#i just relate and love this gal too much to stray from having her on a solo blog for too long!

[prattlers]

unceremoniously drops a solo robin onto your dash . . . . . ✨voila✨

[random-autie-fangirl]

Reasons why Luz and  Hunter are siblings

(...Or more specifically why I think this interpretation of their relationship is what Dana wanted, and why it might be addressed in Thanks to Them) 

1. Wittebane Paralells

https://random-autie-fangirl.tumblr.com/post/695575730165350400/an-adhd-coded-bisexual-gal-who-is-studying-wild

I made this rather messy analysis comparing Luz and Hunter with the Clawthorne Sisters and Wittebane brothers, it’s not that long but it basically boils down to  This:  

Hunter is a “reincarnation” of Caleb (of sorts) gets a younger human sibling who loves him unconditionally this time. Philip killed Caleb for daring to find a place on the isles, but it’s Luz who makes sure Hunter has a permanent place to stay in the demon realm.(by offering Hunter to stay at the owl house, an offer i’m almost sure Hunter will take her up on in Season 3)

and This: 

An ADHD coded bisexual gal who is studying wild magic has a chaotic (and funny) rivalry with a more lawful autistic coded person in the emperor’s coven who is two years older than her, and then the lawful one saves the chaotic one from emperor Belos and turns against the emperor after. Am I talking about Luz and Hunter? or Eda and Lilith? Both, of course. Relationship parallels aren’t just for romance, after all.

For Eda and Lilith (To be honest, I’m actually really quite sure you could swap Eda and Lilith and Luz and Hunter’s interactions round and almost all of them would still be in character)

The masks they’re wearing look possibly like the Wittebane masks.

 Obviously they're based on king and hooty too but luz with the horned mask, and hunter with the diagonal eye slit mask...yeah (relating to that, there is a theory that the golden guard mask is also based on a childhood mask caleb had which doesn't have that much evidence behind it, but like, might that be why hunter has it in the first place?

Like I doubt Hunter would want to make a new mask that resembles the golden guard one himself but what if he mysteriously found a wooden version of his old mask somewhere (because it used to belong to Caleb), was understandably freaked out and Luz helped him feel better by drawing a beak on it and re-dubbing it a hooty mask, all while sharing silly and chaotic stories about hooty (both because there's no shortage of those, and it would be a way of making up for getting cheated out of hunter and hooty interactions we could have had in a full season 3 according to dana)

And honestly, these two shots match up far too perfectly to be a mistake:  https://toastraccoon.tumblr.com/post/697394126352678912/am-i-the-only-one-that

2. Hunter Clawthorne? 

Okay, this is quite a bit more speculative but like...Luz asks Hunter to come stay with her and...Eda? You know, the witch, who is pretty obviously supposed to be Luz’s second mum?

"You can stay at the Owl House if you want. I'm sure Eda would be cool with it once we... tell her what we... heard." Luz in Hollow Mind

Not only that but Eda gave Luz her jacket in an act of familial love, Luz tosses the same jacket out to hunter and metaphorically extends that familial love out to Hunter.  Like, between that line and the jacket symbolism, I heard the "come live with us, come be part of our family" message loud and clear. 

 And well, wouldn’t it be cute if both luz and hunter are paying homage to other owl house members with their masks because Hunter decided he’s going to join the owl fam later down the line (especially if the two had been disscussing it just before)

Also Hunter just is a Clawthorne, (and it's quite likely to be genetic too) The traits he shares are obvious and he fits into the family like a glove. He has a bird palisman and the iconic “BYYYYYYEEEE” for a start.

 (And after all, Eda does have a habit of adopting strays and particularly children who are the only one of their species on the isles, a human? a titan? why not a grimwalker, huh?) (side tangent: but since it’s likely the Collector  will be redeemed and they are just a child, and I could see him forming a genuine friendship with King, maybe Eda will end up raising a star person too) 

Hunter's parental connection to Darius is also important and obvious, but since Luz is probably going to end up co-parented by Eda and Camila, why not have the same for Hunter? Luz can be a Noceda-Clawthorne and Hunter can be a Deamonne-Clawthorne.  

 So Caleb becomes a Clawthorne by marrying into the family and Hunter becomes a Clawthorne by being adopted. And you know what,  maybe Hunter deserves two (or three) little siblings and a big extended family. 

But the point is, that while some of these are headcanons, that between the nettles(see below) and the hollow mind line, I don't think it's too unlikely for Luz to casually re-iterate her offer for Hunter to live at the owl house if they make it back to the isles or to punctuate with an "after all, i've always wanted an older brother." (Especially since it makes sense for them to start talking about the owl fam while making/adjusting their masks, and for Hunter to start getting visibly jealous when Luz starts talking wistfully about her little family)

3. Just some miscellaneous things

https://loosescrewslefty.tumblr.com/post/657608846282522624/loosescrewslefty-loosescrewslefty-shout-out-to @loosescrewslefty (If you don’t mind me mentioning you) made this post about floriography in the Owl House.  

This is interesting because in hunting palismen, Luz passes Hunter a pot of nettles, (It's almost always a thing that with any plants in the owl house, their floriography/flower language will symbolise something in the actual show) and nettles symbolize healing, calmness, stress relief, and SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS (full post from loosescrewslefty)

The Thanks to Them trailer and promos have promised quite a bit of focus on Luz and Hunter’s realationship, while giving us 2 out of 3 of the main Wittebro paralells on the list. Pair that with the fact that the episode might well give us more of the Wittebanes’ backstory at the same time and well...

A bit of a controversial idea here, but might that be why Dana has always seemed a little more openly annoyed with Lunter than any other opposing ship (or any other M/F ship). Both with removing the Hunter blush in Hunting Palismen and sort of mocking it on april’s fool day? (neither of which I really agree with, by the way) Like it could be because she knew Luz’s and Hunter’s relationship was going somewhere that didn’t really gel with a romantic interpretation, I dunno

For my last thing, I kind of want to say, they just act like it! It’s actually often reactors with siblings that  say Luz and Hunter act like them and their siblings in real life and  content creators who are basing Luz and Hunter’s dynamic off real-life interactions with their own siblings tend to be most accurate and close to how Luz and Hunter interact in canon!

And since one of Luz and Hunter’s very first interactions in Hunting Palismen Luz licking Hunter’s hand in an interaction that’s exactly the same as an interaction between the twins Mabel and Dipper in Gravity Falls. And since Dana also worked on that show, I see no reason why that parallel/reference couldn’t be deliberate too. Also the face pushing fight is something both Eda and Lilith and all the Blight siblings also did,  so yeah

.... That’s all my evidence. What do you think?

[vinylhazza]

ok so we all know that gray rushes/is eager about his relationships, but this time, what if the reader asks him to slow down or something? like she’s just getting started with her degree and she wants to slow down a bit, not rush into things, and eth agrees and gray is finally happy? also sorry if u aren’t taking concepts or requests lol

i feel like...low key....he needs this irl lol

this man doesn’t even have the phrase slow down in his vocabulary so when you say those words, the look of confusion that crossed over his face was to be expected. you knew you would have to spell it out for him, at least slightly. he gets in over his head with every relationship and wonders why they somehow fall apart so soon. some girls fall into that spell: the attractive guy wants me so it must be something real and true and they fall before they ever really form a strong bond, sliding to third base a time or two and tricking themselves into thinking it’s deeper than surface level lust. 

but you, you are not the ‘kick it into high gear’ type of gal and you thought you made that pretty obvious from the start. grayson gets attached easily, we all know that. you take your days one at a time, scope out the pros and cons of every situation. and you know, yeah it might be a trauma response from the countless times people have fucked you over and made you out to be a fool from a very young age, but that same mindset has helped you dodge many bullets over the years.

his first initial infatuation—it’s no different with you, but you are how do you say—hyper aware of his intentions and motives. you’ve been screwed over, toyed with, used your fair share of times and the world be damned to hell if some buff fluffy brown haired boy with amber eyes and a smile that oozes light and happiness comes in treating you like you’re this...lost treasure and you just believe him. believe all of the pretty words, take his hand and follow him into the dark, blindly let yourself love someone again not be sure of what they expect out of the relationship. and damn you if you let him swoop in and carry you off like a princess from a tall tower. like he’s this knight in shining armor. you won’t be fooled by the cloud of attraction and get yourself in too deep before you’re completely on the same page with one another. and first things first; you aren’t someone that needs to be saved, and neither is he.

you understand the puppy love stage of relationships. it’s bound to happen: the subtle obsession with your partner, that new light fuzzy feeling you get thinking about them, thinking of what they might be doing when they’re not with you, if they are thinking about you too, listening to all the sappy love songs and suddenly all you can think about is the color of their eyes after they’ve laughed real hard, the dip in their brow when they are thinking for a long time, the electric feeling that zaps your skin when they touch you, the way their voice lowers two octaves when they lean over and whisper something sweet in your ear, it’s all there for grayson. you know you’re falling in deep, and maybe that’s what scares you. maybe it’s the way you are so willing to trust him early on that leads you to the conversation of slowing things down. for the protection of the both of you, it’s not one sided.

not only had grayson made you feel secure in the very beginning of the sudden relation you had started, but he kept consistent with his actions and words. something that was unusual and strange after dealing with men that never really grew up beyond 16. at the stage of your life you’re in, there isn’t any room for a childish game of tag with a boy who didn’t have any intentions of sticking around in the first place.

