecute to make up for the fact they’re disgustingly miserable and clearly unworthy of human life.

These people are near incapable of realizing the actual solutions to problems because they’re too fucking retarded to understand that it isn’t the little guy that’s the issue, it’s the corporations.

Like you know why immigrants get fucking hired in the first place? Because corporations don’t actually want to pay people a living wage, but an AMERICAN would complain if they felt any sense of mistreatment, so they hire an immigrant whose staying in the country depends on them causing as little problem as possible! If they do complain, they’ll get fucking deported!

Why are you getting mad at the IMMIGRANT and not the corporation not only taking advantage of said immigrant, but also in turn taking advantage of you by hoarding all the fucking money for themselves while you get fucking nothing?

Why aren’t you getting mad at THEM? They certainly have more power than any immigrant from fucking Colombia or wherever else. Get your priorities in order before you start spreading horseshit you fucking retards.

Tho I admit I am rather curious how many American immigrants actually originally intended on staying in some other place, but to be fair, I dunno how the immigration process works in other South American countries, for all I know the other countries don’t want them either.

It’s just disgusting to me man, people shouldn’t be treated like this, immigrant, American, whatever, no one should be fucking dehumanized just for trying to stay alive.

I hope God doesn’t have mercy and rightfully punishes us all for our hubris. God knows humanity fucking deserves it.

[dootznbootz]

Edit: I wrote this before the boops AND I had some raspberries. So peace and love y'all. still feel like this should be posted at least for a LITTLE bit before I possibly delete it. :P

Fuck it. I am genuinely really upset that out of all my self-indulgent ideas, this is the one people get the most worked up about. After I posted this one, that's when I started getting shit and still get "corrected" with asks. You don't have to agree but you can also leave and not say a word.

We all know that sexualities were not a thing back then and it did not matter. So why do I see posts that say "Helen is a lesbian!", "Bi-omedes", "Achilles is gay. Period." posts and that's completely fine (It is! As long as it's a headcanon! which is what I'm doing as well!) but as soon as I talk about writing and headcanoning (again, not historically accurate) odypen as aspec coded, I get shit?

How is being aspec "disrespectful"? What's disrespectful about being aspec? It almost feels like it's treading on Aphobia, especially if you're a hypocrite who headcanons sexualities on them when, again, we all know that wasn't a thing! Why is everything but aspec allowed as a headcanon?

I know monogamy was not the norm. I'm literally writing Odysseus being seen as a weird dude because of this. He just genuinely doesn't have any "need" until Penelope. And as mentioned above, the boar scar makes most leave him alone as well.

And those around him do have other relations and it's not gonna be portrayed as a bad thing, just that Odysseus and Penelope don't partake as they don't have that "need". Odypen aren't "the good guys" because of this. They're just built different. Not bad. Not good. But different. Agamemnon, for example, has many lovers. But his relationships are not seen as "less loving" and he isn't a "cheater" because it wasn't considered cheating at the time. He's just a guy who just happens to have sex and is allo. (not gonna lie, it's really nice writing an aspec character whose friends are like "I don't get it, but that's okay. You're still my friend. I care about you. I'm not gonna pressure you." they're a bit sad because they find him hot but still respect him. (Probably did not happen as it doesn't always happen now either so let me create a fictional world where it does) and even help Odysseus out with advice with Penelope.) Heck, Agamemnon gets to make fun of Odysseus for his past "high and mighty attitude" about it all when he finally becomes a mess about Penelope before being his wingman.

Pre-Penelope Odysseus: "While you all turn into bumbling fools at beautiful people, my mind is still sharp!" Agamemnon 😒: "...Whatever, man. Anyways~, do the funny thing again, Goat boy." Later~ After-Penelope Odysseus: Why are you so mean to me?😭 You know I'm freaking out! I thought you said you would help me! Agamemnon: I still will. I just want payback at the same time. 😈 "Bumbling fool".

Agamemnon (and Menelaus, but not as much) gets a treat when they get to make fun of him. (Odysseus and Penelope get humbled a lot. like I said. As they were stupid. I cannot stress enough how this is not nice to do but hubris is their flaw so it felt in character for them to be somewhat arrogant about it only to ofc, receive their just deserts in how they fall stupid in love and are "bumbling fools" now.)

Just because he doesn't have concubines doesn't mean he doesn't have slaves or is like "No! To have a concubine is wrong!" to others. He doesn't care. He just literally doesn't have those feelings except for Penelope. (She's hot af, okay? I'm living vicariously through these two con-artists)

I mean I literally have him like this. He's still not NICE. Aspec, but not nice.

And honestly, as someone who's gone through trauma similar to Odysseus, it feels nice healing through him as well. Writing and planning how his PTSD takes place, him getting better and healing with his family at his side. It feels good. He's horrible but The Odyssey really hit me with a lot of emotions in how it portrays PTSD realistically.

That one post was about the "whimsey" but honestly the feelings all stem from just... idk semi-aphobic hypocrites. I would almost prefer to get shit about Water Wife because I know it's ridiculous and I don't care that it is than get shit about asexuality. Because out of all my silly ideas, that's the one you go for the throat for?

Idk, I was there during the first wave of Aphobia on tumblr in 2016 and it wasn't fun when I got ASKS or posts from a different fandom about it. (Apparently, because an anime had fanservice, that meant the characters couldn't be aspec in fanfic😒) I'm upset it's happening again in a different way. I'm older now, I'm not leaving tumblr or going to stop writing because of it, but holy shit. honestly, I just wanted to release this as that's what's genuinely been hurting the most. I roll my eyes at the people being bitter about "waiting for proteus" (which, btw, I love the folks who join in the sealiness🦭) but simply disagree and leave if you don't like headcanons.

Stop vaguing me. Stop sending rude "informative" asks. I'm tossing aphobes into the wine-dark sea.

probably will delete this later or private it but yeahhhhhhhhh.

Aspec Penelope and Odysseus mean a lot to me and I want to ramble about it as it makes me really happy 🥺

If you don't like, don't read! Someone being aspec or sex-repulsed or sex-neutral is not insulting allos or people who are sexually active!!! And even then, some aspecs ARE sexually active just like these two end up being! This is all headcanon and any aphobes will be yeeted into the wine-dark sea. (semi-inspired by epic the musical but also...not.)

Aspec Odypen!

Both are aspec, demisexual specifically and are just like that. While they ARE Athena's pets, she didn't "make them ace". (It may have influenced why she's fascinated by them alongside their cleverness)

Both have situations that make it somewhat different in how they experience it though. I'll have what they both experience first. (Kind of just explaining what it feels like being aspec in a way, except they're shittier about it) Then Penelope as her's needs less explanation. For once in my life, Penelope isn't the one with the most stuff on her 😭

"Oh that person's very strong! Impressive! Oh, wait, is this supposed to be sexual? ...hm...Alright, I guess."

"Alright, I posed this way and looked at them like this and they seemed more open to this idea. Taking note for manipulation..."

"Goddamnit, I don't want you, I want all that silver 😩"

*sees what takes place during certain events (Symposium-esque event)* "...Yeah, I'm not doing that."

Both are pretty in their own way and use that to their advantage to get the things they want. Both get almost weirdly offended when outwardly flirted with and/or propositioned. Kind of sex repulsed (that changes when with each other but before they never really even think about it as..."What is everyone talking about? What do you mean "needs"?")

Friends? Absolutely!!! Not knowing someone but getting to know them eventually? Yeah! But the idea of only wanting to date or have sex because of appearances genuinely perplexes them both. Also, they weirdly test people and are just straight up weird and picky.

"How stupid and naive can you be to wish to court someone you know so little about? A stranger? I look pretty only to get what I want and that's not you... Yeah, we definitely won't work out. I'm going to rob you to teach you a lesson in how looks can be deceiving. I'm pretty but I'm also shitty."

"...You want to do what?! ...uh, okay... You know, what? >:) I know a place. Yeah, us naiads use it. Yep, just around here. Yes! The water is perfectly safe! Don't worry about the leeches! They're harmless! Completely normal leeches" *Steals their clothes and jewelry and leaves them to the very not-normal leeches.* What? It's not like they died!!! They shouldn't have been so stupid to trust me knowing nothing about me!"

Both also have hubris as their flaw so they also have a very shitty superiority complex about this. Fellow aspecs, don't do this!!! It's not nice!!! These two are both mean and nice and this is one of the ways they're mean. Very "While you were out doing whatever, I studied the blade" bullshit. Also, a "Me being unaffected by beauty makes me better at manipulating. Look at how stupid they get when I look all pretty, Athena. I absolutely made them believe that that was a fair deal!!!" Athena kind of encourages this behavior

Meeting each other is a very humbling experience for them both. They both actually learn that there's nothing wrong with being vulnerable with people, just because THEY'RE likely to mess with you doesn't mean EVERYONE is.

Onto Penelope Specifics

For one thing, Penelope is used to people immediately going nuts over Helen and she doesn't mind having less of the attention. As mentioned before, doesn't happen often but when people wish to possibly date, she tests, then sees "okay, I don't see this happening. I'm going to fuck with you now". She'll also just start doing weird shit in a "you think you can handle me?" way.

Thankfully, Icarius and Periboea are chill AND somewhat overprotective so the footrace usually goes in her favor of "I do not like them." Until Odysseus but you know. She just sees she won't click with most people.

Icarius and Periboea have a pretty happy marriage and she thinks that's sweet. One of her siblings doesn't have a happy marriage sadly and that's a big thing later on but she sees Helen and Menelaus with their childhood sweetheart thing going on and the other nymphs and thinks "Guess that won't be happening for me...I can be a fun river auntie." As she's kind of planning to be dedicated to the rivers fully if she can.

She also was there when Helen got kidnapped by Theseus :'D That does affect her.

Her actually testing him the same way he does when they first meet is part of the reason he falls for her so hard. "You do the same shit I do. Not only that but you were actually able to trick me! Wait, that broach, are you also one of Athena's pets?! And now we're scuttling about the castle basically entirely intuned to exactly what we're gonna do?! Oh, gods, that was so fun! Ugh, be my WIFE! 🥴 Wait, no! Sorry I scared/lied/overwhelmed you! Please give me a chance"

Her not getting a lot of genuine romantic attention has influenced her a little bit though.

She's genuinely pretty but it's in an unconventional way (sharp teeth, weird eyes, "Born in a Creek", etc.) So while at first on Ithaca, she was considered very strange, as naiad ties get better with her influence and people get more used to her, it's a "Oh, shit, she IS pretty." Also, she aged like wine. Why the suitors wanted her (also yeah, "I want to be king") and why she just didn't want them. Ofc, she wants Odysseus but she's also just someone who is usually unimpressed. (as Odysseus is as well.)

