#i did not even get all the good lines tbh

[rohirric-hunter]

I don't know if I agree that escalation is important. Another series that did this well is the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. The first book written in the series had a protagonist, Matthias. A later book focused on his son, Mattimeo. The stakes in Mattimeo's book are, if we're quite honest, noticeably lower than in Matthias'. There are still stakes -- one of the villains kidnaps Mattimeo and a bunch of other children and another one threatens their home while they are away from it, but neither villain is as threatening as the main villain of Matthias' story, and both of their evil plots are fairly localized. If they both got away with it then far fewer people would be negatively affected than in the first book.

In fact, both villains are villains that Matthias, as the hero of the first book, would easily have been able to deal with if he had just happened to be in the right place at the right time, but he's not. Matthias' failing as a parent isn't that he is bad at it. It's that his greatest strengths are also his greatest weaknesses. He's a very kind character, and this results in him letting Mattimeo get away with far more than he should, and one instance of him choosing to be kind rather than cautious kicks off the plot and all the ensuing conflicts. (Note that this is not presented as the wrong choice, per se, just an example of how unfortunately bad people can often use people's good qualities against them.)

Matthias then spends the entire book being restrained from being involved directly in either plot (which, again, he would have sorted in about ten minutes most likely) by time, distance, or cave-ins. Getting thrown into a bottomless pit. That sort of thing. There's almost a third plot where Matthias struggles against himself, TBH. His actions only indirectly and distantly affect the downfall of either villain. (This is thematically appropriate for the character, something something themes and motifs, but only tangentially related to this discussion.)

Some of the things that make this sequel succeed where others fail are these:

Matthias is present and active in the story. He is not put on a bus or killed early on; lesser writers use this tactic when they fear the new characters won't hold their own against the old ones. He is present and active; the story is simply not about him. He also passively influences the story through his past actions from the first book (kind of) and who he is as a person.

Matthias is a good parent, albeit not a perfect one. This works to the story's advantage, as Mattimeo ends up sharing many of his good traits that endeared readers to him in the first place by virtue of having been raised by him. Now they endear readers to the new protagonist as well.

Matthias has his own proper role in the story and a satisfying character arc. Matthias enjoyers still have something to be excited about in the story even though he is not the protagonist: here the writer neatly sidestepped the pitfall of alienating readers who are primarily reading the sequel in the hopes of new stuff about their faves.

Stakes really have little to do with it -- if anything the story is helped by the fact that the stakes are all deeply personal to the protagonists and not an Even Bigger Threat that will Destroy the World Even Harder than the first time.

In the case of Tolkien also doing this well, I think the most important takeaway is this: The parent figure must in some clear and important way influence and direct the child figure's story. You cannot write a sequel about a beloved character's kid where things just happen just because. There must be a clear line of narrative that makes sense between the parent and child's story.

But it takes a really talented writer to pull that off (especially if they weren't planning the sequel when writing the first book) and well a lot of people aren't really talented writers.

Generational spin-off media is like “okay, what would be the most in-character way for the previous show’s protagonist to comprehensively fail as a parent?”

[may3505noods]

I'm watching TV rn and I wish I could have a bf so he could slowly move his hands to tease my clit and nipples as I try to stay concentrated, whispering 'can I?' against my ear with his hot fucking voice. When I give a small nod and hum, he'll hug me and kiss me on the forehead, fastening his phase. I move closer to him, burying my face in the crook of his neck as I whimper and hump his hand slightly. After a few minutes of teasing me as I tell to him how I feel, whispering him 'so good' over and over again while I hugging him impossibly closer to me, he inserts two fingers into my wet hole to check if I'm ready, then gets his thick cock out of his (gray) sweatpants, moves my underwear to the side, and starts to slowly push the tip inside my vagina. As he does so, we both let out a whine. I'm so tight and he's so big, it feels so overwhelming and we both gasp from the feeling and the anticipation from what's about to come (or cum ig). When he finally gets it all the way in, he starts moving, both of us quietly moaning and holding the other closer as he keeps teasing my nipples and clit while filling me up so good while I cry about how full I am and bite my lips to keep quiet. We both make rye contact as he starts going rougher and harder, reaching so deep and making it hard to keep my eyes from rolling to the back of my head and my lips from falling open and letting my tongue loll out.

I can feel his lips on my hair line, whispering prices and quiet curses, his warm breath on my forehead as he moves to kiss my temple again, his hands teasing me and exploring my skin, making me feel goosebumps all over my body and this weirdly slutty yet comforting feeling as I feel his splitting me open and loosing control, moving faster then I can take while telling me how much he loves me. It hurts so good and reaches so deep, all I can do is lay there and take I as both me and him become increasingly more needy for eachother.