you worked hard for everything you had, you always have. your upbringing wasn’t one of sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. you didn’t have it easy. it wasn’t something that you used to weazle your way out of situations, excuse your occasional bad behavior, but it was something you thought about when you did catch glimpse of your growing attraction to someone. especially grayson, who was...one of the nicest men you had ever met. charming really didn’t even cut it. but just starting on your degree...complicated things. made you really want to reiterate to him that your degree, it was important to you and you fought tooth and nail to be able to even touch a college textbook. you couldn’t be blinded by his charms and be distracted from your dreams. there were times where the world seemed dark and hopeless and with hard work and perseverance you climbed out of that hole, just to stand as the strong intelligent woman he was falling head over heels for. you didn’t get that way over night. and you sure as well weren’t going to screw up your studies because you found someone that maybe wanted to stay, maybe didn’t. if the two of you were to work out and keep developing that beautiful bond - you hoped it would be as a team, one with understanding and clarity.

in your past experience, once a man knows he’s got you hooked, that’s the green light to treat you how they’ve wanted to the entire time. their once soft caress turns possessive, trust turns to assumption and blame, dates grow less and less frequent, and are left to sit and wonder what you ever saw in the first place. tricked, manipulated, and heartbroken. it’s never been honesty, love, and acceptance first. it’s “i love you” and “i care” when their actions don’t support their claims. you promised that the next boy you catches your heartstrings and strums until you’ve fallen under their spell, you would know exactly what you’re falling for. that means taking it slow, knowing what makes grayson tick, what he hates, what he adores, what brings him peace and comfort, if he cries during chick flicks, what kind of person he wants to be remembered as, if he fears the unknown as much as you do, was makes him completely and totally happy, and what infuriates him the fastest of all, what hardships has he had to face alone, what haunts his mind in the dead of night where no one can hear him crying, and what thought makes him smile when he’s doing nothing in particular. for once, just this once, you’re heart longed to know more that what meets the eye. you wanted to know if your feelings were 3 demensional, encompassing the good and bad about grayson, or if you truly just loved the way he fucked you.

but most importantly, you wanted him to know you. know the things about you that most people didn’t have the pleasure of knowing, all while making your dreams come true.

you thought maybe it was a mistake reaching out to ethan in your time of dire need of a shoulder to lean on, but it ended up being just the conversation and pat on the back you needed. the right nudge from the right person to have you sitting down with the softest soul you’ve come to find. grayson wasn’t someone you wanted to hurt, and ethan reassuring you that by talking to him and making him slow down, it would save him from more heartache than anything.

“i think it’s going to mellow him out, actually,” ethan nods along with your words, picking at a stray strand on his pants.

he wants what’s best for his twin, which is the exact reason you wanted to have this conversation with him. you didn’t want to mess something up and be rash and childish before anything real really even started, “grayson doesn’t really do ‘slow’, so this will be good for him.”

“i just don’t want to hurt him you know? i don’t want to be another girl that leaves so suddenly when he gets a bit too much. i know those are special circumstances and he was desperate with the desire of finding that special connection...” a pause to catch your breath, nervous from the vulnerability you’re showing already, “but when i make a commitment, i keep it. i want him to know that. i just want him to be secure within his decision to want...whatever this is with me. i want to be able to know him enough that my feelings for him are justified. and vice versa...i don’t want him to think that because i want to slow down, means i want to stop.”

“he will understand more than you think. if there is one thing i know about him, it’s that he will bend over backwards to make something he wants work. if he really wants you like i know he does, he will slow it down and make sure that you are comfortable. sounds like he doesn’t have much choice.” and it’s nice hearing those words from someone you haven’t gotten the chance to grow all that close with yet. hell you’re not even that close with grayson yet. you’re in the beginning stages still, learning your way around life with him in it. independence has always been one of the things that made you, well, you - and Grayson must understand you need more time before moving forward. 

“really?” your heavy sigh shows your nerves are shot from worrying about not just school, but about the many different outcomes of the talk you need to have with Grayson. it has to happen, but you’ve never been one for confrontation even if it’s ensuring a positive outcome for both parties. 

another shrug with a kind smile from ethan warms your heart, “just talk to him. he’ll appreciate your honesty. most of the other girls got wigged out and dipped, it’s going to mean so much more that you are wanting to stick it out even if it’s going too fast for you right now.”

growing up in a family full of huggers really shows when you step forward to wrap your arms around his waist for a split second, appreciative that he listened to understand and actually help you.

“thank you e, i hope he doesn’t just think i’m trying to make excuses and leave.”

when you pull away he is smiling still, pleasantly surprised by your friendly hug. with a light squeeze to your shoulder and a soft sort of smirk playing on his lips, he gives you just the advice you needed.

“something i’ve learned being his twin; give him a little more credit.”

when  you have that conversation that had you so nervous your stomach tossed and turned all day long, you make sure you’re chanting ethans words over in your head. breathe. it’ll be fine. he will understand. give him a little more credit. he really wants you. the words play like a song through your head as you wait for him to sit back down on the white floral sheet in the softest patch of grass in your backyard. water spills from the glass in his hand as he plops onto the ground in a heap of giggles, muttering “fuck” softly, trying (and failing of course) to wipe the water off of his light blue button up shirt. it’s a good color on him, and you’re momentarily distracted from how attractive he looks in the late afternoon sun. 

when you first met grayson, he had stumbled upon you sitting all by yourself in a small park, book in hand, peach in the other, completely unsuspecting that you would catch his heart captive when you glanced up with a smile that just about made him pass out. you were still surprised months later that he had had the nerve to say a word to you, he looked ill with anxiety to even utter a word. it was a day you’d never forget - and you would try and remember that innocent look in his eye when you explain why you had planned this picnic in the first place. to talk, to listen, to understand. 

you figure if you really want to have the conversation be as smooth as it can be for the both of you, you could take it back to the very start. a simple picnic, with a lot of hope for the future.

after the laughter fit falls down, it’s time to get to the root of the issue. you prepare yourself with a deep breath in, holding in for a few seconds with your eyes closed, then slowly releasing when you look back at the questioning raise of his eyebrows. when he cocks his head to the side, you know it’s now or never. if you don't say it now, you might regret it. 

“I actually brought you here so that we could have a talk real quick,” you finally explain, making sure to maintain eye contact and drink in ever facial expression he may have - just so you know how to go forward. 

“you know you can talk to me about anything, is something wrong?” He’s so soft with the way he talks, never suspecting anything like what he’s about to hear, and it almost hurts to know you’ll be disappointing him in some way. 

“nothing is really wrong...i just think maybe...we should slow it down for a bit.” 

“what do you mean? we just got here,” he chuckles, taking a sip of his water with a shake of his head. not understanding, his fingers fiddle with the fringe at the bottom of your sundress. 

you continue without stopping, ignoring his joke and hopefully make him see you aren’t here to fool around, at least not entirely. it was a serious talk for once and you wanted him to respect what you had to say. 

“-not go so fast we miss the exciting part of getting to know one another,” you carry on to a now confused, sorrowful looking grayson, finally understanding that you weren’t talking so much about the picnic - but the two of you as a whole. 

“i still want this—still want you i mean. but i just...want us to be us for a bit and not worry so much about the next step and then the one after that and the one after that and-” 

he holds his hand up to stop you, cutting you off while looking at the ground deep in thought. setting the water down slowly, he climbs back up to his feet. you watch him patiently while he treads through the clipped grass, knowing he’s trying hard not to overreact and over think. After what feels like eternity, he sits down with his hands hanging off his knees, picking at a blade of grass he’s ripped from the earth beneath him. 

“have i pushed you?” 

sweet boy, always trying to take blame.

with a small smile you shake your head, “you haven’t pushed me at all gray. I just want this to grow - want us to grow. i don’t want you getting in too deep before you’re sure you’re ready for all of the things i’m looking for in the future and likewise.” 

another nod of understanding, he was listening close. his respect for you grow tenfold, you had the courage to not let your lust or even affection cloud your judgement and you were honest with him. something that grayson admired most from anyone he let into his life was honesty. 

“i’m not very good with slow but i’m sure you’re probably right,” he laughs more at himself than anything, “i just get carried away. especially with a woman like you. how couldn’t i?” 

always the flirt. and a good one at that. he always knew exactly what to say to get you blushing, which is exactly why you hide your face bashfully in your shoulder for a few moments before you could look back at him admiring you. 

“I hope you know that this is different though, Y/n. I can’t exactly explain how, but you should know i’ve never felt this way for anyone no matter how many times i’ve tried to convince myself otherwise in the past out of...fear, shame, even guilt. it’s different. and because of that difference, i know i can’t be selfish with you.” 

for once you’re grateful for your mothers voice at the back of your head nudging you to let your heart be open, because without that voice, you would never be sitting in the grass with a man that truly does want to respect your boundaries and looks at you like you’re made of exquisite glass. you wouldn’t have memorized the soft texture of his lips as you lean in to kiss him, or the feeling of his hand cupping your cheek. you wouldn’t know the sound of his relived sigh, or the giggle that breaks the kiss only a few seconds later. and you wouldn’t have the clarity that you so desperately craved. 

if there is one thing you knew for sure it’s that he is telling the truth. his truth shows with the delicate placement of his hands, the soft caress of his thumb on your cheek, his fingers running through your hair, and all the other ways he shows his adoration for you every day that you wish to hold on to forever. you know that the waiting and slow pace will be worth it in the end and the slow burn will turn into the blazing fire that you can already tell shines in his eyes. your hesitation has nothing to do with him but a past you would explain in due time. 

for now, you’d continue kissing him on the sheet that smelt faintly of laundry detergent, in the backyard of your quaint apartment on 26th and Broadway, with his hand in your hair, lips pressed gently against yours, and a whole heart full of hope for a long future of days just like this. 