Odysseus Specifics

Very much a hopeful romantic. His mom and dad have a very loving marriage, (I want to write a thing on their love story), and knowing how his dad never took a concubine (It literally says he doesn't in the Odyssey). He wants what they have.

"Being with someone who you can be your complete self with, show all the good and the bad to and still loving each other despite it all. That's love."

As someone who is a person of many twists and turns, he desperately wants to find someone to show ALL his sides to.

So first up we have the fact that he blames the fact that he's never felt sexual attraction on the boar scar injury. (Boar Scar Idea Stuff Here) It's easier that way as he doesn't necessarily want to think about himself as being different.

Ancient Greece was fine with Nudity but he, being quite ripped up and "not all there" by the boar, isn't really comfortable with it. People often stare and him, being hotheaded, he's like "What are you looking at? I'll kick your ass!". It's kind of a convenience though because it also makes people leave him alone.

He's had "one relationship" but it was basically just a kiss. He had a one-week romance with Diomedes that ended badly and that's why he's mean to him in the Iliad. They're "exes" and Odysseus holds GRUDGES. (Go into that further here)

Then OdyPen meets each other. >:D

Clarifying this as I know I talk about it a lot with how "Odysseus was in love at first sight" and... YEAH. but also not. It's more of a "This is the fucking best and I KNOW that we'd be incredible together." He chills out a bit as he got that ADHD (they both do) and was all up in his emotions. Other folks with ADHD know when you get too excited and just...become a LOT. It was that. He calmed down a bit and realized he WAS overwhelming her, STILL wants to marry her but isn't in love yet as they JUST MET. And they finally get to know each other more and then he actually falls in love.

Penelope was always somewhat intrigued by him but it was only when he chilled out a bit and let her lay the ground rules of them getting to know each other. And she was in deep denial, then she was hit by a truck when she couldn't deny it any longer.

During the War

He doesn't have any listed concubines (Hecuba was an old woman in her 60s-70s...Be reasonable.) and even in the Iliad, he thinks of Penelope often. And when offered, he threatens or just is passive-aggressive, and eventually people understand that "I wouldn't do that if I were you. He'll probably stab you."

Odypen already give Aspec vibes in the Odyssey but hearing "Man of the House" with Epic and that "She's who I saved my virginity for" was like an "YES! ASPEC!" and yeh :D He wasn't technically "saving it for her", he just never wanted it til Penelope.

Alongside "Done For" a lil bit!

"...I'm not sure I follow... What do you mean by lust? Penelope's not here...oh no..."

Idk makes me happy to write them aspec! 🥺

[mirdaniaa]

😈

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Retrospective Review: Jurassic Park (1993)

So I started my Jurassic series rewatch in the build up to Jurassic World Dominion. I have seen all these movies several times before but I am a little kid when it comes to anything Dinosaurs. I have been watching Prehistoric Planet simultaneously. However, I think its fair to say, that Jurassic Park is the absolute apex of this series, without any question. I don't think any of the other movies come close in quality. Jurassic Park is one of those seminal movies that really got me into the wonder of movies as I was awestruck as to what movie magic can do. It is arguably my favorite film of all time, competing with maybe only a few others. Rewatching it was a treat, even though I know every scene and every line. I remember reading the book by Crichton but I don't really remember it.

The movie is such a joy to watch from the beginning. The film gives us a bit of intrigue with the Raptor attack. We never seen anything other than a glimpse of the eye during the attack, but there is already a feel of the terror and the danger of the Raptor. The film then delves into the introductions of various characters, first with Alan, Ellie, and Hammond, then Dodgson and Nedry, and then with Ian Malcolm. If there is one complaint I have heard about Jurassic Park, it is that the characters are not very deep, but I would argue that the film doesn't need backstory filled characters. We get very likable characters in our leads and very unlikable villain in Nedry. Alan and Ellie's relationship dynamic is setup in just a handful of scene and we get a sense of Alan's discomfort with kids and Ellie's delight of teasing him, we get an idea of what Hammond is like, very driven to get what he wants but still a kindly presence, and then we get Ian, who is charming and flirtatious. The kids, Lex and Tim, are also likable and definitely the best of the kid characters we have gotten in the franchise. Tim was basically a version of me so I identified with that character a lot as a kid.

The film really takes off once we get to JP. That scene, where Alan sees the Brachiosaurus is just a thing of beauty. You have to give credit to Sam Neil here. He is looking at nothing but he is able to capture the shock and awe that we as the audience feel as we look at the Brachiosaurus. From that point on, the film is a roller coaster of emotion, action, and suspense. The film allows us to make us feel like Dinos are animals, not just monsters, when we get a scene of the sick Triceratops, or later when we see a Brachiosaurus with a cold. But we also get truly terrifying set pieces. The T-Rex breakout is one of the landmark scenes in cinema imo. Its just a marvelous blend of animatronics and CGI. Its a sequence that holds up to this day. Stan Winston was a genius and his animatronics lend so much authenticity but equally fantastic are the folks at ILM who did landmark CGI which changed the industry forever. The Raptor kitchen scene is also a thing of beauty. It is terrifying and suspenseful and really well staged. The entire climax sequence of Ellie, Alan, Lex, and Tim trying to evade the Raptors and the T-Rex coming in at the last second to save them, is fantastic. In the middle of that, there are smaller iconic moments like the Jeep chase with the T-Rex, the very satisfying scene where Nedry gets killed by the Dilophosaurus, and then the Raptors hunting Muldoon. There are many scenes in between all these iconic scenes that are also wonderful. There is a terrific scene between Ellie and Hammond when he gets humbled for the hubris he showed. We really see how Hammond's ambitions come crashing down and how it hurts him because it came from a good place.

The performances are excellent across the board. Sam Neil is excellent as Alan Grant. He brings across the childlike awe in moments which contradicts with his general world weariness. His genuine character development going from a guy who doesn't like kids to the guy who becomes a paternal protective figure for Lex and Tim. Jeff Goldblum is so iconic as Ian Malcolm. He just oozes charm and charisma in the role. Laura Dern is a badass as Ellie Sattler. At no point is she a damsel in distress but she's also not a superheroine. Richard Attenborough is wonderful as Hammond. Joseph Mazzello and Ariana Richards are fun as Tim and Lex. There is a solid supporting cast with Bob Peck as a pretty badass Muldoon, Wayne Knight as Nedry, BD Wong as Henry Wu, Martin Ferrero as Gennaro, and Samuel L. Jackson in one of the earliest roles I remember him in Ray Arnold.

All in all, to me this a flawless film and the fact that the blend of CGI/Animatronics is so good that it holds up to this day. The only things that really date it are some of the technological references and the hair/clothes. But its a still that could open now and would still be brilliant. Steven Spielberg really made a masterpiece. It blows my mind that he made this and Schindler's List, two movies that couldn't be any different from one another, in the same year. Also, have to absolutely mention the incredibly contribution of John Williams, making one of the most iconic scores of all time. The music adds so much to the awe and the grandiose nature of the films. All in all, this is one of those rare 10/10 movies for me. I'm looking forward to seeing Alan, Ellie, and Ian back in Dominion.

[decennia]

i give u free reign to infodump ab all of the knights and the og army bc i am vv intrigued agjgssgsh

THERE IS SO MUCH HERE OMFG MORAL OF THIS STORY NEVER ASK ME TO INFO DUMP BECAUSE I WILL TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF IT—

I've separated it into sections:

The Knights of Walpurgis, and the motivations for their assigned sins.

Dumbledore's First Resistance, and the motivations for their assigned virtues.

The dynamics between the opposing contenders.

Given the sheer volume of information, I've included a cut. Please enjoy this manip that I am still very proud of.

THE KNIGHTS OF WALPURGIS (later known as Death Eaters) Tom Riddle (Pride)

Pride and arrogance were very large contributing factors to Tom Riddle's downfall in the end, and honestly, the whole idea for the gifset came from Florence + The Machines' Seven Devils playing while casually thinking of Dagrim and Tom, and then about how perfectly Tom would fit as Lucifer.

Dagrim Patil (Avarice)

When questioned about what she wants, and what Riddle promised her in exchange for her unwavering loyalty, her response is, quite simply: everything. Dagrim grew up starved not for affection, but recognition. And what she was denied in childhood, she would take in adulthood by force. Her philosophy is that if something is worth wanting, it is worth taking.

Cantankerous Nott IV (Lust)

We know so little about Theodore Nott's father from the source material, other than he was elderly, and he raised Theo himself. And that he was a Death Eater, of course. His name is an ode to his ancestor, the Cantankerous Nott who created the Sacred Twenty-Eight pureblood directory. I assigned him "lust" purely for the events leading to the conception of his son (sis, it gets messy).

Abraxas Malfoy (Envy)

Abraxas Malfoy envied Tom Riddle to the point of a half attempted mutiny. He was quickly put in his place, his co-conspirators made examples of, and spared only for his close friendship with Dagrim, who pleaded for his life. Riddle, who trusted Dagrim to a fault for all she'd done to earn it, conceded. Abraxas would later prove himself to Riddle again, regaining his seat among Riddle's favoured generals. He was the one who taught Lucius to never disobey the Dark Lord, and he was not a kind teacher.

Ulysses Mulciber (Gluttony)

Indulgence and excess, spoiled rotten and filthy rich. The Mulcibers were the richest of the Sacred at one point in their lives, rivalled only by the Malfoys. Ulysses never knew the meaning of "enough," and was a glutton not only in all manners of vice, but also for cruelty, dealing it out carelessly with little to no regard for the repercussions he was well protected from by his noble standing and wealth. He was one of Riddle's greatest allies and sponsors, and instrumental in his rise to power.

Carmilla Avery (Wrath)

Carmilla was in the year above Riddle, and was quick to anger and slow to calm. Her temper was legendary, and even her younger brothers – also admitted into the Death Eater ranks – feared her. She had an untempered fury, a rage at the world for no reason at all. She developed an unhealthy codependency with Abraxas Malfoy, who served to have a soothing presence over her. People seldom survive crossing her, as her reputation dictates.

Serafine Lestrange (Sloth)

Serafine is not lazy (as the sin "sloth" would suggest), she just lacks the motivations to pursue the goals that are expected of her. A particularly bright witch, and a wealthy one too, she never applied herself at school for she didn't see the need. Instead, she fell into a fascination of the Dark Arts, where she met Riddle, perusing the Restricted Section. She is rather discontented with life, disillusioned from already such a young age. She initially joins Riddle's gang for the excitement of it all.

DUMBLEDORE'S FIRST RESISTANCE (later known as the Order of the Phoenix in its official conception in 1970)

Albus Dumbledore (Patience)

Name a man more patient than Dumbledore, I'll wait. Better yet, he'll wait, because he's patient as hell. So patient, in fact, he waited until after Harry's supposed death to come to him as a hallucination and tell him about how he was a Horcrux.