I can feel him throbbing inside my tightness more then usual, and knowing what it means before he even began to whisper needly he's about to cum and beg to do it inside, I thrust my hips back to him with all the strength I have left in me and tell him 'i wanna feel it in my womb... please..'

The moment he hears that, he thrusts even deeper and faster, moving my legs apart and using me like a pretty little flashlight while whispering how much he loves me, and kissing me all over my face as I cry about how good it feels, how good it hurts. When he finally cums, he thrusts the deepest he can possibly reach inside me. I let out a scream and cum around his cock, crying on his shoulder from the pain and pleasure as he shushes me and comforts me, playing with my hair and telling me how all of his cum is going directly into my womb, how I'm so beautiful and did so good, how much he loves me, and how good I made him feel.

We'll stay like this for a few hours and probably fell asleep with him and his cum inside me, slowly drifting to sleep with the TV playing in the background.

This is not my usual stuff but tbh my kinks change every few weeks (everything but breeding and dumbification) so hopefully you'll enjoy. Also I'm gonna edit this later so ignore spelling mistakes

[nalyra-dreaming]

I keep thinking of the line 'to crush what you cannot own' and how it describes Armand's actions too - if he really did mean for Louis to die in Paris, which seems likely atp. Sacrificing Louis would punish Lestat and stabilize the coven ofc, but do you think it was also Armand ending the relationship on his own terms, once he'd realized Louis couldn't be controlled or 'owned'? Bc killing him was preferable to being abandoned? I know many think it was Loustat's love Madeleine felt in 2.06 (& it probably was!) but IMHO it wouldn't change much even if it was about Loumand. However much Louis theoretically loved Armand, he'd always love Lestat & Claudia more. Armand could never own him completely or be 100% assured of his loyalty & that was the issue. I keep seeing fans ask things like 'why did Armand do X if he loved Louis?' or 'why would they stay together if they weren't in love?' and tbh…I think some got too sucked in by Armand's 'beige pillow' persona lol. Because it's a fully calculated performance designed to disarm & control - there's a grain of truth to it, but it's still v strategic. IMHO 2.05 did a good job of peeling back the romantic facade, and the finale twist further compounded the truth, but maybe I'm off base there. Do you have any thoughts on this? (sorry if you've discussed this before, I can't keep track of the asks you get lol!)

(I don't blame you lol, it's a LOT of asks by now^^)

No, I have not talked about that aspect of it all :).

Sooooo, that "crushed" statement is rather interesting, but let me get to Armand first.

I think wrt Armand betraying Louis and Claudia there (and the show did frame it as the big betrayal, the Judas' Kiss), it has a lot to do with Armand being beyond bitter about Louis not loving him ... as he loved him.

Armand literally says that, in 2x05. Spells it out, when he talks about Claudia's love for Louis - and that it was not the same (level) as Lestat's - or his - love for Louis.

Interesting there is the tense, because it is past tense. "Loved".

I do think, (and that I said before^^), that Armand loved Louis, fell for Louis, in Paris.

Unfortunately though, Louis did not love him back the same way, and thus the betrayal happened (very simplified, but still) - and (Lestat's behavior and) Lestat saving Louis at the trial... changed the game again. Louis became something else to Armand, namely leverage, and a vessel. Something he could own and form, built on history with both Louis and Lestat.

Now the "crushed line".

THAT is a really interesting one. Because "crush" is used thrice in the show. First, when Daniel is served a dish in s1, imho rather unimportantly.

Second, when Santiago describes Louis' kill (the Dreamstat-kiss-kill) in the park:

"A mutilated body found in a park three nights ago. Crushed skull, puncture wounds on neck, chest and shoulder blade."

And third, when Lestat talks about what he did to Louis with the drop.

"I couldn't... persuade... him to return my affections. I couldn't force him to love me and so... I broke him. What is worse than that? Crushing what you cannot own?"

Now.... I always felt this monologue was a bit off, not because Lestat owns up there, or because of the words, but... "forcing Louis to love him"? I don't think it was about that between them. Given we know Armand influenced the tale, this... is one of those things that will be interesting to see IF they were influenced, but that just as a note, because yes - it describes Armand's actions, too. Sam said he left hints and crumbs, and maybe that is one, too.

The word "crush" connects Louis' desire and need for Lestat with Lestat's need and desire for Louis.