[goosesister]

I ignored all responsibilities this week in favor of binge watching Schitts Creek and I have some thoughts:

I thought I would hate this because I generally don't like shows about terrible people reveling in their terrible-ness (looking at you Its Alway Sunny). And make no mistake, at the beginning of this show they are all AWFUL people. But their humor and good will won me over quickly and by the end of episode 3 I was a true believer

Johnny Rose is a man who's family drifted apart and he and no idea how it happened. All he wants at the beginning of this show is for his family to be close and support each other instead of this 'everyone for themselves' mindset they had somehow fallen into. Eventually they do and he couldn't be happier. Johnny tries hard at everything he does and accepts how far he's fallen. It takes him awhile, but soon enough he's back at it, working so hard and rediscovering how much he missed working at something from the ground up

I would die for Moira Rose. And she would let me do it and thank me before hand in EXA-ggera-TED TOneS and wearing a shiny black and white outfit. Her way of speaking and many wigs makes me smile in any situation. She's more than a little vain and narcissistic, but she cares so much about all the people around her. At the beginning there's nothing she wants more than to get out of Schitt's Creek and never come back, but by the end she realises just how amazing the people around her are and their many strengths. Throughout this series she you see her all encompassing love and acceptance of her children, her true commitment to Johnny as her husband but never letting her dreams and ambitions take a back seat. She branches out creatively with Crows, the Jazzy Gals, and Cabaret and discovers that she isnt just a one trick soap opera pony, but is a truly talented and capable individual.

Were talking about David and Patrick now, beacuse I cant wait another second and because never have I loved a cannom queer couple more (I'm sorry Alana and Margot! I swore I would never stray). Just, damn that was some fine writing. At no point do the writers use them as a cheap stereotype or token gay couple, but one of the main romances of the show with a complex relationship with all its ups and downs. David starts off a whiny man-child whose parents have fixed everything for him. But by the end through his relationship with Patrick, Stevie, and opening his own business, David has discovered he is inventive, capable, and smart individual. He can succeed on his own without his parents money. His friendship with Stevie is iconic and his relationship with Patrick is tooth rottingly sweet. Patrick is a grounded and loving partner to David, endorsing of almost all David's quirks with an eye on how much is too much, so David never crashes. What legends.

Alexis, not going to lie, got on my nerves the most at the beginning. Her obliviousness and self-obsession grated in a way that felt like nails on a chalkboard. But the more you watch her grow and the significant steps she takes to improve herslef and expand her horizons, the more you root for her to win it all. From the beginning, despite everything she does on purpose, she has a genuine and incredible warmth about her that makes her personality bright. The writers also made tough but satisfying choices with her love life. All of her major relationships don't follow rom-com formulas and there are some complex discussions about sex and feelings. From her sudden horrifying adventure stories to her sweet habit of booping people on the nose, you will always want to cheer Alexis on.

Stevie. Just...wow. Watching her story arc over the seasons is one of the most compelling things about the show. Stevie starts out a funny but directionless slacker with no clear goals. But as the show progresses she actively explores different career options and partners trying to find out what she really wants out of life. This echoes so profoundly with me I cried with her a few times. From her dry deadpan humor to her willingness to help others make her such a compelling and relatable character.

This show is amazing and now I'm not surprised it won so many Emmys

[alexdrawsagain]

Just wanted to ask what do you think of The Eternals? Personally I think it's one of Jack Kirby's best works and only rivaled by The New God's visually and storywise. What's your take on it?

I’ve only read parts of it, but i remember while conceding that the New Gods had a lot of highly influential elements that are still being built onto today....

WARNING LOOOOOOOOONG POST AHEAD!!!

At the time, I foundThe Eternals to be more entertaining and fascinating to me. Partially because when i first read the fourth world saga, i was kinda disappointed in how much of it took place on earth, and as a series it was just so much and everywhere that i still need more time to fully process it.

The Eternals in comparison feels tighter, the boring human characters are cut down from what i read. The celestials as a concept are just mind boggling are one of my favorite kirby things ever. Gigantic space gods with ancient astronauts with wild designs everywhere! It felt to me like pure adventure and wonderment all around. it’s why i look forward to reading more of it.

Some of my favorite bits:

The opening issues of the discovery of the ancient space port and space god arriving while mission control is being sheparded by ancient mesoamerican supermen is amazing and i don’t know how anyone can top that.

This comic feels like 2001 a space odyssey (yes i know kirby did a comic about that too), Indiana Jones, and a bong trip but with more punching and superheroes. As well as a natural extension of the FF comics mixed with even more ancient aliens.

Sersi is one of the prettiest gals in any kirby comic. Adding onto that flirty fun personality of hers and i end up with a heckuva crush.

The storyline of one of the deviants having an old but somewhat forbidden romance with an eternal is a pretty engaging one. Especially since deviants are seen as horrible warlike freakish genetic monsters. And yet even in that, this one proved they could rise above that.

Arishem the judge is seared into my brain

Anyhoo here’s some stray musings on the fourth world

I really really hate how the fourth world has been reduced in DC canon to: Darkseid/Apokolips/Parademons/Anti-Equation and everything else gets left out. And especially how Orion’s central story is about the inevitable day that he’ll have to battle his real father: Darkseid. And this incredible journey of a story has gotten shoved way the hell to the wayside so now it’s exclusively the job of Superman and the Justice League to kick Darkseids ass.

NO MAN!!! GIVE THAT JOB BACK TO ORION.

Orion is a fascinating character of a man who struggles with the violent warlike tendancies and evil legacy of his father while being raised in new genesis. And seeing this guy both have this burden while also having to tame this monstrous side of him is something that still stays with me. Adding onto the struggle of having to face Darkseids other son Kalibak who’s pretty much everything Orion doesn’t want to be. It’s also what makes his friendship with Lightray something special as it feels like his boundless optimism and spirit brings out the best in Orion.

I WANT AN ENTIRE SERIES LIKE KIRBY’S ONE SHOT: THE PACT. Because that was my favorite issue of the whole run. It’s what I actually wanted from the fourth world saga. And it’s also beautifully written and drawn. Especially with the central theme of highfather being lost in a war that spins hopelessly out of control and threatens to consume everything.

While also related, Mister Miracle and Big Barda are one of my favorite couples ever now. Both born of a miserable awful existence finding love in each other and fighting for each other as Apokolips throws everything it can at them.

The series gave me my favorite line ever: “Let me be myself. Let me be scott free!“

Anyways, i’m done with my rambling. I should really get back to reading the eternals sometime.

[hermitcraftheadcanons]

Pirate AU Masterpost

Different ships captained and crewed by different hermits, maybe some could be normal sailors too? Or maybe even some could be sirens? There could be a pirate ship, a pirate hunting ship/law-keeping ship, some random shipping vessels, some sirens or sea monsters, or whatever else! I envision Doc as a pirate captain and Xisuma as the law enforcement captain, but it's open to whatever changes! (@-shadeswiftdraws.)

Headcanons to start us off:

-Bdubs is a fruity sailor.

-Cub and Scar sell things to both pirates and the law enforcement. They only take the aide of profit.

-DocM threatened Bdubs into joining him. Whether it worked is up to the 'what gets popular' Gods. If not, he probably just holds Bdubs hostage or something.

-Hypnotizd's bandana has a skull and crossbones on it, as does Etho's headband.

-False is feared by Doc.

-Grian has a parrot that always sits on his shoulder. Doc keeps telling him to get rid of it but Grian refuses.

-Iskall wears an eyepatch.

-Hypnotizd has scurvy.

-iJevin makes maps and sells em to pirates to keep them off his back. Did he bury the treasure? I dunno.

-All of ZIT collectively own a boat. They like to pretend its a yacht and have fun. Sometimes they just use it to relax, sometimes they just go fishing. Sometimes they scare each other with stories of pirates and massive storms.

-Joe Hills is scared of the water because he nearly drowned as a child. But when he ends up accidentally stowing away on the ZIT boat, his worst fears happen.

-Keralis is Xisuma's second in command.

-TFC is a retired sailor that knows too much.

-VintageBeef and basically all of the NHO are with Doc.

-XbCrafted grew up by the beach and likes to collect shells. One time he found a fossil of a dinosaur. What will he do? I don't know. His childhood friend, Hypnotizd, left to be a pirate. Xb hasn't heard from him since (he promised he'd write letters,) and fears the worst.

-ZombieCleo is a dead zombie captain. Her and her crew (the gals, and maybe some co,) are out to get their revenge on Doc. Her second in command is Stress but her main muscle in False.

-Mumbo is usually the one who works maintenance on the ship. (He's with Xisuma.)

-Rendog got stuck on an island he's called 'Loser Island' and has been there for at least a year. He's found by Doc.

-Stressmonster makes people fear her through her name, but they usually laugh when they see her because she's really unintimidating.

-Welsknight hoardes cool swords.

-Everyone underestimates Stress when they see her but those who have faced her in battle have realized their mistake. She is slowly but surely gaining the reputation as one of the most feared pirates of the seven seas. She’s still very sweet if you get to know her tho - 🌙

-At some point while attempting to leave the ZIT crew's yacht, Joe somehow ends up with Cleo and the gals in the middle of the ocean, who take pity on him. Because they help him with his fear and take care of him on the way back to land, he decides to stick with them for good. The Navy and a lot of other pirates don't believe that Cleo can be the captain of such a feared vessel or that False can be that deadly and decide that Joe must be doing it all. He takes joy in deferring to Cleo whenever he can, and the whole crew gets a laugh out of his combat attempts. He mainly handles navigation and stuff, though he does record their adventures and anonymously submit them to newspapers and/or publish his accounts. (Don't want to skip the Joe+ZIT stuff, just love him and Cleo and need that dynamic :-) )

-Half siren/merman grian? - Frost Anon

-Different anon adding to the Merman Wels idea, he's a siren but instead of stealing your life he steals your swords and shinies. Some pirates may be on good terms with him and gives him swords occasionally and ask for directions or just hang out with him and be nice (I'd think Ren would sing with him and Jevin would hang out and steal shinies with him landing both their crews on good terms with him. He may even follow them around as it can be lonely in the ocean)

-Mumbo never meant to be a pirate. There was just a mutiny of the last captain he was under and everyone liked him enough to keep him around.