Rathin Patil (Temperance)

Temperance is abstinence, and I wanted to explore the kind of toll having his sister so far gone into the dark would have on any man, let alone one who really cared for her and wanted to do right by her. Rathin is not a perfect man, he is still fallible, and unfortunately, he develops a dependent comfort in inebriation when Dagrim disappears with Riddle. He pulls himself back together, especially when he becomes Isaiah Moody's partner at the Ministry, and he begins to pursue Miraya.

Miraya Varma (Diligence)

Methodical and persistent, Miraya Varma earned herself a position at the Ministry immediately out of Hogwarts where she would later go on to form her own task force within the Ministry specifically designed for the interrogation and recommended sentencing of dark wizards and witches. She has been known to put her duty first, up until the birth of her son, Divyansh Patil, father to Padma and Parvati.

Isaiah Moody (Humility)

For a very long time, people seldom knew the Moody name, and that was the way Isaiah liked it. He believed that his line of work would endanger his loved ones (in spite of his wife being in the same profession) and so he never took credit for the numerous arrests he made. It was Isaiah who suspected something was strange about Morfin Gaunt's arrest while investigating the Riddle Massacre, and consulted Dumbledore about it. Once his identity was discovered and he was viewed as a threat by Riddle, an attack was made on his heavily pregnant wife, jeopardizing her and his unborn boy's (Alastor) life.

Minerva McGonagall (Chastity)

Mini Minnie is seventeen, my dudes. But not only that, Minerva grew up with a religious father (he was canonically a reverend), who probably taught her his values. Also given the fact that Minerva was the first of the younger generation to participate and involve herself in the war (she sought out Dumbledore and enlisted herself into his Resistance, fearing her family would be made into another statistic if she didn't at least do something to intervene), she really didn't have much time to think about something as arbitrary as the concept of virginity. Also, it's the 1950s.

Corinne Scamander (Kindness)

Corrine is honestly the greatest. She has all of the tenacity of Tina, and the best qualities of Newt. It was Dumbledore's previous bond with Newt that encouraged him to recruit her, and she willingly accepted, because of course she would. She'd always been the soft spoken girl with a tender touch and a love for life, and she was often the advocate for hope in the resistance. She was adept in a few healing charms she'd learned from her father, and was something of a specialist in magical beings, proving herself to be highly valuable while Riddle was expanding his ranks with all manner of dark creatures.

Declan Diggory (Charity)

Sacrifice is in the Diggory blood, and Cedric's grandfather, Declan, was not the first to prove it. He also, unfortunately, wasn't the last, but he sure was one of the best. Selfless to a fault, Declan would willingly get hypothermia if it meant someone else would have warmth. Diggory's contributions to the war effort consisted of offering sanctuary and shelter to muggleborns who received death threats, and orchestrating the evacuations of targeted muggle residences. He was the leader of a small faction of the resistance, including, but not limited to: Fleamont Potter, Enoch Longbottom, Wilhelm Shacklebolt, and Ramona McKinnon.

DYNAMICS (just the contenders for now because this is hella long)

Albus Dumbledore vs. Tom Riddle

Adversaries, a fair deal of mistrust and guilt from Dumbledore's side (upon reflection, he'd been the one to introduce Tom to the wizarding world; even though he knows that if Riddle had been left unchecked, the risk of him becoming an Obscurus would've resulted in catastrophe all the same). Riddle sees Dumbledore as nothing more than a foolish old man, a pest, and an obstacle to overcome at first, but learns to begrudgingly respect Dumbledore's strength and mastery of magic (after all, Riddle only knew him as the Transfiguration teacher before, and thought the accounts of Dumbledore's victory over Grindelwald had been exaggerated to great effect). Riddle's hubris was believing he could defeat Dumbledore on his own, thinking himself already stronger than Grindelwald ever hoped to be.

Rathin Patil vs. Dagrim Patil

Rathin had always been very protective of Dagrim, and loved her dearly, although his acts of affection were often misinterpreted as pity and condescension. This only served to push them further apart. When Dagrim turned to the Dark Arts and found solace in Riddle, it revolted Rathin, as he was hugely against the corruption the Dark Arts has on the performing witch or wizard, and wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy. He still very much loves her, and it hurts him to fight her. Dagrim, on the other hand, finds catharsis in duelling her brother, believing it to be justice for the way her parents treated her and the little he did to dissuade them.

Miraya Varma vs. Cantankerous Nott

A mutual respect and an academic rivalry, Cantankerous and Miraya were not friends by any means, but not enemies, either. Cantankerous even went as far as to warn Miraya of an impending attack, allowing her to evacuate the building. But although he knows she's clever, he also knows that she's incredibly stubborn, and displayed little surprise to find her awaiting him in the now vacant building. They are equally matched, and their unique relationship spans several decades, even into Cantankerous' failed run at Minister for Magic, and Theodore and the Patil twins' time at Hogwarts. She was present at his trial following the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and watched as he was sentenced to life in Azkaban for his crimes as a Death Eater.

Isaiah Moody vs. Abraxas Malfoy

Given his profession, Isaiah has a lot of enemies on the Sacred Twenty-Eight who are loyal to the Dark Lord. One such enemy is Abraxas Malfoy. When Tom gets word of Moody's involvement in solving the Riddle Massacre, he sends Malfoy and a newer Death Eater, Evangeline Rosier, to hinder the investigation. Abraxas and Evangeline were responsible for the attack on Isaiah's heavily pregnant wife, who, if she hadn't been an Auror herself, would've never survived. Alastor Moody was prematurely born at St. Mungo's following the attack, and all of Isaiah's efforts were turned on exacting vengeance on those responsible. Malfoy went into hiding, but Isaiah, ruthless, managed to hunt down Rosier. She died under questioning, setting in motion a vicious cycle of vengeance between the Moodys and Rosiers. Once Isaiah had been killed by Evangeline's brother (Evan [who was named after her] Rosier's father), Abraxas deemed it safe to rejoin society.

Minerva McGonagall vs. Ulysses Mulciber

On the list of things Ulysses loathes, he would put half-bloods above muggleborns (although he turns a blind eye to his Dark Lord's blood status when it conveniences him). Half-bloods only serve as a reminder of the lowest and weakest of his kind; the unworthy muggleborns, the lecherous blood traitors, the vermin muggles. Mulciber prides himself as something of a "purifier," and finds great enjoyment in pruning family trees that have been poisoned by muggle blood into purity once more. He takes a great interest in Minerva McGonagall, given that she is an incredibly powerful witch at such a young age, and he wonders how glorious she would've been had she been a pureblood (a twisted and untrue belief among the Sacred Twenty-Eight during that time). Minerva, the threat of Mulciber weighing heavily on her, places her family under Dumbledore's protection. She vows to stop Mulciber and his perverse idea of justice.

Corinne Scamander vs. Carmilla Avery

It didn't take much to enrage Carmilla Avery, and Corinne had been caught in the tempest Carmilla's fury since the day they'd met. Carmilla, who took great pleasure in picking on people she deemed lesser, made a target out of Corinne, perceiving her kindness for weakness. During their time at Hogwarts, Corinne had gained the attention of Avery for being a blood traitor and a muggle sympathizer, which only strengthened Carmilla's vindication. Corinne, who had been friends with Rubeus Hagrid prior to his expulsion, and who had almost fallen prey to the basilisk when she had heard Myrtle Warren's cries from the bathroom, never lowered herself to Carmilla's level nor did she rise to any of the challenges. This hurt Avery's ego, as she thought this was Corinne's way of claiming herself better than her. It wasn't until after Hogwarts that Carmilla's growing resentment came to a head, and, without the protection the school offered Corinne, Carmilla was looking to finally put an end to the blood traitor line of Scamander.

Declan Diggory vs. Serafine Lestrange

Declan and Serafine were childhood friends who drifted apart during their time at Hogwarts, particularly when she fell in with Riddle's crowd. She is viewed by Dumbledore as having the power to sway the entire outcome of the war, for if Serafine could be persuaded into leaving Riddle, her cousins (one of whom is the father of Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange) would surely comply, and the families who held the Lestranges in high regard would be inclined to follow. This makes Declan and Serafine key pieces in Dumbledore's game of strategy. However, Serafine was disowned long before she defected from the Death Eaters, leaving the Lestranges firmly in Riddle's grasp. Although Serafine claimed to feel nothing for Diggory, she still refused to deal any real harm to him when they duel, in spite of having ample opportunity to do so; something which Riddle picked up on. She was later forced to torture Declan in front of him to prove her loyalty to the Dark Lord, something which Declan permitted her to do, knowing she had very little choice in the matter. He was left for dead, but Serafine would later secretly return with Corinne to get him medical attention. She gives her son, Francis, "Declan" as a middle name.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

(iv)

Makoto, consider what transpired last night with Koime and Ludenberg. The only reason you prevailed in that struggle was because you had help. Kuripa Kurafto first, followed by the rest of your friends and classmates. Not only from them, but from every member of the Foundation as well. You may not be aware of it yet, but your relationships with friends and collaboration with those closest to you are what give you your strength—the power of your unwavering optimism comes from THEM.

Your ability to rely on others is your greatest strength, not a weakness. You will always be more capable when you allow others to assist you, regardless of how capable you are on your own.

Right...I know that, obviously, it's just...I forgot about that a little...

Is there anything else you think is worth discussing?

Just one more thing...The big one...

Junko?

Huh? Uh...no, not her. I know I said I was afraid of her, and I am, but I think after our talks just now, I know what it is I need to do to beat her. We're stronger together and all that stuff.

If not her, what then? Who or what could be a bigger problem than her?

...Me.

You keep saying I’ve got to forgive myself, Izuru, but… you didn’t see what I did to them. To my friends. Kuripa and Rantaro risked life and limb to go in that factory with me. Because they knew I couldn't handle it alone. And what did I do?

I took that confidence, trust, and dedication, and I STOMPED ON IT!

I can gush myself up as a saint and a hero all I want, and at the time, I completely ignored what kind of effect my actions had. I just acknowledged that there was a part of me who thought tormenting my closest allies was the right thing to do.

But now? Knowing that there's a part of me that is capable of doing all that to the people I love makes it difficult for me to live with myself.

Hm...I believe that this is a situation when your special talents work against you instead of helping you.

Recall how we recently discussed how your capacity to influence others and offer them Hope during difficult circumstances has led to an uncomfortable sense of accountability for the deeds of others.

Yeah?

This seems comparable to me. Ironically, I think your capacity to face and master Despair has given you a warped perception of yourself. Let's refer to this as "Yin" and "Yang."