It is "crushing" for them both, a strength of emotion that almost cripples them, and makes them behave violently. This is no excuse(!) for any in-story actions, but the writers on this show are playwrights and you can be sure that they know what they're doing :))

There is a quote in the later books, which encapsulates this love for Louis (from that side at least) quite well:

"It was the love of Louis which had at times crippled Lestat, and enslaved Armand. Louis need have no consciousness of his own beauty, of his own obvious and natural charm."

I agree that Armand's beige pillow persona is parts a facade... but then again not, because Armand... is not the hurricane that is Lestat. Armand is old, and jaded, and disciplined. He lives by a strong ruleset, and that little "metronomic, my Rashid" that Louis throws at him in 1x05 makes its comeback in 2x05 when when he spells it out that he finds it boring that everything is so predictable.

Book canonically it is Daniel who changes Armand a bit (at least), who makes him break some rules and principles. And... given what we've seen so far? I think that will stay just the same. Or has already happened in parts^^.

[kateschi]

through the cold, with you

synopsis: amid the biting cold of patrol, katsuki finds his own way to keep you warm.

pairing: timeskip!bakugou katsuki x f!reader

⊹ ࣪ ˖ notes: was listening to a song and it went "i would burn my words to warm you up" and i want that kinda devotion tbh

the night air is sharp, biting at your skin as you walk through the quiet streets on patrol. the chill settles into your bones, making your fingers stiff and your nose go numb.

you pull your jacket tighter, but it feels like the cold is winning, no matter what you do.

beside you, katsuki strides ahead, his steps purposeful and his posture as commanding as ever. he doesn’t seem bothered by the weather at all.

you try to shake off the discomfort, but the cold is relentless, seeping through your clothes and making it harder to focus.

you force your steps to keep in line with his, but your movements are slower now. every breath feels like it could be your last.

he doesn’t even notice. or so you think.

another few minutes pass, and you feel your teeth start to chatter.

you glance over at katsuki, his fiery gaze locked straight ahead, his usual scowl firmly in place. h

e’s always been the type to push through anything—cold, pain, exhaustion—and now, it feels like the wind is just another enemy to him.

you, on the other hand, are starting to feel the weight of it all.

just as you’re about to speak up, to mention that you’re starting to freeze, katsuki stops walking without warning. his shoulders tense, and you can hear his breath cut through the air.

you blink in confusion as he turns to face you, his eyes narrowing slightly as they sweep over your figure, taking in the subtle signs of discomfort you hadn’t voiced aloud.

“you good?” he asks, voice still rough but softer than usual. his eyes linger on you for a moment, like he’s waiting for you to admit something, to ask for help.

but he doesn’t push.

you hesitate. he’s been protective of you since you first got together, but there’s a difference between that and actually asking for help.

you try to brush it off, giving him a small smile. “yeah, just a little cold. I’ll be fine.”

katsuki eyes you skeptically. “bullshit.”

you don’t have time to react before he steps toward you. before you even realize what’s happening, his hand is reaching for the collar of your coat.

his fingers brush against your skin as he unzips your jacket without a word, then pulls off the heavy scarf wrapped around his neck.

you open your mouth to protest, but before you can say anything, katsuki is already wrapping it around you, tightening it just enough to offer some protection against the cold.

you blink at him, confused. “katsuki, what—”

“shut up,” he mutters, cutting you off. he adjusts the scarf so it fits snugly around your neck, tucking the ends in carefully. “you’re freezing, and I’m not having you catch a cold.”

he steps back, his hand brushing against your shoulder as he assesses his work.

then, without another word, he reaches into his bag and pulls out a thermos—when the hell did he put that in? “here,” he says gruffly, holding it out toward you.

you take it from him, still caught in the bewilderment of what just happened. the warm liquid inside is a welcome relief to your frozen fingers as you take a sip.

katsuki watches you for a moment, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp. it’s like he’s silently making sure you’re okay, his watchful eyes never leaving you.

“better?” he asks, his tone a bit soft. there’s something protective in his voice, the kind of thing you never used to hear from him. you take another sip of the drink, nodding.

“yeah, much better. thanks.”

he huffs, his lips twitching in that small, familiar smirk that only you get to see. “you better be, or I’ll drag you back home and shove you under a heater myself.”

you laugh, the sound warmer than it’s been in the last hour. his eyes soften for a second, and for a moment, you swear you catch a flicker of something affectionate in them before it’s gone.

it’s like he doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but there’s no mistaking the care he’s showing.

you glance up at him as the silence stretches, a little unsure of what to say next. but he’s already taking a step forward again, his body language a silent invitation for you to follow.