-Some loser thinks that joe is the muscle of the group and asks for a duel. cleo decides fuck it and just pushes joe into a fight with them because thats how she be sometimes. (False is on standby so joe doesn't get creamed)

-https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/619926302710956032/another-take-on-the-pirate-au-concept

- At some point, Cleo's ship begins picking up stray orphaned children. They are kept safe below deck during battle and are taught by the crew how to run a ship and fight, but Cleo also teaches them stuff like how to read and do math. The crew is very protective of the young'uns and the ship eventually becomes known for the fact that they take care of kids. Most other ships, upon learning this, respect that and don't attack them. If a ship does, they will find that the Rotten Corpse is viscous, and has many powerful friends who will back them up. If Doc or X come across Cleo's ship, they will give the kids gifts and stay close for a bit to provide protection. As the kids grow up some go back to shore and build legitimate/legal lives (including opening an orphanage) but a group of them go off and become their own pirate crew! Their ship's name? I don't know, I'm not clever.

-In a tavern someone's just like "im gonna sail to this island." Tfc, sitting nearby "you wont find anything" a little while later that ship goes missing. No one actually knows what tfc found in his sailing days. But my god does he know where to avoid

(All above in red are from our community's lovely Anons!)

-The ZIT boat is a bit of a disaster because each person always thinks it's the other people's turn to maintain it. Joe probably saw it on an evening beach walk and thought it was abandoned, decided to explore it, and accidentally fell asleep in the hold. He wakes up to the ZIT boys arguing about what to do with him.

-Xisuma has a reputation for being strict and disciplined and running a very tight ship, but if you're actually on his crew you'll know that's a front for intimidation purposes. In reality he is organised but extremely forgiving, and he will often sit down with crew who are new or going through something stressful and talk it out with them.

-Iskall is with Cleo's crew, he appears just as driven as the rest of them but he's mostly just there to make sure Cleo and co don't go too overboard with the revenge thing. He just doesn't want them to do something they'll regret....

-Wels can be a merman! He hoards cool swords as souvenirs of the surface world and dreams of two-legged adventurers and explorers.

-The "incident" that put Cleo on the path of undead revenge was partially accidental. Doc's goal was to raid the ship and get away with no casualties, but things escalated way too quickly. He is haunted by what happened, but Cleo doesn't know that and is determined to hunt him and his crew down.

-Pirate singalong nights! Doc's ship definitely has a singalong under the stars every night, where everyone can gather together and relax and let loose. It's fun to think about who would be good at it, and who would be bad at it but sing anyway ☺️

-Grian starts off on Doc's ship (with his parrot), but he gets washed overboard in a storm. Siren!Wels rescues him and gives him siren magic.

-I got tired of referring to "Xisuma's ship" and "Doc's ship", so: X's ship is called the Voidrunner, and Doc's vessel is the Black Goat. (Cleo's is The Rotting Corpse -Anon.)

-(I did a submission mentioning ConPost earlier, so look at that for context) The ConPost boys don't sail, but they're very knowledgable about sailing supplies and even ship repair. Cub does bookkeeping and negotiates big deals. Scar likes to wander the docks checking stock levels, with Jellie napping in piles of rope or following close behind.

-https://hermitcraftheadcanons.tumblr.com/post/619819577428279296/for-the-pirate-au-cub-and-scar-own-a-supply

-Xisuma is feared and respected by pirates because his ship is one of the first/only steam powered vessels at the time. Mumbo is his engineer; he maintains the mechanics and is constantly testing ways to make the ship faster and more efficient.

-If you ask Iskall why he wears an eye patch, you will get a wild tale of adventure and heroic battle that may take an hour to relate. However, the story is different every time. He actually lost his eye in a completely non-pirate related accident as a child. It just sounds cooler the way he tells it 😂

- About Joe moving from the ZIT crew to Cleo's ship: Joe really wants to be taken back to shore, and the ZIT lads understand his fear of water and try to take him back as soon as possible. However, they get caught in a storm, and the boat isn't in great shape to weather it. The boat is not quite wrecked, but badly damaged, and Joe is washed overboard. Cleo's crew finds him and pulls him aboard to save him (maybe siren!Wels helped bring him to her!)

-As a pirate Etho is known for his skill in boarding enemy ships. It doesn't matter how many ropes you cut, how many pirate grappling hooks you throw into the sea in an effort to keep them from your decks. Even if there's no possible way across, Etho will just sort of.. . End Up on your ship, and you will end up in Davy Jones' locker. (Based on the creepy teleport thing with Grian, and just Etho's general cryptid-ness)

-The sea spray and the general ocean humidity is horrible for Doc's arm. Ren helps him keep it as clean and rust-proof as possible, but it still probably squeaks a lot and stiffens up sometimes.

(-@shadeswiftdraws.)

-ZombieCleo's gal (& co.) crew includes Iskall. [More info pending for when I finally get around to watching s6 and see the infamous Iskall & Stress duo in action] (-@basaltdragon.)

-Inspired by shade: Cub is an ex-sailor, and Scar grew up in a family of fishers. Cub was really good at ship maintainence (he just got sick of the politics), and Scar loved keeping stock of the fishing nets and what sort of fish were caught, how much they might sell for, though he's not as good at repairs.

-For the Pirate AU, Mumbo telling Siren/MerGrian stories of the surface world and (secretly?) making a way for Grian to see it for himself. (-@shiniestumbreon.)

-Pirate au: one day there is a really bad storm that destroys all of the hermits boats except for one of them. So now all the hermits are all on one boat that’s really far away from land. (Angst part) some of them went over board (I’m thinking the captains maybe) so the remaining hermits are either grieving them or looking desperately hoping that their crew mates are still alive and clinging to wreckage. Who they find, if they do find any of them is up to the reader for now. (-@lookitsspacekween.)

- Mumbo, being the spoon he is always forgets where he buries his treasure. (-@xxpzmistxx.)

-Mumbo, as the Voidrunner's engineer, has so much to work on that Xisuma will sometimes take over the maintenance so poor Mumbo can get some sleep. This leads to the hunt for a secondary engineer and maybe that's how Mumbo and Iskal end up meeting. (-@my-cat-is-a-bastard.)

-A cat scratched out Iskall's eye as a kid, and he's too embarrassed to tell anyone. He's still a bit afraid of cats, so you'll always see him keeping a close eye on Jellie when he's at the dock. (-@12u3ie.)

- i dont really know much about pirates but ima try!! ok so, cleo is human, but she gets the nickname "zombie cleo" because she faked her own death. people thought she drowned, and her old crew along with her. most of them went to live normal lives under different names, but cleo missed the sea and eventually returned to being a pirate, eventually becoming the capitain of a new ship. (i hope this makes sense lol) (-@bakubakunyanyaa.)

-Pirate headcanons! As someone said before Ren and Wels are friends and like to sign together. I can imagine Wels telling the Black Goat that there is a treasure burried in Loser Island to get Ren rescued. Also! People think Ren is halve siren/has siren magic as he is really good at singing and the melodies he hums are similar to the ones sirens are said to sing, turns out just a bit of siren magic and Wels singing style rubbed on Ren during all the time they spent together singing.

-More pirate hc cause i have no self control and they are not a lot of them: Doc gives shiny stuff to Wels in exchange of him warning them when X’s crew is on a port. Iskall is also a great engineer and is working to make the Rotten Corpse Steam powered too. He insist Cleo to let him take a peek on the Voidrunner to see if he can copy Mumbo’s work, the gals agree this is the most dangerous idea Iskall has.

(-@ivi-prism.)

-Ship AU! Hypno originally joined the ship's crew with his friend, Jessassin. They became a swashbuckling duo, and still sometimes work together, despite Jessassin's inactivity from pirate duties. (-@calmshejaguar.)

[thegodofpelicantown]

Character Master Post

Frida Applegrove is a Halfing Druid who lives in a small farming community in the Cindersap Forest. She refers to everyone in her community outside of her immediate family as her "cousin," whether they are related by blood or not. She has lots of skills related to faming, homesteading, and botany, and prefers evasive actions and healing to hand-to-hand combat. She is friendly, but kind of awkward and sky around new people.

She has a strong belief in taking only what you need from nature, and respects all living creatures. However, she won't hesitate to cut a bitch if they threaten her family, friends, or the wild. She mostly wants to chill with her chickens and drink tea, but will get involved when something threatens her community or the surrounding ecosystem. How she got mixed up with the rest of the party? Yoba only knows.

Rize Ro'aushee is a Eladrin Rogue. Folks who live near Pelican Town have probably bumped into them once or twice, and they own a little ranch on the outskirts of town.

They have 0 farming experience, and have started growing Rhubarb. When asked why, they seem to not understand that it's not common to have a diet of Just Rhubarb.

When asked by a townsperson if they are a man of woman they say, "no." They are fine with any pronouns, and don't have a firm grasp on why gender matters in societies outside of where they grew up. Compared to your average human they're middle-aged, but by Elvish standards they seem to just barley be out of what we consider "teenager" territory. They value knowledge and freedom, and moved to Pelican Town hoping to pursue a quiet life, away from remainders of their past.

Nieszka is a forest Nymph Sorceress. She grew up in a village of nymphs like her. They were often exploited and commodified by humans, and she's exploring the world for the first time on her own now.

She cares about others...very aggressively, and has some anger issues. She's a total slob, constantly a mess, and doesn't give a shit.

( Which.. she grew up in the woods? Can you blame her?)

She is very good at being in the wilderness and has many survival skills. Considering the climate of her childhood, and the oppression she faced, she's also very political- and vocal about it. She hates authority with a passion, hate rules. Vive la revolution!