If "Yin Makoto" is the Ultimate Hope who powered through the First and Final Killing Games; the TRUE hero...What exactly do you think the "Yang Makoto" is?

He...He passionately wants to be the best because he wants to demonstrate that he is worthy of everyone's trust in him...He wants to bring Hope and eradicate Despair, so that everyone thinks he's cool and no one can see how afraid he is behind the confident smile.

He is so consumed with helping and protecting people that he disregards whether or not they actually WANT his help, or if they NEED a hero...And he's willing to hurt those he loves, physically and emotionally, about if he believes it is in their best interests.

He represents my hubris and pride, the part of myself that wants to be everyone's hero at any cost, even if it means becoming the villain.

Fine. Let's dissect that now. To sum up, "Yang Makoto" aspires to be the best and wants validation for what he does. Does that sound right?

Exactly. Thinking about it now...that makes me no different from Tsumugi Shirogane, does it?

But ignoring Shirogane, and focusing on the desires themself, I'm hard pressed to call such emotions "evil."

Huh?

Every person in the world has the intrinsic drive to improve themself and to feel validated. Humans also have an inbuilt need to look "cool" and keep their anxieties and fears hidden from other people. That does not imply that all people are bad in the world.

Maybe not, but that doesn't make those desires healthy.

Perhaps so, but seeking advice can help treat bad habits quickly. Also, let me tell you this. I can confidently say that a deep desire to save and protect people is the opposite of twisted and evil.

That's not the point! The point is I hurt my friends! I ignored their wants and nearly broke killed them because I believed I could protect-!

I am not talking about the morality of your actions. I'm talking about the morality of the motivations driving your acts.

Ultimate Hope Therapy.

...

*Shortly after his conversation with Kuripa and Mukuro, Makoto strides down the hallway of the Future Foundation to the Branch 7 department. Towards Miaya's office for some consultation.

...

*There's some chairs outside the office door, which Makoto finds locked, so instead, he sits down on one of them, patiently waiting.

...

You're going to be waiting for a while...

BAH!?

*He falls off his chair as Izuru Kamukura suddenly almost teleports next to him.

Ugh!? K-Kamukura!? Wh-What a surprise, I...thought you went home.

No. Akane and Mahiru want to spend a little more time with the others. In fact, we're debating whether I should be brought back to that house or not. It is quite homely there though, so I believe I will.

That's good to hear.

Are you here to visit Gekkogahara? I must warn you. You may be the only person here, but her waiting list is at least a mile long. It might be a while before she gets to you.

Oh...Right, that makes sense actually. A lot of people were traumatized after the things they had to see today. I guess it makes sense that she'd be busy.

She's doing a group session right now. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you joining in.

No, no...This is a lot of personal stuff. I can wait.

...

Naegi...

Yeah?

Would you mind terribly if I was the one you consulted?

Huh? You!?

It may be easy to forget, given my disposition, but I also have Miaya's talents of therapy, consultation, and psychology. Besides, I heard that you'd already sought help from her once before, and clearly, it did not work out.

That was because I was a bad patient, not because she was a bad doctor.

Not saying I'm against the idea...but why ask me that?

I don't know...It just feels like something that a friend would do. If Hajime was here, I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to help you.

...I'm sure he would...Alright, I'll take you up on that then...

——————————————————————

*Izuru escorts Makoto to a private room. He randomly pulls up two chairs and sits them facing one another. They then both sit down, and Makoto stares shiftily at his new therapist.

...

...

...Ok, this feels a little awkward....Where am I even supposed to begin?

You don't need to feel threatened by me. If it comes to it, just imagine me as a life-sized doll that you can vent your frustrations to.

But if you're having trouble getting started, let me suggest we begin with something simple. How are you feeling right now?

Exhausted, and in a lot of pain. I got light treatment for the injuries I suffered in my fights against Koime and Celeste, but I need a follow up appointment to get properly treated. It's just there's a long list of high-priority patients ahead of me.

In fact I'm fairly sure I shouldn't be walking around like this...I'm worried that if I sit or lie down, I'm not gonna be able to get up for the next two days.

I'm sure you'll manage. You're stronger than you think. But if exhaustion is all that's weighing on your mind right now, then I believe that's a good thing.

[kira-the-whump-enthusiast]

hey hi, no intentions to intrude but i saw you reblogged one of my posts tagging it as #oc isaac! I don't mean to be rude, but I'd like to hear about him, if you're willing to ramble (i like listening to people talk about their OCs). if not, then that's okay! have a nice day ☆

Holy shit. This isn't intruding at all holy shit I love talking about my OCs. Especially Isaac he's literally my favorite OCs. I'm literally so happy right now like this is hard to express in words. I am typing at the speed of light. I love asks about my OCs please everyone send me asks about my OCs.

Anyways! Ahem! A little bit of infodump on my favorite bastard!

Oh yeah. CW for like. Serial murder. Cannibalism. Torture. Failed executions. Solitary confinement. Starvation. Excessive amounts of suffering. So, so much trauma. That kind of stuff! There's probably more that I might be forgetting.

Longggg infodump under the readmore btw. If anyone reads it all I adore you also.

Here's some art of him! My friend made this for me <2

So, Isaac! He's like one of my favorite types of fictional character: unhinged arrogant men who are incredibly broken. Isaac has like two main motivations: he wants power and control, and he doesn't want to be hurt. And these are also very influenced by incredibly excessive amounts of hubris and anger.

A little bit of backstory: Isaac is an immortal shapeshifter, and he was born in like 1600s France (or the fantasy equivalent depending on the universe I put him into). He's transgender, which very much sucked for him in 1600s France, because 1. he was not allowed to live as his true gender and 2. people seen as women were not treated very nicely in 1600s France. Isaac was going to be married off to someone he didn't choose- so he ran away instead. And almost immediately afterwards he got into a duel and almost died. A last-minute deal with a deity saved his life, because he received his immortality and shapeshifting powers. The cost was that everyone he knew forgot about him- so he just went to the woods and lived there for like 150 years. Eventually he returned to society tho. However during that period of time in the woods, Isaac was completely isolated, and that warped his worldview very much. He thinks that he's above like all humans because of his powers. Combined with deep-seated resentment at humanity because of the restricted life he once led, Isaac decides to take it out on people by like. Murdering them. And then cannibalizing them afterwards. He looks down on people so much and he's desperate for a feeling of power and control, and murder and cannibalism gives him heaps of that. And then after like 50 years of that he gets caught. And his captors attempt to execute him, but it doesn't work since he's immortal. And they try everything. Hanging, beheading, drowning, immolation, garroting, just about everything. Isaac was alive and conscious for every one of them. So yeah, trauma! And eventually they decided to immure him (lock him in a cell, brick up the wall, and leave him to die), because he'd have to die eventually, right? Well, he didn't, and he spent about 200 years in a cell. A dark cell in a basement, with nobody else inside. His first escape attempts were futile, and eventually he lost the strength to even try escaping. Isaac may be immortal, but he still needs food and water to function normally. So it was just torture for him. He suffered even more knowing that he was there because he was subdued. Isaac knew that nobody would ever come to save him. He feels ashamed that he ever wanted someone to save him. Eventually he escapes because the prison above gets demolished. It takes him a while, but after finding food and water and getting to rest, Isaac does fully recover physically. His powers ensure that he'll never even have a scar. He returns to killing people anyways, because Isaac will never learn. Being left to rot in a basement cell changes him quite a bit, ofc! He's incredibly angry that he was bought so low, and he takes it out extra on people by committing more murder. And he's incredibly afraid of people and how they could hurt him now, although he'll never admit it. Isaac tries to pretend nothing ever happened to him, but he still sleeps with the lights on, and he hides food in his clothing, he's always eating or drinking something, and he flinches when someone gets too close to him. He's gone through so much shit, especially cuz of his own actions, but his pride prevents him from doing any self reflection, so he will keep digging his own grave further and further and further. Isaac does not have the ability to swallow his pride and reconsider what path he's taking, or seek help, and he doesn't try to be a better person cuz he doesn't think he needs to be.

And yeah! That's the Isaac infodump. It's just about every piece of information about regular Isaac. Should I reveal this in my writing instead of a tumblr ask? Probably. Will I post this anyways? Absolutely.

[dadsbongos]

how abt hajime saves antag reader from dying and that’s how she slowly starts to treat him decently and they somehow become kinda friends

Request for: Hajime Hinata Warnings: skin graft things (gore), self harm (hair pulling and scratching with intent to bleed), implications of verbal abuse, mental breakdown, fat game spoilers ~~~

“To think someone as stupid as you could build such mass weapons of destruction,” (Y/n) looked around the room, eyes catching on all the Monokumas Kazuichi had yet to dismantle and disarm. He had started with the small ones and wasn’t even half-finished yet.

“Hey,” Kazuichi whined, still working on taking apart a regular-sized Monokuma, “I’m not proud of them, y’know? That’s why I’m scrambling them.”

“No, I know,” she wandered over to the largest Monokuma, she was surprised it even fit inside the building it was so big, brushing her fingers over the cool metal, “This one’s falling apart.”

“Yeah, the bigger they are, the harder it is to keep maintenance, so I probably just gave up after a while,” the mechanic shrugged.

“Hm,” she hummed to herself, crossing her arms as she turned to face Kazuichi’s back completely, “I’m assuming that’s also why you rarely did such monsters.”

“Knowing me, yeah,” he gestured over his shoulder, still not looking at the girl, “Hubris is all that kept me making the big ones.”

“Typical.”

“What does that mean?!”

“Watch out!” a new voice entered the room, a hand grabbing (Y/n)’s arm and yanking her backward just in time for the arm of the monstrous Monokuma to clatter to the ground right where she had been standing.

Dread had sunk into the hearts of (Y/n) and Kazuichi - she would’ve been crushed to death if it wasn’t for… (Y/n) looked at the hand on her arm, following it to a face. If it wasn’t for Hajime.

Kazuichi immediately rushed towards the woman, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her as tears fell from his eyes and his lips quivered, “I’m so sorry, Miss (Y/n)! I should’ve been paying attention! I knew it was dangerous for you to be too close, I should’ve said something!”

“Let go of me, moron,” she smacked his hands off her shoulders, huffing before turning to Hajime and nodding curtly at him, “Thanks.”

Before anyone in the room could speak again, she charged out and into the hall.

Hajime sighed, “You save her life and she doesn’t even apologize for being an asshole.”

Kazuichi waved off the girl’s behavior and returned to his desk, “You should get away from that Monokuma.”

A creak from the giant robot was all the warning Hajime needed to get out as well.

~~

Teruteru had called everyone to dinner almost half an hour ago and even Hiyoko had come out to enjoy a meal with the others, but there was one person missing - (Y/n). 