“come on,” he says, his voice commanding as ever. “let’s get this patrol over with.”

you start walking beside him again, feeling the warmth of the scarf wrap around your neck like a promise.

the cold is still there, but it’s manageable now. it’s bearable. and, somehow, his presence seems to push it away, too.

you can feel the heat from his side, the way his body radiates strength, and the knowledge that he’s always looking out for you, even when he doesn’t say it out loud.

as you walk beside him, you try to ignore the soft smile that’s tugging at the corners of your lips.

he might act like he doesn’t care much for these things—gestures of affection, quiet acts of love—but he shows it in his own way. and, in the end, that’s all that matters.

katsuki steps forward again, his arm sliding around your waist and pulling you into his chest with surprising force.

“stop shivering, damn it,” he mutters, the rough edge in his voice doing nothing to hide the concern underneath. his body heat surrounds you as he keeps you pressed close, his hand firm against your back.

you stiffen for a moment, unsure of how to respond to the sudden proximity, but his warmth is undeniable. your body relaxes against his, letting the heat from him seep into you.

there’s something comforting in the way he holds you, like he’s willing to bear all the cold, so you don’t have to.

you tilt your head up slightly, just enough to meet his gaze, which is softer than usual. his face is still serious, but you can see the care in his eyes, the way he’s watching you closely.

for a second, the two of you just stand there, his arms wrapped around you, your body pressed against his.

“and—uh you’re welcome,” he says, so quietly you almost don’t hear him.

his gaze softens, just slightly, before he turns back and starts walking again, already heading toward the next stretch of their patrol.

a grin makes its way up your face, and it makes your husband blush furiously and press a firm kiss on the top of your head. he is trying to hide—you know that much.

kofi — navigation — masterlist

do not copy, translate, or plagarize

[sm-baby]

CRYING

OKAY I FINALLY GET TO RESPOND TO THIS HEHEHEH

THE FIRST ONE IS SO CUTE THE WAY THE WATER FLOODS IN SO SMOOTHLY AND THE CHARACTERS ARE FITTING CARNI GANGLE IS SO LOLA OH MY GOD

Also hehe,,, ablee,, my guy,, abee thats my UAGHSHWW YOU DREW MY LITTLE MANN ❤️❤️COBBIEEE

The way she plays with the bells is somehow so satisfying even if it is just two frames 😭 SHES SO CUTE HOW DID YOU MAKE HER SO CUTE OH MY GODD 🥺 the way you do her expressions are so satisfying theyre so perfectly expressive and just communicates EXACTLY her personality and feelings

Also the ribbons oh my god 😭 so many to keep track off! This must have been a pain to storyboard!

The second one is also so comical but i LOVE the way you make Kinger look so high and mighty WOAHH its so fitting to the sound too CAINE BEING A LITTLE DORK I LOVE IT

Jax is going through it 😔 YEAHHH BAHA CAINE AND POMNI WAITING FOR HIM TO LEAVE I IMAGINE THATS WHAT THE LEVEL IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE TBH THATS SO FITTING I LOVE IT

I FINALLY GET TO SEE THE JILLZ ONE IVE BEEN HAVING IT AS MY PFP FOR THE LONGEST TIME MY LITTLE CUTIEEE AUGHH how did you have the strength to COLOR THAT SECTIONNN 😭😭 MY LITTLE CUTIE i need to make another frame a pfp hehe SHES SO CUTE AND THIS IS SO IN CHARACTER HOW ARE YOU SO IN CHARACTER WITH ALL OF THESE

I know this section isn't for me BUT THE FREAKSHOW ONE ALSO MAKES ME SO HAPPY LMAOOO I LOVE GANGLE AND AINGLE THIS IS SO THEM

" go on kyle ask him for your little brother back" NOOO THIS FITS SO WELL BAHAHA THIS ENTIRE SECTION IS SO GOOD the way bubble pops and reappears in Pomni's hat is the CUTEST THING EVERRR AND ZOOBLE LEAVING IS GEN SO FUNNY

GETTEM CAINNE GET EM when Caine started cursing and we see the other's expressions pomni's scrunched up face AND ZOOBLE'S LITTLE SURPISED PIKACHU FACE WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY BAHAHA

AAAHHH THE FUCKING ONE WHERE DHJAKFOWOD ABLE'S IN THE CUBE AND THE LAST ONE AS WELL I ADORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL STORYTELLING THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I IMAGINE ZOOBLE'S ROOM TO LOOK LIKE AND YOU DJWKOROW GAVE IT SUCH CLEARANCE AND FLAIR I LOVE THIS SO MUCH IT GIVES ME SUCH INSPIRATION TO THINK OF HOW ZOOBLE'S LEVEL WORKS