Despite all her stubbornness, she's a fun, nature-loving, tree gal at heart. Her only fault being a name I have to double and triple check the spelling of all the time/j

Arsen Ericross is a Changling Druid. She was abandoned in the wood when she was 11, and spent many years wandering through the wilds, and finding towns to leech off of before moving on.

She knows some magic, and is determined to find another mentor to continue her training.

She is not the trusting type, and tries to hold others at arms length. She values nature, and holds the order of the natural world over the comforts of modern society.

She carries grudges, and doesn't stray away from making an enemy if its what the moment demands. She doesn't care about wealth, or rank, and is not a person you want to cross. (Pun intended) 

Moe Monas is a Bard. Yes, that’s his name. Yes, it’s a riff off the name of the famous singer, Joe Jonas. I will be taking no more questions at this moement. 

Now that that is out of the way, he is a spry, lithe half-elf from the very wealthy and musically talented Monas family. He lived an incredibly lavish and sheltered lifestyle, and he knew no wants or needs in his youth. His mindset changed, however, when he stepped outside his family’s estate to tour the countryside with his band, The Monas Brothers. After witnessing the poverty and destitution right outside his doorstep, he joined a revolutionary organization fighting for the common people. At some point, he sustained an injury to his left shoulder, rendering him unfit for combat. Though.. he can't quite remember how he got it. So he moved to Pelican Town for the quiet farm life.

He loves making puns, quoting Taylor Swift, delivering justice, and a certain purple haired tiefling who lives next door.

Syar Troobleman is a Werejackel Cleric and Worshipper of the moon. However, she does not believe in the physical moon, only the diety.

She found herself in the valley on a way to a religious conference. She is the sole heir to a cult dedicated to the moon, and knows how to navigate the upper circles. This doesn't mean she enjoys it. In fact, she quite openly detests nobility, and those that act like others are beneath them.

She has a wild soul, and acts on impulse often, much to the chagrin of her long-suffering Bodyguard.

She will always do what she can to help others, and values curiosity and charity.

Little Bit is a Elven Rogue. She was raised in the Gotoro Empire with her mother, and had many step-parents growing up. She is not trained in traditional rogue-ish arts, but can pickpocket if she needs too and charm about anyone. Or sell them a product that doesn’t exist. She gets a thrill from shop-lifting, which led to lots of time spent in assorted prisons, and values wealth and beauty.

She can’t always empathize with others and doesn’t feel the need to stay loyal if presented with a better option. She is rather self-absorbed, and looks after herself first.

That said, she loves being complimented, and is a social creature. Just because she knows how to work alone, doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy being around other people.

“Money can’t buy happiness, but it is far more comfy to cry in a Porsche than it is on a bicycle,” -Her at some point probably

[vohalika]

hello, this is random but.. could u please tell me some of your fav things about vex? i don't often see people who Really Like Vex and we need more of that

Well, well, well, anon.

I have literally no idea how long it has been since you asked this of me, but rest assured I have not forgotten! Well, okay, I had for a while, then I saw it again and was like “oh, right, huh… And would you look at that, I’m about 100 posts away from 100,000… Wouldn’t that be a good one…”

So. Here we are! An unstructured rambling of all the reasons I really, really love Vex, somewhere between superficial and embarrasingly personal, to celebrate this arbitrary number of things I have spread around on this hell site.

Okay, first of all, the only thing Laura had to say to Kit Buss for the official art was “make her hot”. That is a Statement. And boy did Kit and also everyone deliver on that.

Like seriously. I didn’t use to be a fan of feathers in hair or white armor, but good god does she make it work.

Hey, I said this was going to be extremely superficial

Another thing I really didn’t use to like, twins. Overdone and usually poorly executed. But our girl made a Point out of being as different from her twin as she could be while at the same time being completely believable siblings.

I swear to god I’ll do my absolute best to mention Vax as little as possible. This is not about him.

Third thing I really couldn’t stand! The one, usually female, team member with a pet! Closely related to the one with the nature powers! I don’t know, these just always rubbed me the wrong way in media before, probably because I also never really cared for shows or movies about animals. Fight me.

And yet here she is, and she is not the “won’t somebody think of the children animals!” type of gal and Trinket is amazing and it still ties into her personality on a larger scale without being preachy.

I have a fourth thing. I also really don’t care for elves, ever. Everybody hates them. And then she turns around and makes me cry about the elf thing. Good god.

Yes, watching the first episode way back when was an uphill battle. There’s a reason I started with episode 69 and then watched the rest.

Nice.

Vex has the best worst sense of humor. No, really. I’m not even talking about that time she made a comment about the boy with the shot off fingers not having much of a future as a musician. But I’m also talking about that. And that time Scanlan tried having a meaningful monologue about having a daughter now. “I’ve defined most of my life by the people I slept with, and now…” - “Well, technically, this is still kinda defined by that.”

(Shoutout to Percy “I was just thinking that”)

Also, “We don’t do anything with dignity”, “I only serve gods with big dicks”, “You might live forever, but you will still be fucking ugly”? Girl is iconic, even if her sense if humor is usually pretty inappropriate for the given situation, she just can’t help it. I relate.

On a related note, it is so easy to play a similar archetype and have her just be this always dignified and above the humor kind of stuck-up. It’s basically how most people would have written her (and a certain someone did). But not our girl, oh no.

Also, I recently made a post about this, but we really, really don’t talk enough about how she’s just the leader of the party. She is. No, really, lower your bitch sticks, y’all. She’s the one to talk to the most NPCs, she’s the one to usually say go, and everyone just naturally adheres to her. It’s never forced, it’s never an “I, as the leader” moment, and she doesn’t try to wrestle her way into the role. It’s just what happens naturally.

Which also means she’s good at stepping back and letting other people shine for a bit. But still, Vex is the reason they didn’t just flounder around like a chicken without its head after Scanlan left. Laura was late to two sessions in campaign one; the first one was already in an extended battle scene, and the other was literally spent in a bedroom in hell waitinig for Vex to tell them what to do.

This is why scholars are generally of the opinion that Vex is the only Top in VM. And also what intellectuals refer to as Big Dick Energy.

Let’s talk about what the assholes call Greed. Yes, Vex is, out of all of them, the most pre-occupied with gold and loot. But she NEVER hoards anything for herself, never spends any of her own gold on herself even until the timeskip, leave alone the party funds.

She looks out for the interests of the group, makes sure they get the best possible deals and are paid what they are owed. And she’s the only one to ever worry about money, too, whereas everyone else never bothers to think about it. Hence why her and Vax split the cost of paying their staff after the party spent all the funds early on.

Look, I find her worries very indicative of growing up in poverty with her mom, than surrounded by rich and important people but locked out of the loop, and then poor and on the road again with Vax. I find it very relatable, and everyone who claims that looking out for the financial well-being of the party is “greedy” is lucky enough to never have had to worry about eating next month while also making rent.

There’s Safety In A Fist Full Of Diamonds, okay?

No really I need y’all to read that and send it to the annoying bitches who complain.

Vex is literally never stingy when it comes to helping people with the money she made sure they have. Remember how she didn’t even flinch at spending a five digit number to free angel boy slaves?

WHICH LEADS ME TO ANOTHER POINT. Vex. Vex has a serious hoarding problem. But not when it comes to money of earthly possessions. No. When it comes to PICKING UP STRAYS.

It’s how she got Trinket.

It’s how she got the angel babies.

It’s what she tries to do with the grey render baby.

It’s what she suggested they do with the dragon eggs in the Raishan fight

(LET! VEX! HAVE! PET! DRAGONS!)

IT HOW SHE GOT HER OWN GODDAMN HUSBAND OKAY.

I have no idea how she hasn’t adopted her own zoo by the time VM forms. Though I can totally see her opening orphanages in Whitestone, both for people and animals and creatures of all kinds, really.

Remember when she was the only one to protest the punching of a spectral ghost cow?

The hardships of her youth made her, yes, very afraid of being out of money, but also made her compassionate as fuck. She’s always down with helping people even if there’s little to no coin in it, okay? Stop overlooking that, assholes.

SPEAKING OF COMPASSION. Remember what her original beef with the Vasselheim potion seller was? That he took advantage of Grog being intellectually challenged. Which is what he did! Blatantly so! And he wasn’t the least bit sorry about it!

I mean, I bet he is by now, but, you know. Karma.

When Laura says Vex just wanted justice and then everyone else escalated that scene she is goddamn right, rewatch your own footage Matthew.

Oh god do I have to talk about broomgate now. I don’t want to talk about broomgate.

OKAY

Broomgate is literally the only time in the entire series that Vex ever takes something for herself. Was it the morally right thing to do? Maybe not. Though to keep in mind that a) Hardwick is a piece of shit, b) they literally met Gern when he had the skeletons of Kiki’s dead civilization dancing for him; Vax shanked Nothics for less, c) and this was hot off the heels of fighting a necromancer in the last big arc, too, d) they were on a mission to kill dragons. That fly. With no method of flying for the majority of the party. Vex always intended to use the broom for that purpose, so you could make the legal argument of commandeering it instead of stealing, and, finally, e) SHE HAD JUST FUCKING DIED

Why do we never talk about that

Other characters get cut all the slack for what they do after just dying

Other characters get cut all the slack when they steal from other guests

Other characters get cut all the slack when they withhold loot for the party

Other characters DIDN’T GET AN ALIGNMENT DROP FOR DOING WORSE SHIT THAN THIS

WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT BROOMGATE

WHY WAS BROOMGATE EVER EVEN A THING

okay

okay

MOVING ON

Hey, while we’re at dying. Remember how Vex spent the day after she, literally, died, trying to make sure the person who was to blame for her death was okay? She did that. And Percy was uncomfortable with it, visibly so, but also too guilty to call her out here.