Of course, Hajime thought as he went down the hall towards her room, she’s being difficult. She’s always like this. So difficult, so rude. Teruteru worked in that hot kitchen for hours on end so that everyone could eat together and obviously (Y/n) wouldn’t show up.

He knocked on her door, waiting for a few seconds. No answer.

He knocked again. No answer.

One last time. No answer.

Frustrated at the lack of response, Hajime took the doorknob in his hand, calling out, “I’m coming in!” before doing just that.

He expected to find her asleep in her bed or maybe the bathroom door would be shut and he’d have to shyly leave lest he gets called a weirdo for barging in. Instead, he found her sitting in front of her mirror, staring at her own reflection with unblinking eyes.

She was tracing her nails over the stitches left behind by Mikan in the wake of her skin graft. Her other hand was resting at her thigh, patting the bandages covering the donor site of her skin. Suddenly, her nails bit into the stitches on her cheek, scratching at the scarring and tearing at the threads. She cringed in pain but didn’t stop.

“Stop!” Hajime lunged forward, grabbing (Y/n)’s hand before she could completely rip through the stitched patches on her face, his brows furrowed, “What the hell are you thinking?!”

If he stopped to think about it, yelling at someone in an unstable spot like this probably wasn’t the best decision, but he wasn’t thinking.

(Y/n)’s eyes were wide, why did he care?

He already saved her life, wasn’t that enough? He had to save her face too? Why was he even in her room?

“Why does it matter?” she wheezed, stuck between laughing and crying, shaking her head all the same, “I was great! I was incredible! Now- now- now- now- now- “ she felt tears roll from her eyes and burn at the bleeding stitches, “I’m fucking horrific! I thought I was above all of you but lately, it’s just been fuck up after fuck up after fuck up- “

Taken advantage of by Junko Enoshima - the girl who never loved her.

Scarred and mangled face - done by her own hand.

Almost crushed to death - Hajime had to save her.

“Hiyoko laughs at me and you look down on me and Mikan judges my face every time I go in for a checkup and Kazuichi pitties me and Fuyuhiko thinks we’re the same and Ibuki’s scared of me and Akane hates me and Sonia thinks I’m evil and Junko never loved me and Junko never loved me and you look down on me and you look down on me and you look down on me and you look down on me and you look down on me,” she began rocking herself back and forth in her chair, fat sobs tearing through her chest and throat, hiccups ripping over her, “I’m a failure… I’m a failure… I’m a failure…”

“You’re just human,” Hajime knelt down to be eye-level with the woman, taking both her hands in his and making her keep eye contact with him, “You’re allowed to make mistakes and fuck up. You were tricked and manipulated by Junko, we all were. We get to make up for that now by restoring the world. Nobody hates you or judges your face.”

“You’re lying, I know it,” she stomped her feet like a petulant child, more tears stinging at her skin, “I should’ve been perfect. Mother always said I had to be perfect, father always wanted the daughter and that’s what I am! I have to be… I have to be…”

“Your parents are idiots if they think anyone could ever be perfect,” Hajime untangled one of his hands from their interlocked appendages to place it over his heart, “Even Izuru kind of sucks, he’s uncaring and doesn’t show appreciation for anything. Nobody’s perfect, (Y/n). You need to realize that whatever your parents told you was just overcritical bullshit and there’s nothing wrong with you,” his eyes flickered to her bleeding stitches, “I’ll get Mikan, sit tight.”

Her head fell in shame as Hajime left. Her fingers tapped on the bandages covering her donor site, feeling a faint sting at the contact. Of course, Izuru Kamukura would save her again. Or try to, at least.

God, did he have to be better than her at everything?

No, he wasn’t better. He wasn’t better. She was great.

Her hands shot up and twisted knots in her hair, yanking as hard as she could to shut her own thoughts up.

The door opened, Mikan hurrying through with a little white box in her hand. She shakily took (Y/n)’s hands away from her head, and held her chin to inspect the injured area.

“It’s not too b-bad, thankfully,” the nurse murmured, opening the box and unwinding some thread, “It sh-shouldn’t take me too long.”

(Y/n) closed her eyes, letting Mikan work and doing her best to act as if the pulling and pinching didn’t bother her. She wasn’t in pain. She was fine.

There no memories of causing despair with Mikan and Junko running through her head. There was never competition between her and Mikan for Junko’s love. There was no time that she felt inferior to Mikan.

She was fine.

She was fine.

Once Mikan left, Hajime escorted her out, the two muttering amongst themselves for a few minutes before Hajime nodded and returned to (Y/n)’s side. He lifted her from the chair and carried her to bed, largely disturbed by how little she protested, “I could get you some food, if you want? Teruteru made a lot.”

Shaking her head, (Y/n) felt more tears rise to her eyes, “I want to cry.”

“Should I go?”

“No… yes… I don’t know…” she sniffled, hiccupping once again as she cried, “Izuru… what do I do…?”

“I wouldn’t know,” he sat by her on the bed, “I’m just Hajime Hinata, and besides, nobody can tell you how to deal with your emotions besides you. Or maybe a therapist.”

“Stay, please…”

“Then I will.”

~~

“Hiyoko laughed when I tripped on the beach this morning…”

“She’s always like that,” Hajime paused pouring the pancake batter into the pan to rethink his statement, “Well, she’s getting better. Slowly.”

“I keep screwing up,” she huffed, cracking an egg to pour the whites and yolk into a bowl. What she didn’t notice until after she’d already thrown out the broken shell and turned back to grab another egg, was that she’d accidentally gotten a speck of shell in the bowl. Pursing her lips, heat rushed to her cheeks.

Again.

It was just mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake after mistake- 

“Ah, I do that all the time,” Hajime peeked over the girl’s shoulder, grabbing a fork to press the bit of shell into the bowl and drag it up the side and out of the eggs, “See?” he removed the shell from the fork and threw it into the trash, “All better.”

(Y/n) stood there for a few more seconds, antsy as she watched him go about his business like she didn’t just ruin breakfast. Her throat swelled with dread and her hands grew sweaty, “I messed up. Aren’t you gonna do something about it?”

“Like?”

“I- “ she held her tongue, shaking her head, “I thought- “

“It’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with a mistake,” Hajime shook his head, “You’re human, you’re going to mess up. Now whisk the eggs before Teruteru finds us and gives us ‘advice’.”

“Right,” she nodded, turning back to the eggs.

Hajime pursed his lips as quiet settled over them. He learned a lot about her within the previous hours of the night. She wasn’t a monster, she’d just grown up with the wrong people. 

She’d done awful things and she’d make up for them in due time, the most she could anyway.

It was after she had passed out from crying and he went out to use the bathroom that Mikan would nervously, shakily utter the words that made everything click.

“I s-suspect she has a God complex stemming from overcritical parents…”

She was sick and needed help. 

They all did.

She probably took the manipulation from Junko hard. Probably as hard as Mikan if the muttered, heartbroken repetitions of “she never loved me” meant anything. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what those two girls went through at Junko’s hand.

Well, if it’d help, he would listen.

He wanted to help her. He wanted them all to heal and live better lives as they restored the world with the Future Foundation.

That would always include (Y/n). She was as deserving of healing as the rest of them. She was deserving of love. She wasn’t a heartless monster.

She was… becoming his friend.

[amysteriousmessenger]

Can I request one for Saeran where the reader (you) are having a rough time with family or friends or something and scared to make matters worse and don't tell him right away until he notices your acting different and just ends in some fluff?

I got you anon, I wish Saeran would take care of me like this too haha, I hope you’re doing okay ;-; you’re very loved here! this got very long because I love Saeran--

Saeran Choi comforting a stressed Reader Headcanons 

It had happened again, another argument with your friend over something stupid. You’d made a lighthearted joke in another group chat that had been met with a full set of ‘read 1.27pm’. Then to top if all off, your mother was also giving you near constant grief over the phone. By the time you had dragged your feet home, all you wanted to do was collapse into bed and call it a day, shutting everyone out despite the fact the sun was still up.

That was until, you actually got in and saw Saeran. Every time you looked at him your heart fluttered. He was on his knees in the garden, wearing his gardening gloves and a little sunhat to keep the light from hurting his eyes. you could tell that, despite his best efforts, he had gotten a little dirty from the soil and you allowed yourself to be soothed for a moment imagining how sweet it would be to cuddle him once he was fresh out of the bath. But right now, he seemed happy. You didn’t want to ruin that with your own worrisome, sour mood. He’d suffered enough and you didn’t want to make it worse by adding to it.

Once he spotted you through the window, he stood and waved, inviting you to join him. You put on your ‘everything-is-fine’ face and smiled back, walking out to him. You greeted one another with a kiss and he placed a little daisy into your hair and gently tucked it behind your ear.

 Saeran asked you about your day and when you told him that everything was fine, he was instantly not convinced by your answer but at the same time didn’t want to pry if you weren’t in the mood to tell him yet. He pulled back, studying your eyes for any hint of a message. His gaze was concerned and worried, yet so filled with infinite tenderness. 

You knew you’d been caught straight away, Saeran could always read you so well: better than you could read yourself at times. Even if he didn’t immediately know what was wrong, he would always know when you were in pain.

You made an excuse to scurry away for a shower, not wanting to risk ruining Saeran’s day and making everything worse. You had an extra long shower, wanting to scrub away all your sadness and shame. In your hubris, the shower had been too hot and you had made yourself lightheaded and sleepy. Still damp, you crawled into yours and Saeran’s bed and promptly passed out.

Eventually, you were woken by a cool hand cupping your cheek and a little kiss pressed into your hair. Even though you didn’t feel like spoiling the mood, Saeran pulled you out of bed and guided you to the living room.

 He’d planned a little evening for the two of you, and had cooked, baked and picked out a movie for you to both watch. He wasn’t sure what you’d be in the mood for, so just assumed that making your favourite dinner and a small selection of treats would be enough. He didn’t mind the domestic work like this, in fact he adored it.  ‘My love, I would never force you to tell me what’s on your mind, but I want you to know that I am entirely yours to do with as you wish. I want to make you happy. Won’t you join me for dinner?’ 

How could you resist? His cooking was always so good, you could genuinely taste the love with every bite. 

He’d try coaxing you a little bit later on when you were cuddled together on the sofa to tell him what was wrong, and then hold you against him as you let out a few sobs against his chest. His eyes would threaten to water slightly, but he’d try his hardest to fight back his own tears since you were so concerned about upsetting him. 

He’ll kiss the tears away from the corners of your eyes, assuring you that the people giving you grief didn’t matter in that moment. Right now it was just you and him, and the love you shared. He, of all people, knows that life isn’t easy, but he’s more than willing to help you carry the load. 