GIGGLES the little shakes Caine does when he screams ' JUMPPP" gets to me hehe my humor is broken

ABLE'S JUST CHILLING BAHA HES COMFORTABLE THERE YEA THIS IS PRETTY ACCURATE

Overall... In conclusion.. oh my god this is all so crazy cobbie... The pacing, your use of keyframing, THE WAY THIS ALL CLEANLY LINED AND SHADED TOO?? THE PACING DRIVES ME INSANEEE IN SUCH A GOOD WAY! NO WONDER THIS TOOK YOU SO SO LONGG COBBIEEE THIS WAS SUCH AN AMAZING GIFT I LOVE AND ADORE THIS SOOO MUCHHH!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOUUU FOR MAKING THISSS i love your work and I SWEAR TO GODDD YOURE GOOD TO GO SO FAR!!

Mwah mwah!! LOVE THIS!!

Just a bunch of sketches. I had a large audio list and initially there were more scenes, but I got stuck on it for too long and got lazy.

@sm-baby

@hootbon

@tadc-harlequin-au

[myokk]

my favorite bookworm

[motherfuckingbrad]

say what you will about community s4 but the thanksgiving episode where jeff tells his father how fucked up he is and how he literally harmed himself because he just wanted to feel like someone cared about him will never not make me cry

like we see jeff struggle with isolating himself and caring so much what others think and feeling like he needs to put up walls for most of the show, so for him to have improved so much that he can stand up to the first person that ever made him feel unwanted and admit how much distress it caused him is so good and makes me so happy

[itspileofgoodthings]

my romantic self-esteem is just absolutely rock-solid. for whatever reason!

[sskk-manifesto]

!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dreamteamemojis]

.

[averlym]

whshdfhfjf.,,,

[giantkillerjack]

Ya know. I spent most of my life with horrible painful soul-crushing social anxiety.

And after about 25 years of continuous hard work, suddenly, people started pointing out - to my utter bafflement - that I had, in fact, achieved my lifelong dream of being charismatic. I'm 29 now; I feel comfortable in most social situations, and it is a very rare person whom I cannot make laugh.

I am, undoubtedly, finally, charismatic.

But do you know what I found?

I found that now that I have an understanding of which social rules serve which functions -- Now that I have an understanding of just how much damage my awkwardness was doing to people, well,

I found that, actually, my awkwardness never really hurt anyone at all. People were just judgmental dicks to me about it.

Now that I have the skill-level to (most of the time) creatively vocalize what is in my head as soon as I think it and without fear, I can confirm once and for all what I had always suspected:

I was worth talking to when I was quiet.

I was worth talking to when I was awkward, and when the words in my head took time and patience to hear, and when most of my jokes didn't land. I was worth talking to the whole time.

So I just... I hope that if you've ever wondered whether you are worth communicating with, the answer is yes. Absolutely yes. Each of us has a soul worth sharing - and if you and I were talking, I would happily wait for you to speak (or communicate in other ways) without condescending, and I would never shame you for that harmless awkwardness that so many people feel the need to violently stomp out.

You are worth talking to. You just are. And you deserve people who will speak to you with kindness, with patience, and with the basic immutable respect owed to all people.

(I talk about this with some frequency, both on tumblr and in real life. At some point, maybe I'll gather all my thoughts on the matter into one post. At some point, I wrote about my personal experience trying to build my social skill. But I felt the need to say at least a little bit tonight after seeing this other lovely post, and I'm glad I did. It will happen again.)

[elizabeth-mitchells]

WELL!! time to get started on the bly manor rewatch then!!

[eggmeralda]

I need a massive sudden hyperfixation shock to happen again

[heartyearning]

not trying to get at this person specifically and to an extent i understand that this movie could be polarising but anyway none of that is impt i just. i know i rage on letterboxd one liners so often but this is the disease of star power and let me be clear i suffer from it as much as anyone but this concept of person > character (by which i mean: celebrity character created by media maintained by audience and made personal by fan > story and functional element of the media engaged with) is crazy. it's fucking crazy. can't exactly remember who started this trend but wasnt it that shakespeare actor in the 18th/19th century who put special effects in his costume anyway he was a bitch and when you get to heaven you can tell him i said so

[wonder-falcon]

the fake-dating banter was the best part of this book i need a moment 😭😭