And no one. NO ONE. EVER. Bothered to check in on how she felt after dying.

Vax made it all about the sacrifice he made, Percy felt too guilty, NO ONE ELSE CARED.

And what does she do? Soldier on. Try and cheer Vax up and support him in any way she can.

Honestly, learning the Raven Queen book by heart and then telling him that being the champion of a god is really fucking cool? Relatable. Relatable as fuck. You go girl.

And TO THIS DAY. ACROSS TWO CAMPAIGNS. Vex has been the only one. THE ONLY ONE. To EVER check up on someone after they died. Jester might eventually be the second one, but, you know. I am a big advocate for post-death and just post-big-battle-in-general aftercare cuddle piles or whatever. Someone tell the cast to implement that immediately.

And while we’re at death, let’s talk about THE DARKNESS

There are dark facets to her character. Vex never makes her own issues everyone else’s problem and they go largely unadressed, but they’re there.

Saundor brought up the story about how she got Trinket and had to kill for the first time while doing so.

(Sidenote: Saundor doing more research into her character than an actual writer is extremely telling.)

That was definitely traumatic for a young girl and I don’t mean to dismiss that, but that’s also the part I can understand Vax dismissing when they talk about it later on. They do kill a lot of people after that and this was self-defense, so hey, okay. Fine.

HOWEVER

That short story was indicative of many other things that torment Vex. Mostly her low sense of self-worth.

Like, her entire inner monologue is centered around how stupid she was for getting into this situation in the first place (= for being taken advantage of by criminals at the tender age of probably like 15), and how this would never have happened to Vax, who was away in the city to take care of them.

And we see that low sense of self-worth bleeding into Vex’s character throughout the campaign. That’s part of the reason why she spends the day after her first death making sure everyone else is okay. That’s also part of the reason she blames herself for Scanlan leaving and acts like she’s completely fine when he returns just so he’ll stay.

Honestly that short story is so insightful and explains so much about her, I don’t know how anyone could claim to have any grasp on her character without reading it.

(Also, Laura should write more, she’s talented)

Now a significant part of her self-worth issues obviously also ties back into her time at Syngorn. I can just hear people getting out their tiny violins, oh, waaah, she wasn’t one of the rich, cool kids in elf school, poor her.

But that’s not entirely it?

Like, just that is already plenty to fuck a person up. I’ve been there, too.

But let’s just say the fact that her dad was also cold towards them and acted like they were unworthy is a BIG part of what fucked her up. Call it daddy issues if you feel like being dismissive about a genuinely traumatizing upbringing, but that’s how it is.

And don’t get me wrong, if this were the traumatic childhood olympics, it’s not exactly up there and relatively tame for the background of a character in a fantasy story, but it is very true to life and extremely relatable, and Laura just executes it so well. So, so well.

That’s part of what makes the entire stretch of Feywild episodes so great. From what we see of Vax’s reaction later on, Percy is the only person she ever talked to about this - or at least the only one who ever listened - and he immediately got it. And instead of yelling at her about how amazing she is, he did something to make her feel better about herself. Without making it about himself, by the way.

I enjoy a fake married plotline as much as the next gal, but Percy giving her a title she’d have to earn by her own merits is soooo much more meaningful than just putting a fake ring on her, okay?

Yes, at the end of the day, this is basically a Cinderella fantasy. So what? No, really. One of the best things about Vex and her arc is that it validates feeling upset about not measuring up in superficial, material ways. And it validates getting your come-uppance. These are, as mentioned above, experiences that can really mess with a person, but we’re usually supposed to be above it all because money and titles don’t make you happy.

Also something only people who never struggled financially can say/believe unironically and without specifying.

Hell, that’s about 70% of the reason I’m considering getting a Ph.D. if I happen to get the grades.

I’m also not a big fan of the term daddy issues, but I can’t deny that this is a thing here

not the thing they went into the Feywild for, buuuut

ahem

So. Remember when Laura said during the campaign wrap up that Vex thought of Scanlan as a father figure and everyone was like whaaaaat? And I was like ahahahaha, I knew it.

This is so tragic, really. Because she tried so hard so many times to help Scanlan and be nice to him and he just brushed her off. And then she’s the one who volunteers to spend the night all by herself in some dirty pub far, far away after opening up to his daughter about her own issues to bring him back alive, and then gets yelled at, and never apologized to.

And then he comes back and tries to erase her memory and not only is that never even brought up, she also just doesn’t even think she might be owed an apology because a) she still blames herself for him leaving because, you know, they never really talked out what happened there and b) she’s just too happy for at least that father figure returning to them to make much of a fuss about it, and Percy, bless his heart, TRIES, but it’ll take a few more years of marriage to talk through all of her issues

And like. I am not wild about anything that happens after episode 99. If I’m known for anything in this fandom on this platform it’s probably for that time I was really into the Ioun discourse, which I still stand by, btw. And I personally would have preferred for Vex to maybe get someone like Sehanine as her patron, as fitting as giving her yet another unworthy and disapproving father figure in her life might be

But there is also something somewhat gratifying about everyone talking about how great she is. And she had been sort of working for Pelor before that. Also, the headcanons about her having sun spots or starting to glow when she gets emotional after this are amazing.

So I made my peace with that. She deserves better, but hey, she always does.

She is so smart. So extremely smart. People roll their eyes at her battle plans and say it’s all Travis feeding Laura information, but Travis fed her nothing that time she schmoozed up to the Briarwoods while also making herself appear extremely superficial and unthreatening. Honestly. That dinner scene? Prime Vex. Amazing Vex.

Her battle plans are also so good. Pokeball-ing Grog out of the kill box? Using the Goristro against Vorugal to save the party a trip into the abyss? The only plan of Vox Machina that ever worked out basically perfectly? Amazing. And even IF Travis told Laura these ideas, that means literally nothing in relation to how smart Vex is.

And btw I don’t believe that for a second. People just aren’t good with acknowledging that sometimes, D&D playing women might actually have good ideas.

And she just is so street smart. With her skills, her battle plans, and just her way of handling people. There’s a reason she is the natural leader when it’s not someone’s turn in the spotlight at the time.

Like, the two things holding her back were that her class was extremely underwhelming, so much so that it got completely revamped in the Unearthed Arcana to make up for how bad it was in the PHB, and the fact that she just. Has, what. 1.5 episodes of her own storyline? Even Pike got 2. It’s amazing that I can even say this much about her with how little narrative focus she got throughout the series. And most of what she did was literally due to Percy using his plot clout and putting a foot in the door to force her into the spotlight.

Speaking of which. Percy’s best quality, next to being self-aware of how fucked up he is and actively trying to do better and be kept in check, is how he realizes Vex is the coolest, smartest, most amazing person around and treats her accordingly. The way she deserves to be treated.

Oh hey I mentioned to get this far without even mentioning the romance arc. And oh my god THE ROMANCE ARC. The pining. The slow burn. And the fact that we actually saw them together and later married for like 35 episodes. They were so good for each other.

And yes, PERCY WAS GOOD FOR HER. And Vex was not his therapist and manic pixie dream girl. None of that bullshit here. Percy was already firmly on the path to being better before he even considered that crush he has had on her for forever to turn into something more.

And by he was good for her I mean that he actually UNDERSTOOD her and where she was coming from. Refer again to the titling issue, where Vax is just confused and kind of pissed, Percy got it. And that’s important.

Something I have not made a post about so far, by the way, is also something people have called problematic and co-dependant is how Percy shares his darker impulses with Vex in hopes she’ll talk him out of it. Which she does, and it’s never hard, but that also means so much to her? Because he involves her and tells her exactly what is going on with him and values her opinion? And that is just exactly what she needs? And they’re so good? THEY’RE SO GOOD.

WHEN DOES YOUR OTP EVER

HE COULDN’T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER DREAM

This is more on Laura, admittedly, but also, it was just so great to see her unapologetically pursuing this romance? There’s a place at the table for a 72 episode slow burn, and she’s gonna go for it, and there’s nothing any of the dudebros who are just here for the fighting can do about it.

And also Vex is just so unapologetically sexual at the same time. From episode 1 onwards, really, and in general and just limited to Percy. And no one ever treats that as weird or bad or anything. It’s just who she is and that’s great.

And she fought. So hard. For that happy ending of hers. Kicking and screaming, against the world and against Taliesin’s determination that Percy is irredeemable and not capable of getting a happy ending. Defy that auctorial intent, my girl. You deserve it.

Seriously. Seeing her get that happy ending against all odds was unfathomably gratifying and validating and I’ve never connected to any single character or narrative at large for that matter this much and this intimately, and considering how I came across this story at one of the darkest times in my life, I probably never will feel so strongly connected to anything ever again.

Which is probably for the best, but hey. 

Aaaand there you go. An almost unstructured, epically long list of reasons I love Vex. Dammit, I talked about other characters way more than I intended, buuuut hey. That’s how it goes when you’ve got an ensemble piece, they’re all kinda interwoven.

Thank you this wonderful ask, anon, and reason to celebrate my 100,000th post on this site in style.

[motleycrueroadie]

Along for the Ride (pt. 4)

Thank you again to anyone that has been taking the time to read this! I love writing it!

One I Two I Three 

Tonight being Friday, I fully expected the diner to have more people than usual but I hadn’t expected to be sweating an hour and a half into my shift with no end in sight. Even though Tiff’s is on the Sunset Strip, we were not the “happening” place on Friday night. This coupled with the manager’s inability to pay anymore than he had to, meant that the diner was only ever manned by two people: a chef and a waitress. For some reason, Tiff’s was swarming with people tonight, so there were only a few booths that were vacant at this hour. I’ll chalk it up to the fact that everywhere else was occupied and I was blaring our prized jukebox with quarters that I got from tips. I needed a continuous loop of upbeat rock to get me through tonight.