[unforth]

List of Differences Between MDZS and CQL/Untamed

I haven’t seen a comprehensive list of differences between the Modao Zushi novel and Chengqingling/The Untamed. Someone in one of my Discord’s asked earlier today, and in reply, myself, Joythea, @floofz, HeadphonesGal, and mustache apologist compiled this list, based on what we remembered. I’ve reproduced that list here with permission of the people involved in the conversation. I’ve tried to include what happens in both the novel AND CQL for each item, but in general, the list was more written as, “here are things that happened in CQL that didn’t happen or happened differently in the novel,” with an eye toward explaining it to someone familiar with the novel but not with the live action adaptation. 

Note that this contains...like...all the spoilers. Also, I am not an expert on either the novel or the live action, though I’m better acquainted with the second. As a group we did our best to make sure this was accurate, but I’ve transcribed and expanded it for posting and I can’t promise I haven’t made mistakes. PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG and I will amend it (that’s why I used a read more - so I can make changes without it getting all messed up by reblogs of different versions)!

General Concept/Overarching Differences:

Death, Fierce Corpses, and Puppets: Censorship means that none of the things they hunt in the Untamed are actually dead. Once, they’re even able to explicitly “free” a group of controlled puppets and they revert to being regular people. At times this means certain events are...extremely poorly...explained, such as what happens to Wen Ning, where it’s never explicitly said that he’s dead - it’s instead implied that Wen Ning was on the verge of death and that Wei Wuxian controlled him and was able to save him. However, though it’s never explicit that there are essentially zombies in CQL, it would be difficult to explain events by any other interpretation. Much like with homosexuality, they flirt as close to what the censors will allows as they can and allow a viewer to infer from there.

The Yin Iron: In the novel, there is no Yin Iron. Wen Ruohan’s motivation for his actions is simply more power and is entirely “human.” The Wen don’t do demonic cultivation. Xue Yang doesn’t have a piece of the Yin Iron, and his ancestor didn’t create it (obviously, since it doesn’t exist). In the novel, the “Founder of Demonic Cultivation” is clearly meant to be Wei Wuxian, whereas if the concept of “Modao Zushi” ever came up in the Untamed it would be ambiguous at best who was being referred to, since both Xue Yang’s ancestor and Wen Ruohan could theoretically deserve the title. Since there is no Yin Iron, many of the things ascribed to the Yin Iron obviously don’t happen, nor does it drive the plot in the “past,” nor does it play a part in the death of Xuanwu, nor is it what Wei Wuxian uses to craft the Stygian Tiger Amulet.

While this isn’t explicit, it seems (at least to me) like everyone is a few years older in CQL than they are in the novel. For example, in the novel, the Lectures start when the young cultivators are all 15 - 16 years old. That...doesn’t really fit with how they look in CQL? I personally think they’re more like 17 - 18 in CQL, and then events proceed from there. However, their ages aren’t stated in CQL canon so this is open to interpretation.

Technically, WangXian is subtext in the Untamed, by the slimmest of obfuscations. Seriously, it’s so borderline to being canon that calling it subtext is slightly ridiculous but since it’s never ACTUALLY explicit...I guess that makes it subtext. Also, ya know, there’s porn in the novel.

Characters and Characterizations:

Mo Xuanyu: Mo Xuanyu isn’t gay in the Untamed, unlike in the novel. In the novel, it’s said that Mo Xuanyu falls out of favor with the Jin clan because he’s made inappropriate sexual advances on Jin Guangyao. In the Untamed, the implication is that he made similar advances on Qin Su. In both, it’s also implied these weren’t the real reasons but it’s also never explained what actually did happen. Also, in the novel, he favors wearing thickly caked makeup to obscure his appearance (and subsequently Wei Wuxian does the same) whereas in CQL while makeup is mentioned he’s basically only ever shown or discussed as wearing a mask.

Wei Wuxian/Mo Xuanyu: In the novel, Mo Xuanyu sacrifices himself and Wei Wuxian takes over his body. However, in the Untamed, Wei Wuxian is more...reborn?...whole, in his own appearance (the logistics of this, or if he was ever dead, or where he was if he WAS dead, are never explained). He wears a mask because if he didn’t, everyone would (and ultimately does) recognize him. 

Wei Wuxian: In the novel, doing demonic cultivation clearly twists Wei Wuxian and some of his actions are either accidental but still his fault, or intentional. For example, the torture of Wen Chao is intentional and brutal, and the loss of control of Wen Ning at Qiongqi Path is accidental but still his fault - a result of his hubris and poor decisions. In CQL, a second flute is played at Qiongqi pass and also when Wei Wuxian fights the cultivation clans outside the Nightless City - both of the major times when Wei Wuxian ostensibly loses control. Though Wei Wuxian himself thinks it’s his fault, it’s actually not - the person responsible is Su She - and Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji eventually learn this. However, CQL does still show Wei Wuxian being changed by the resentment. His temper is more volatile and his trust more limited; for example, he loses his temper with A-Yuan at one point, which doesn’t happen in the novel.

Lan Wangji: differences in Lan Wangji’s characterization are a little harder to quantify but in general in CQL he seems more open/expressive/comfortable in his own skin, and less prone to anger. For example, when he steals Wei Wuxian’s first kiss on Phoenix Mountain in the novel, he loses his temper and destroys an entire grove of trees. This...would not be in character for Lan Wangji in CQL (and of course they don’t kiss in CQL). However, putting it in definitive terms is complicated. For another difference, in the novel, Lan Wangji confronts the cultivation clans to protect Wei Wuxian, and thus is given 33 strikes with the discipline whip. In CQL, his actions are more ambivalent in Wei Wuxian’s defense...certainly, he doesn’t stand against everyone else in a pitch to save Wei Wuxian’s life...but he’s still explicit enough for Lan Qiren, who has him beaten 300 times with a stave. (the end result is still “covered in scars,” just different punishments.)

Jiang Yanli: Jiang Yanli’s role is expanded from the novel. She accompanies her brothers to the Lan clan Lectures, and she carries a sword, implying she’s a cultivator, though she never uses it. The back-and-forth related to her engagement to Jin Zixuan is also expanded. Furthermore, she’s with her brothers when they flee Lotus Pier, and at Wen Qing’s outpost when they are in hiding, for at least part of the time. (but not enough of it to be involved in the Golden Core transfer). The overall result is that she feels much less “fridged” in CQL than she did in the novel (or at least, that’s how it felt to me - obviously, some of these bullet points are subjective to varying extents).

Luo “Mianmian” Qingyang: In the novel, she’s a member of an independent cultivation sect and she’s first introduced during the Wen Clan indoctrination. In the Untamed, she’s a Jin clan disciple and she attends the Lan clan Lectures, and is shown to have a good relationship (friendship, not romantic) with Jin Zixuan. She later renounces her membership in the Jin clan when the clans turn against Wei Wuxian after the end of the Sunshot Campaign. 

Wen Ruohan: In the novel, he’s just a badass mo-fo power hungry pain in the ass. In CQL he is a demonic cultivating megalomaniac who uses the Yin Iron to be, like, Comic Book Evil.

Wen Qing and Wen Ning: Unlike in the novel, where Wen Ning is introduced outside of Lotus Pier, and Wen Qing is introduced after Wen Ning needs a place to hide Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian, in the Untamed, Wen Qing and Wen Ning attend the Lan clan Lectures. Wen Qing is there under instructions from Wen Ruohan to seek the Yin Iron; he blackmails her by threatening Wen Ning. Furthermore, Wen Ning is unusually susceptible to spiritual influence as a result of an encounter with the Dafan Mountain Goddess/Fairy statue when he’s a child. The statue kills their parents and starts to drain him, but Wen Qing saves him. She’s not able to heal the damage to him, though, and it’s implied this is part of why it’s possible for Wei Wuxian to raise him using demonic cultivation. Wen Qing in particular has a much greater role in CQL, and she has a romantic subplot with Jiang Cheng. She bears a sword, and she’s also shown to do spellwork and influence people using acupuncture needles.

Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen: In the novel, we first meet them at Yi City, when their story is already tragic. In CQL, they are introduced right after the Lan Lectures, and are therefore older.

Xue Yang: As with Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen, he is introduced earlier in CQL than in the novel. In CQL, he also possesses a piece of the Yin Iron that he manages to keep hidden and a secret despite multiple attempts by different parties to obtain it (it’s hinted at times that he’s in cahoots with Wei Wuxian, but this is just a character smear). His ancestor created the Yin Iron, and he’s known to be an expert on demonic cultivation.

Meng Yao/Jin Guangyao: Meng Yao is introduced much earlier in CQL than he is in the novel, as we see him when the Nie cultivators are welcomed to the Lan lectures (and we’re shown upfront and immediately that Lan Xichen treats him more respectfully than most others do). In the novel, we don’t find out much about the evil things he’s done until Wei Wuxian does Empathy on Nie Mingjue’s head; in CQL, more of that is shown “on screen” as it occurs. For example, he’s shown conspiring with Xue Yang in the Unclean Realm, and right after that is when Nie Mingjue catches him slaughtering another officer (which none of the other characters know about). He also saves Nie Mingjue’s life during that scene, painting him as morally ambiguous and complicated from a very early point. We also “see” as it happens the incident in right after the fall of Nightless City, where Nie Mingjue goes to kill Meng Yao and is prevented by Lan Xichen, and there are more explicit indications that he’s manipulating Jin Guangshan and is involved in the plot to turn everyone against Wei Wuxian.

Ouyang Zizhen: Ouyang Zizhen appears only briefly in the novel, during the Yi City arc. In CQL he has a much expanded role and is a pretty much perpetual fourth to Jin Ling, Lan Sizhui, and Lan Jingyi (especially post Yi City). He’s present most of the times they meet, and involved in Jin Ling’s confrontation with Wen Ning, and is present at the Second Siege of the Burial Mounds, where he intervenes with his father on behalf of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. And he’s one of the best beans.

Sequence of Events:

In the novel, when Wei Wuxian awakes at Mo Manor, the Lan clan disciples come and they find an evil left arm that kills and possesses people. In CQL, they find a sword that does the same. This leads to changes throughout the plot in what, exactly, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are searching for. In the novel, they pursue the pieces of Nie Mingjue’s body to various sites. In CQL, they instead are led to the same sequence of places by a sword spirit which turns out to be Baxia.

When Mo Xuanyu raises Wei Wuxian in the novel, Wei Wuxian has three curse scars representing three people that need to die: Madam Mo, Mo Ziyuan, and...one of the servants I think? In CQL, Wei Wuxian has a fourth cut that represents a fourth person he must kill: Jin Guangyao.

Because the risen dead don’t exist in the Untamed, the Dafan Mountain Goddess/Fairy statue incident plays out a little different. For example, Wei Wuxian doesn’t figure out what’s happened by observing graves, he figures it out by seeing “spirit grass.” However, the outcomes are essentially the same from a plot point of view.

In CQL, the extended flashback to the lectures starts right after Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian meet (right after Wen Ning is summoned and then flees). I don’t remember exactly how the timeline/intermingling of narratives from different points in times is structured in the novel but I know it’s different. They spend far longer in the “present” before going to the past, and jump back and forth a bit more too.

In CQL, Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji have an early bonding period during the lectures (the lectures over all get more attention/time than in the novel) when they are drawn into a cave in the backhills that they enter through the cold spring. Within, there’s a guqin and a bunch of rabbits and the...spiritual embodiment?...of Lan Yi, who is introduced as the first female leader of the Lan Clan, a close friend of Baoshen Sanren, and the creator of the Chord Assassination Technique. Lan Yi acquaints them with the existence of the Yin Iron. Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji also engage in a symbolic hand-fasting during this scene. In the show, this is where the bunnies come from; Wei Wuxian doesn’t capture them and bring them as “presents” like he does in the novel.

In CQL, between the Lectures and the Sunshot Campaign, Lan Wangji, Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, and Nie Huaisang do some night hunting together. Among other things, during this time they meet Xue Yang, Xiao Xingchen, and Song Lan, when Xue Yang slaughters the Chang clan. This obviously has major implications for the role and age of these characters in CQL versus in the novel, when none of the three are met until Yi City. This time spent night-hunting is also when the flower spirit mini-side plot takes place, but it doesn’t get much screen time and isn’t as prominent as in the novel, nor is the entire “Wei Wuxian woos her where no one else did” thing a feature of the show. Also, they encounter the Dafan Mountain Goddess at this time.

The Wen Clan attacks Cloud Recesses in the novel because of perceived improprieties, and Lan Wangji is injured while trying to protect the library. Lan Xichen disappears, and Clan Leader Lan is killed. In CQL, Clan Leader Lan is already dead at this point and Lan Xichen is in charge of the clan (while it’s never explicit, it’s implied that the age gap between Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji, and between Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang, is greater in the show than it is in the novel). When Wen Xu attacks, they hide in the cave where Lan Yi appeared to Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, but the disciples who aren’t members of the Lan specifically can’t enter, so Wen Xu begins to massacre them. To prevent that, Lan Wangji emerges, and that’s when his leg is broken. (Su She is also prominent in this scene in CQL, but he’s not in the novel.)

During the Indoctrinations, in CQL it’s shown that Wei Wuxian is afraid of dogs after Wen Chao locks him in a dungeon room with one. This also serves as bonding time with Wen Ning, who helps Wei Wuxian with medicine that Wen Qing has provided. This scene doesn’t take place in the novel; in the novel Wei Wuxian’s fear of dogs is almost entirely shown through his interactions with Fairy.

Also during the Indoctrinations in CQL, there’s a lot of friction between Wen Chao and Wen Qing because Wen Qing keeps trying to help the prisoners in small ways. In the novel, Wen Qing hasn’t been introduced at this point in the story.

Wei Wuxian’s Death: In the novel, Wei Wuxian retreats to the Burial Mounds, the clans unite against him, storm the Burial Mounds, and kill him - Jiang Cheng gets credit for the kill, but in actuality, Wei Wuxian's own resentment-controlled undead tear him apart when his magic backfires. (see this comment for more info) In the Untamed, after a battle outside the Nightless City, Wei Wuxian realizes how wrong everything has gone, destroys the Stygian Tiger amulet, and throws himself from the mountain. Despite a “tease” that Jiang Cheng stabbed him, it’s later shown that no, Wei Wuxian’s death was suicide despite Lan Wangji trying to save him and Jiang Cheng deciding not to stab him.

Wen Chao’s Death: While it’s implied in CQL that Wei Wuxian has been tormenting Wen Chao, it’s nowhere near as explicit as in the novel. It’s loosely suggested in CQL that perhaps Wen Chao’s condition when Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji find him is the result of fear and self-neglect - basically that Wei Wuxian’s torment is causing Wen Chao to hallucinate frightening things. Instead of, you know, Wei Wuxian’s torment causing him to eat himself.

In the novel, Wei Wuxian is dead for 13 years. In CQL, he’s dead for 16 years.

Wei Wuxian’s resurrection: In the novel, because Wei Wuxian doesn’t look like himself, he doesn’t realize that Lan Wangji has recognized him because he played WangXian, so he engages in multiple behaviors to try to disgust and drive Lan Wangji away (all of which fail, of course, because Lan Wangji knows the truth). In CQL, because Wei Wuxian looks like himself, when he wakes up without his mask in Cloud Recesses he immediately knows that Lan Wangji has recognized him and there’s no further mystery in that regard (except for how Lan Wangji recognized him while he WAS masked, which is the same in both - because of the song). (Lan Xichen also subsequently recognizes him while he’s masked, at an earlier point than he does in the novel unless I’ve badly misremembered. Which is always possible).

The Yi City arc is quite different between the two. Honestly, I skip the most painful parts of the Yi City arc, including the entire flashback sequences, because I knew they’d fuck me up right good without being worth it, so I’m not able to go into depth here, but. Some examples include:

Because in CQL, Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan, and Xue Yang were introduced during the “past” timeline, they’re considerably older than in the novel.

Due to censorship, A-Qing is not a spirit as she is in the novel. Instead, she’s still alive but she’s had her tongue torn out and been blinded by Xue Yang. She ultimately sacrifices her life to help Wei Wuxian et al kill Xue Yang.

In CQL, it’s shown that Xiao Xingchen would leave a sweet on Xue Yang’s pillow every day, and when Xue Yang dies the last gifted sweet falls from his hand.

(if anyone reading this wants to help flesh it out please do chime in because I know it’s incomplete but I Cannot with that bit of the story.)

During the Second Siege of the Burial Mounds, in the novel, after Wei Wuxian paints himself with the lure talismans, he and Lan Wangji are on the verge of being overpowered when the corpses of the Wen clan members that Wei Wuxian saved rise from the blood pool and help protect them. In CQL, the Wen clan members are hung by the Jin clan and left for the birds outside of the Nightless City, so they could never have been in the blood pool, even if such a thing would have made it past censors (which it never would have).

The novel contains pornographic content, including an illicit kiss that Lan Wangji steals from Wei Wuxian during the Phoenix Mountain hunt, and actual sex, with their first time being before the confrontation at Guanyin Temple. 

During the Guanyin temple confrontation, in the novel there’s extensive discussion of Jin Guangyao’s childhood in the brothel, including information about his mother and why he spared Sisi as opposed to all the other prostitutes. Further, it’s explicit that the Guanyin temple has been built on the site where that brothel used to stand and that the coffin Jin Guangyao is digging up is meant to contain his mother’s body. The entire temple is dedicated to her. In CQL a lot of this is simply not explained or left ambiguous.

In the novel, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are married and return to Cloud Recesses. In CQL, they travel together for a time, part ways, and then are reunited. Lan Wangji becomes the Chief Cultivator, replacing Jin Guangyao.

...that’s everything we came up with. Alright, everyone, what’d we miss? :D

[handlewithkara]

So I was watching 3x16 Of Two Minds

Also, Lena is kind of ... awful and creepy as fuck in this episode (3x16)? 

It doesn’t start great with Lena informing Sam that she’s going to electroshock her.

Lena:  In order to find it, I need to study you while you're her. Sam:  And the only definite way to turn me into her is to electrocute me. Lena:  The pain response brings her out. Sam:  How much is it going to hurt? Lena:  We're going to start with 500 volts. Sam:  That's not what I asked. Lena:  A lot. If we had more time, we could find another way. But we don't. So we have to do it. (How do you know? Why are the only one working on this?)

Next we have Lena pushing to increase the voltage. 

Lena: It's a parallel dimension. It's where you go when Reign takes over. [...] Sam:  Did you find what triggers the transformation? Lena: Not yet.I need to increase the voltage.I need more time to observe Reign.

And then we have Sam not wanting to go back and Lena pushing her.  Sam:  I can't go back in there.We have to find another way. Lena:  There's no other way. I know how hard this is... (again: how do you know? Not to mention, THIS ISN’T TRUE. They just demonstrated in the previous episode that emotional pain and taunting works just as well. Not that Sam would prefer that, I think she would choose electroshocks, but again, it’s clearly not the only way. Especially since with the DEO we find out tons of other things, Brainy and his future tech allow people to enter the valley, the Harun-El, the knowledge Kara has on the book of Ra, the psychics they have, maybe they could trigger Sam’s pain psychically) Sam:  No! No, you don't. 

Anyway, next there is this scene where James who is like super scared about Winn dying calls her and begs her to help with the cure and Lena says actually she’s totally working on it. Except ... that’s kind of a lie? She has been working only on Sam and there is no scene that implies she even knew about the plague outbreak? 

I mean we go from this: 

Winn pouring his heart out about all the plans he had for the future and James crying.

To not just Lena not giving a shit, but LYING about it? 

James: Winn and Alex are sick. Lena: I'm so sorry. James: Lena.You have the largest pharmaceutical company in the country and I really need you to put your people on this. Lena: I'm already working on it.(No she isn’t? There is nothing in this episode to suggests she even knows about the sickness or that Sam might have any connection to it?) James: You are? Lena: Yeah.(again, no she isn’t?) James: Well, that's great news, right? Have you told Supergirl? Lena: Listen, I can't really say anything and please don't say anything to her. I don't want to over-promise, but...I'm really close to a breakthrough. (manipulating James into not telling Supergirl)

And there is this scene where Sam pleads with her to stop and instead call Supergirl and Alex for help and Lena refuses. 

Lena: If I go to Supergirl or the government before I can prove I can turn her off, they will treat you like you're the same, all right? They will lock you up, they will dissect you...

Sam: It wouldn't be any worse than this, Lena. We need to get help.

Can we talk about this? Like, what reason does Lena have to assume that the government would dissect Sam? I’m pretty sure I didn’t miss an episode where Lena ran into an alien who complained to her that the DEO tried to dissect them and that really rattled Lena to hear that? What exactly is Lena basing this on except her own paranoia that she is projecting onto Sam? 

This is BEFORE the falling out that Lena has with Supergirl. Why does she just assume that Supergirl can’t be reasoned with? Couldn’t she like invite Supergirl to a meeting place and negotiate with her? Maybe tell her, I have access to this Reign person, but I’m not turning her over to you or tell her where she is until you assure me that she won’t be harmed? For a person who throws a fit every time somebody thinks badly of her, Lena sure doesn’t have a problem assuming the worst of other people and not like bothering to check her hypothesis. 