 Despite the newcomers, there were a few regulars that came to the diner every weekend after the shows. My regulars were a group of teenagers, buzzed in every sense of the word, who came by consistently for greasy food to satisfy their munchies before stalking off into the night to do whatever it is they did. I would give them credit though, they tipped me well and had never caused trouble in the diner, so I always turned a blind eye to their underage drinking (they loved slipping vodka into their sodas). However,  I made sure they all had at least one glass of water before they left. I hadn’t seen them yet  tonight, so I was beginning to wonder what kind of trouble they had got themselves into. 

“Janis!” a slurring voice called out, exaggerating the N in my name. Looking over my shoulder as I grabbed some meals from the window, I realized I spoke too soon. My regulars were coming in the door and headed for their favourite booth. Daniel, the one who had called my name held the door open while the rest of his group entered. He haphazardly wandered over to the jukebox while I carried the food from the window over to a table. Placing their food down, Daniel called out “What do you want to listen to Janis? My treat, anything you want!” 

I had to laugh at the kid while I continued whizzing around the diner, he did this every time he came in. 

“You know what Danny boy, I’m feeling some ZZ Top tonight.” I said to him as I rang in someone’s bill on the cash register, “In particular, Tush.” He looked up from the jukebox, raising his eyebrows to indicate he had found some sort of “hidden message” in my request. 

“Not yours Danny boy, I might as well be your older sister.” He just nodded to himself, knowing I was right. Popping in the quarter, he headed back to his friends. 

“Poor kid thought he had a chance there didn’t he?” said a familiar voice. None other than Nikki Sixx was at the opposite end of the counter from me. 

Nikki must’ve noticed the sudden head turn in the direction of his voice, “Is that a look of surprise on your face Joplin? Did you forget I was coming?” I shook my head at him, reaching under the counter to grab a clean rag. 

“Didn’t hear you come in, rock star,” I said while turning on the tap and letting the cold water run over the rag. “I just can’t believe I missed you coming, what with that beautiful mess of a nose you’ve got going on.” Pointing at the dried blood mixed with fresh underneath his nose, he reached up to rub it with his hand. 

“I thought I cleaned it up,” he mumbled to himself as I handed him the rag. I lightly snickered at his comment as I motioned to a booth near the jukebox. 

“I’m a little backed up at the moment, so have a seat at the booth right there and I’ll come get some more details from you in a moment” he looked to where I was motioning and back at me nodding. I started to hand him a menu when he opened and closed his mouth before opening it again. 

“Do you have a newspaper?” I knitted my eyebrows together before replying, 

“There’s a stand near the entrance” He nodded to himself before taking the menu from my hand and heading over towards the newspaper stand. As I rounded the counter to head towards Danny and his group, two people walked in the door - a tall lanky young guy and a shorter gal. 

“Take a seat where you can find one and I’ll be with y’all in a moment!” I called out to them as I passed. 

“Well kids, will it be the regular order?” I asked as I reached their table, knowing the answer to my question already. Danny nodded to indicate a formal decision while the rest of them barely acknowledged my existence. I knew that if I was to try and take an order other than the regular, that it would be like herding cats. Instead of waiting to hear if there was any opposition, I winked at Danny while heading back towards Carlos to give orders and prep drinks. 

“I see your friend is back mija, he better not be looking for free food here too.” Carlos gave me a side eye while he focused on the grill. In response I rolled my eyes at him while starting on the drinks and grabbing menus for the new people that came in.

 Carlos was a little old fashioned in that he made assumptions based on appearance. He thinks that Nikki is a stray that I’ve brought in because I felt bad for him.  I don’t think I made that any better when I told him that I had been having Nikki over for dinner, but Carlos was a little wayward in his assumptions. He wasn’t wrong in thinking that Nikki was a stray, but I don’t think he realized that I was too. People only know as much as you tell them, and I don’t particularly enjoy being vulnerable around others, so I tend to keep some information close. Carlos and I had been working the night shift together since I started at the diner, so I trusted him with a tad more information,  enough so that he knew what I did outside the diner but that was it. I didn’t let Nikki this close into my life because I felt bad for him, I just related to him. Initially, all I had known was that Nikki and I were both out here on our own so I wanted to know him better, except I kept the wall up. Despite this, he was the one to initiate a deeper conversation by asking about my folks today. Nikki put me in a vulnerable state and I wanted to back out even though I knew it wasn’t an option. You can’t unshare what’s already been in the open. Nikki dove in head first to this new information by sharing his own vulnerability with me. Him and I were both strays, so how can you feel bad for each other? You don’t. You just let the other know they aren’t alone. Once you know you aren’t alone, you can be comfortable in the face of discomfort.

I returned to my table of regulars with their drinks in one hand, and a promise that their food would be out within the next 15 minutes. As I rounded the diner to head to the table of newcomers, I noticed one was missing. The tall, lanky boy. He wasn’t hard to miss considering his height and the fact that he was currently at Nikki’s booth. As I passed by, I glanced over my shoulder to see that Nikki wasn’t entirely thrilled with the conversation. Looking back over to the girl, I could tell she was a little annoyed with the situation so I slid into the booth across from her. This way she couldn’t continue to glare at her date.

“You plan on having something to eat tonight sweetheart? I’m sure it’s on his dime.” She looked at me now instead of through me. I watched her turn the idea over in her brain before shaking her head. 

“Can I at least get you something to drink?” I asked while she continued to look disappointed. 

“You know what? I would actually really love a root beer float.” I smiled up at her, liking her choice in drink. 

“I’ll see what I can do about getting your date back over here” I said while getting up before continuing, “That is, of course, if you would like him to come back?” She laughed at me while she nodded her head. 

“Yeah I would like it if he came back” I laughed with her as I moved along to the table with her date and Nikki in it. 

“Sixx, can I make the safe assumption that you would like a Jack and Coke to start off with?” Nikki looked up towards the sound of my voice while I approached the table, nodding as I stopped next to the lanky kid. 

“Can I get some blueberry pancakes?” was the greeting I received from the kid, who had yet to make a good impression on me. 

“Sweetheart, what’s your name?” I asked him as he looked up at me confused. If there was one thing I know from working in the service industry, it’s that sometimes people need to be reminded to use their manners. This kid looked to be around my age, so I was going to feed him the lesson straight. No pussy footing around. 

“Tommy” I smiled at this, a childish name that fit the youthful energy and forgetfulness. 

“Tommy, let me level with you” I lost the smile to communicate the severity of my next statement, “You ain’t getting those pancakes until you say please and when I bring them out, they’re going to the table where you’ve left your date.” He looked back over his shoulder to where his date was people watching out the window. Turning back to me he slouched his shoulders over a little bit, and I caught him glancing at the name tag. 

“I’m sorry Ms. Janis, would I be able to get some blueberry pancakes please?” I broke the stern look, smiling at him. 

“Of course you can Tommy, would you like some syrup brought to the table as well?” Tommy nodded adamantly while I looked over to Nikki. 

“Do you want any food to go with your JC?” 

“I would love an order of blueberry pancakes as well…..” He watches as I raise my eyebrow at him, I know that he’s teasing me but I’ll indulge it. “Oh did I forget to say please?” Flipping him off, I grab the menus from in front of the two of them. 

About an hour and a half had gone by before the diner was clear of everyone except Nikki. Tommy had returned to his date when I brought out his pancakes, but not before slipping a napkin across the table to Nikki. He tipped me well and even apologized again on his way out the door, to which I had only laughed and told him all was good.  Danny and the rest of the regulars pitched in a few quarters each so that I could continue playing tunes on the jukebox, and all stopped to compliment Nikki on the “kick-ass” show he put on tonight. After they had left, Nikki sat patiently looking through the newspaper while I made sure the tables were clear and sanitized. With an armful of the diner’s napkin holders and the other hand carrying a package of napkins, I sat in the booth opposite Nikki for my first opportunity to sit down since starting the shift. 

“A kick-ass show tonight?” I questioned while starting to refill the napkin holders. He nodded while motioning to the rag abandoned on the edge of the table. 

“Lead singer and I went at it in front of the crowd at the end of the set.” Pausing what I was doing and raising an eyebrow at him, I prompted him to keep talking. 

“We’ve been at each other’s throats for the past couple of weeks and I just snapped over him changing the order of the songs around.” Again, without saying a word he could gauge my reaction just from my face as I continued on with my tedious task. 

“Listen I know it sounds like some stupid ass shit, but it was just my boiling point you know?” I nodded knowing the feeling all too well. 

“So I take it, that’s the end of London then?” He nodded while sort of laughing to himself over the way it ended. Reaching across the table, I grabbed his empty glass and raised it up into the air for an impromptu toast. “To London!” I shouted in a god awful British accent while Nikki looked at me as if I was the one who walked in here tonight with a bloody nose. 

“Janis Jade! Quit being so damn loud!” yelled out Carlos from the kitchen window, where I knew he was peeling potatoes for the day shift. 

“What are you going to do now then?” I said, sliding the glass back across the table to him and stood to return the napkin holders to the table. 

“Well I grabbed a newspaper to start looking at the ads for new people, but a drummer arrived in front of me.” There weren’t too many people who had gone up to Nikki while he had been there, and knowing that Danny and his group hadn’t spoken to him for long enough to form a band, that left the lanky kid. The napkin I saw him slipping Nikki most likely had a phone number on it then. 

“Tommy offered to be your drummer?” 

“Didn’t you see the drumsticks the kid was carrying around?” He spoke with genuine disbelief that I hadn’t noticed this apparently great detail. 

“Wasn’t paying that much attention to him” Which was a truthful statement.