(not to mention, Sam is already wearing the little Kryptonite badge thing, so Lena knows that whatever Sam has might be related to Kryptonians, so shouldn’t her first call have been to Supergirl? If only to try to get information on Kryptonian stuff out of her?)

And then there is this: 

Lena: Shh. Okay. I swear I'm the only one who knows how to do this.

Ehm, hubris/paranoia much? All this episode is basically Sam pleading for a second opinion and Lena denying her that? (Doesn’t help that the way Odette plays it is just freaking heartbreaking) And not only does Lena not give a shit about the fact that Alex and Winn are sick, she also just casually lies about it? If she didn’t want to get distracted from helping Sam, she could just not have picked up James call? Or after he called her she could have spared a single minute to delegate working on the plague to some other L-Corp people? Or she could just have been honest to him and said “I’m sorry, I’m working on something else that is more important to me” at the risk of incurring his anger? 

It doesn’t help that the show plays this sweeping, borderline romantic music during the scene with Sam. And I’m here sitting thinking: Am I supposed to find this touching? Because that just makes the scene more creepy! I don’t care how much lip and voice quivering Katie McGrath puts in, it doesn’t change that what Lena is doing and saying is kind of really awful. 

As I rewatch 3B, I’m struck with just how hateworthy I find Lena in it (including: the previous episode which also has tons of Sam pleading with Lena to let her out and Lena denying her, how blasé and hypocritical Lena is hearing about Supergirl’s kryptonite hangup, how she reacts to Reign’s taunts about not being able to kill Reign, keeping the Harun-El even though she heard Alura talking about how she doesn’t want it on earth). I don’t remember hating Lena originally when the season aired. I think a lot of this is kind of hindsight. When it aired, I just kind of assumed that Lena would eventually find out about Supergirl and be cool about it relatively quickly and feel dumb about it, so adding some more facettes to her characters was cool with me. Instead Lena kept on going worse and worse. 

The other factor is that I think Lena’s singleminded dedication to Sam and going to bat for her friend is supposed to kind of the touching balancing factor to her jerky behavior. The problem is that with hindsight we know that Sam ends up getting almost completely forgotten by the show and by Lena. Like, whenever characters (or fans) run around and insist “EVERYBODY has betrayed Lena and screwed her over”, I’m sitting here and going “Sam didn’t”. Sam didn’t know what was going on with her and after things got revealed, she was extremely upfront about everything. And yet Lena acts like she didn’t exist or didn’t matter. Kind of ruins the emotional impact of scenes like “you are Sam Arias, okay? You're the woman. I would trust with anything.”

[thereluctantinquisitor]

Another Year

OKAY so it is @frenchy-and-the-sea’s birthday and I am HERE with a terrible gift that is just... okay, listen. LISTEN. I had feelings and I just wrote them down and if it is wildly out of character please just pretend it is a really weird AU! 

Aaaanyway, Alex and Tahir belong to the wonderful Frenchy and live in her amazing original work, Seven Cities. If you haven’t already, join me in this glorious rabbit hole and come fall in love with all her characters!

Happy Birthday Frenchy <3

                                  ---------------------------------

If someone had told a young Alex that her life would be shaped like a cradle of wood, set adrift over the ocean chasing fairytales, she would have laughed them out of the room and told them not to bother coming back. Hell, sometimes she felt like laughing herself out of the room when she paused long enough to think about what they were doing. Seven cities. Sitting cross-legged by the Ranger’s bow, her head resting against one of the railing posts, those two words alone were enough to stir something deep and quiet in her chest. It was hard, not to long for answers to unasked questions. Particularly when they had been planted in your head by someone else. Some days, that meeting with Jon, and all the things that followed, felt like a dream. A story that had happened to someone else, a long time ago, that she just happened to overhear at a pub in some piss-soaked harbour town. A story full to the brim of adventure and triumph. Fuller still of mess and mistakes.

“Another year, huh?”

Alex huffed, not bothering to pull her eyes from the waves. “Not sure what you mean. Not sure I care to know, either.”

Of course, she knew exactly what he meant. Maybe at another time, in another place, Tahir might have laughed at her almost dramatic sullenness. But not this time. Instead, he just hovered for a while, before finally lowering himself down beside her with a soft grunt. Exhaling, he tipped his head back. Dark circles framed his eyes, same as hers. There had been some long days, of late, and even longer nights. They wore them about as well as could be expected. “You know, after all this time, I thought you’d soften up to people wanting to celebrate your birthday.” His gaze flicked down, and Alex’s averted just as fast. “It’s a good thing, lad. Means you’ve eked out another year in this mad place. And there’s no one alive who can take that from you.”

“If you’re feeling like waxing poetic, Tahir, there are better audiences for it.”

“Ah, well, Adelina is asleep.”

“Try Duchess.”

The pair exchanged a flat look, like siblings poised to push each other’s buttons. Normally, Alex’s glower was a thing of legend, but this time she felt the corners of her lips twitch traitorously and had to break the contest, masking it by casting her attention back out over the water with a huff. Rather than reveling in his victory, Tahir just allowed a faint smile to spread freely across his face. He was a spot of brightness in the inky dark. Somehow, when she needed him to be, he always was.

The silence lingered until she broke it. “I don’t make a fuss or demand a song and dance because I don’t care about it, Tahir.” Alex wasn’t sure why she started speaking. Normally those kinds of words had to be pried from her like a coin from a miser. “So unless you’ve been spending your lonesome evenings knitting a cape from old hemp sacks and sail rope, best to just treat it the same as any other day.”

There was a pause. “Well,” Tahir began slowly, “I’m not sure about the knitting, but if I’d known you wanted a cape made out of old hemp and---”

He broke off with a surprised grunt as the heel of Alex’s boot connected solidly with his thigh, then quickly caught her foot in one large hand. He raised it slightly, as if to say don’t make me confiscate this, then set it back down on the wooden deck at a pointedly safe distance. “In seriousness,” he continued, one eye still watching for any further signs of attack, “have a drink, at least. Even if it’s just with me or Adelina. Celebrate a little.”

Alex arched a brow. “That an order?”

“It’s a suggestion, Alex. From a friend.”

“Yeah, well…” Alex reached up and ran a hand through her hair. Or at least, she tried it, tangled as it was from the salt and wind. “Consider your friendly suggestion noted. I just…” Her arm suddenly felt heavy. Too heavy. She let it fall to her lap like an anchor to the seafloor. “I just don’t feel in a celebrating mood. Not of late. It’s… there’s so much to do, Tahir.”

“Like what?”

“I…” Alex hesitated. There were things to be done. Of course there were things to be done! There was always something to finish, or begin, or re-do because some half-asleep idiot fucked it up the first time. They were all tired. All drained dry. That meant something was leaking – something that needed to be fixed. Something she needed to fix.

Yet, when asked what that thing was, she found herself at a loss.

Tahir shifted his weight, boot scraping over the deck as he bent his knee and propped his elbow on it. “Sometimes, we have bad weeks. All of us, together, on this ship.” He was looking at her, waiting for her to meet his gaze. When she didn’t, he continued anyway. “None of us blame you for it, Alex. We’ll blame the gods, or the weather, or a bad hand at a tarot reader’s tent well before we’d ever blame you. This is just… how things go sometimes. We can’t change it any more than we can change the tide.”

Finally, Alex turned to face him. “So… what? I’m just meant to accept that sometimes everything goes to shit for no reason? Make my peace with it?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because punishing yourself doesn’t make it any easier.”

Alex opened her mouth – to retort? Argue? She wasn’t sure. But once again, she found the will to fight had abandoned her. Or maybe, just maybe, Tahir had a point, and she’d just rather cast herself into the sea than admit it right now. 

Instead, Alex just grunted; a quiet kind of acquiescence, open enough to interpretation that she could stomach it well enough. Tahir, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, accepted it with wordless grace. They sat in silence for a little while longer, side by side, lulled by the creaking of the ship. Then, there was a rustle of fabric as Tahir reached into his side-pouch and extended a further sign of peace.

A flask.

“What’ve you got in there today?” Alex took the flask and set to unscrewing it with half-numb fingers. The night-chill was starting to rise already. She convinced herself the drink was just to chase it away. Nothing more.

Tahir relaxed back against the rail, stretching his legs out again. “Something you’ll like.”

Frowning, Alex eyed him warily as she slowly raised the flask to her nose. The first inhale was short – a test, of sorts. When she didn’t keel over from a poorly conceived prank by one of the twins, she relaxed and allowed herself a deeper breath. What met her was something rich, lightly spiced, and possessing just enough edge to promise a good, trickling warmth that curled its way to her fingertips. Even without tasting it, she knew one thing for certain: it was good. “When did you even get this?” she asked a little accusingly. Last time they were at port, he’d insisted on staying with the ship while the others enjoyed a well-earned shore leave. 

Apparently not.

As though reading her mind, Tahir quickly raised his hands. “Easy there, Captain. I convinced Davin to take my place for a bit. The Ranger was in good hands.” He hesitated. “Well, reasonably good hands. He was still sober enough to stand.”

It was easier to laugh, somehow, with that flask in her hand. Not just because its contents sent a comforting warmth straight to her stomach, but because it was something she hadn’t known she needed. It was a moment with someone she trusted above anyone else, sitting on the bow of her ship, letting sea and sail carry them towards a distant point of the compass.

Some leaks are small. Barely even noticeable, at first. But god, it feels good when someone takes the time to patch it.

“That good, huh?” Tahir asked eventually, after Alex had helped herself to a third hearty swig. Humming contently, she smirked and held out the flask.

“You tell me.” When Tahir raised his brows, Alex just rolled her eyes. “Listen - given you probably owe Dav a favour now – a thing no man alive would envy – you can at least partake in the spoils.”

Laughing, Tahir shrugged his large shoulders. “Well, when you put it that way, how could I say no?”

There it was again. That smile. The one that reminded Alex that she had her own. And she found it, then, as Tahir took the flask and allowed himself a long, deep swallow. Then another. Then another…

“Hey - don’t go emptying it!” There was a moment of frenzy, Alex grabbing for the flask, Tahir twisting away, keeping her at bay with a frantically extended elbow. Eventually, Alex managed to snatch it back and tipped it up, peering inside as though to measure the precise depth of his betrayal. “You rat bastard.”

But Tahir wasn’t listening. He was too busy laughing, one hand on the rail, hauling himself to his feet (and, more importantly, out of range). Once upright, he swayed slightly, then stretched his back. Cat-like. Content in his flagrant hubris.

 Duchess would be proud.

 “Come on, then,” he said. “Up you get.”

“What?” Alex was still fuming, trying to fish out the last few boozy drops with her finger. Traitor. “Why the hell should I?”

Tahir just grinned. 

“Because the rest of the bottle is with Adelina, and you’ve kept her waiting long enough.”