“That’s because you were too busy giving him an earful” Grabbing my cleaning rag off the main counter, I turned around and snapped it in Nikki’s direction. He moved further back into the booth while laughing. 

“Well he deserved it!” I said, pleading my defense.

“I’m not saying he didn’t, Ms. Janis” he said, snickering to himself at what Tommy had called me. Rolling my eyes I replied, “So you’re a bass player and you’ve got yourself a drummer. Now you need a guitar player and a lead singer at the minimum.” He nodded, holding up the newspaper to indicate that this was his starting place. I smiled at him, it was clear that this was what Nikki really loved to do. Without even skipping a beat, Nikki put London behind him in search of the next batch of people that would help him put out music. I could only hope that whoever ended up being his next band were people that he could be friends with. After all, music is great but it’s even better in good company. Inspired by this, I spoke without thinking, “Tell you what Sixx.” He looked interested. “Once you get this band of yours together, I will come to your first show.” Nikki sat up straighter at this comment.

“Really?” He asked, to which I nodded. He looked almost taken aback by this but his smirk quickly returned to his face. 

“Can I count on you to post our flyers in the window to promote the show?” I only laugh at him.

“Form the band first, then we’ll talk.”

Next Chapter 

[chouetteffraie]

About BSD S3

Alternative title: Kenna talks about stuff literally nobody asked her to <3

So now that s3 is over and I’ve had a few days to breathe, I think I wanna say a thing or two about the season overall. Now, I’m not a meta writer, I’m not a person who can go in over analyzing everything perfectly- quite simply, I don’t have the brainpower to do that for too long. So rather than this being an analysis of everything and an objective evaluation of the quality of the season, this is largely an emotional response where I just talk about my experience with it. I’m not a critic- I don’t think I have that in my blood. I watch to enjoy, then reflect on what I did and didn’t enjoy, taking snippets and twisting them into something that might become deep and meaningful occasionally if it suits my writing. There’s nothing wrong with being a critical analyzer! We need you all in the fandom for all these fabulous metas and such <3 I just don’t think I’m the right gal for the job.

“So, Kenna, what is it you have to say?” Well, in the simplest of terms,

I really liked season 3.

“...wow. Groundbreaking.”

Now, let me explain myself. There are problems with season 3, as there are with most seasons, but I feel, overall, there were enough things that I liked about season 3 to keep the season in my favor.

I think my biggest criticism would have to be with pacing. The pacing  in this season was so off for me and can be described as sporadic at best. From backstories to character introductions to character re-introductions, there was so much that went by in a blur and so much that seemed to go on forever. My biggest complaint probably has to do with (yup, you guessed it) the adaptation of Fifteen.

Let me explain.

First of all, I think the complaints that Bones used Soukoku as ship bait have a sturdy foundation, and I’m not here to dispute that. As a Dazatsu main myself, I’m not gonna complain about loving scenes with your favorite ship in them- I would absolutely die if next season (hopefully there is a next season!) we got a three-episode plot revolving around Dazai and Atsushi. However, I just don’t think it fit in nicely with the rest of the series.

After all, it’s kind of unfortunate that we got 3 episodes of Soukoku’s backstory, and yet our protagonist only got 1/3 of an episode.

Maybe Fifteen would’ve stood better as an OVA, or maybe if it could’ve been shaved down to two episodes. Maybe if BSD had been given three more episodes for genuine content, things would’ve been better. I don’t know how possible any of these things would’ve been, but they’re ideas. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Fifteen overall. But I remember thinking that it seemed so out of place when I knew the chaotic arc that was coming. 

I’m not an avid manga reader, but I know enough to be able to say that the BSD manga has a lot of content, a lot of nuance, and a lot of personality. The manga is the source material and what got people so invested in the story. If there wasn’t an interest in the manga, would there even have been an anime adaptation? What I’m saying here is that staying true to the manga is a good rule of thumb, and while of course you won’t be able to translate everything into animation, it’s probably best to try and be as similar as possible with a story like BSD.

Manga readers ate up the story of BSD without being interrupted by Fifteen, because as far as I’m aware, Fifteen is fairly new? (Didn’t it come out around Dead Apple time? I’m not entirely sure, but it might’ve been.) And, unlike The Dark Era, the events of Fifteen didn’t have nearly as much of an impact on Dazai (that would later impact our protagonist- after all, how could he mentor Atsu if he never quit the mafia?). Fifteen was more Chuuya-centric in terms of future impact, which brings me to my next point.

Chuuya is a side character. I love him, honestly, and think he’s a great character, but he isn’t our main focus. This seems to be a problem that Bones has a lot: “forgetting” who their protagonist is. 

I can defend The Dark Era because of how it explains Dazai’s connection with the mafia and why he switched sides. Dazai is easier to get away with focusing on because he is a primary character, although not the protagonist, and probably has some of the most influence on our true protagonist out of all the characters we know. Chuuya....doesn’t. At least, not yet. His backstory, while interesting and fun to see, is inconsequential to where our protagonist is at right now in the story. In fact, I’m not even sure if Atsushi and Chuuya have interacted in the anime aside from that standoff in the hospital hallway- and even then, that was an illusion. While Fifteen gave us a glimpse to Dazai’s life in the mafia, it didn’t give us anything we didn’t already know other than how he met Chuuya, and how he met Chuuya didn’t impact his relationship much with him or explain why he hates him so much- they just kind of always did. (what would you call that? Anti-chemistry?) That means it also didn’t really impact the major decisions Dazai had to make to get to where he was when he found Atsushi- which is when he began to matter, because that’s when he started influencing the world of the protagonist who is supposed to drive our experience through the narrative.

Please note, this isn’t a hate on Soukoku, and if you like Fifteen, or thought it fit, or just liked it because it gave you such good SKK content, I’m happy for you! This is just a personal grudge I have with the series.

This is why Fifteen would’ve stood better as an OVA- it doesn’t have anything to do with the protagonist. A core purpose of the protagonist in any story is to make the narrative relevant. The events of a story are connected because they pertain to the protagonist. Let’s take the Hunger Games as an example. The events of the actual game don’t relate at all to the death of the Everdeen father, or the fact that Primrose Everdeen was selected, or the fact that a certain Everdeen was given a pin of a mockingjay. These are all important because they relate to our protagonist, Katniss. Her father dying made her have to step up inthe household and feel responsible for her mother and sister’s safety, which helped prompt her to volunteer as tribute. Her pin later became the symbol of a revolution, but only because it was hers. If our protagonist had been Peeta, Katniss’ backstory with her father and mother and sister wouldn’t matter to us because it wouldn’t be our protagonist’s concern.

So, why, then, did we get 3 episodes of Chuuya’s backstory and 10 minutes (not even) of Atsushi’s? Hell, we got more of Kyouka’s backstory than Atsushi’s, or at least a better buildup to it. We even got more content of Randou, a character they completely screwed up (and also didn’t really affect Atsushi). I know events are tied together and connected, but when trying to fit an arc like Cannibalism into 12 30-minute episodes, you’ve gotta decide what’s important and what’s not.

Bones, I feel, didn’t choose what was most important.

“Alright, Kenna, all you’ve done is complain. I thought you said you liked season 3?”

That’s the thing, though- I did.

I like the time they spent with Lucy and Kyouka’s hostile interactions. I liked the background they gave to certain characters (Gin, Kyouka, Atsu [even though we got so little], Katai [-ish]) plus we got more Fyodor content. Fitzgerald’s episode was really good, too! I’m a newly-fledged, softcore Fitzgerald stan. I think the last three episodes were pretty well put together, and I ADORED the final scene (no, not just for the Dazatsu content- although thank you for the food, Bones uwu).

Now, these are all little things, yeah, but I feel together they make up enough for Fifteen on my end. See, I’ve always thought BSD had pacing issues from season 1. It’s no news to me that they had trouble squeezing all the content in the episodes they were given, to be honest. If I separate Fifteen from the rest of the season, to me, it’s cardinal sin is pacing, and only pacing. The issues of Fifteen are plentiful, but it doesn’t seem fair to me (and for me, it’s more than ok if you disagree) to pile that all on to the rest of the episodes. Yeah, it was disappointing that we didn’t get as much Fyodor time, or Atsu backstory time, or whatever else we wanted. But to me, that’s okay. We still got the point of what’s going on- the city is in trouble, the worst is yet to come, and Atsushi and Akutagawa have a deal now.

Bungo Stray Dogs has always appealed to me because of its characters more than its story, I connected with the people, not the narrative. I still thoroughly enjoy the story, but I’m more interested in how the characters interact in general and how they operate as a team or in stressful situations. For that purpose, Bones provided. At least they did in my book, even if we didn’t get enough of who we wanted to see.

I have hope for next season, if there is one. I have hope that Bones will right their wrongs. I have hopes that they’ll fix their pacing a little bit. The manga has so much content to portray, though, that a certain pacing issue can be forgiven (like the ones I saw in s1 and s2.) And, because I love the characters, I’m willing to hold out for another potential season and see if they can fix it.

If you’re upset, you have every reason to be. But, though I have my complaints, I can’t say I’m too terribly disappointed. Maybe a little, but I still look forward to future content. I hope we get it soon, if at all.

(And, believe it or not, this is the shortened version of all my thoughts. Haha!)

[otomelavenderhaze]

11/11/11 Tag

Tagged by the sweetie @guardians-of-las-vyxen (gal, I love you forever for tagging me on this). 

I will took the liberty of speaking about Neshaa and May. 

1. What is your OC’s favorite pattern or print?

Neshaa would like anything with stars/galaxies/nebulas (in red or in dark blue/black) and of course May would like anything in flowers patterns (in a color that matches her and with a balanced/artistic desing). 

2. What do you like best about your OC?

I like how Neshaa is so cheerful, she really feels like a sun to me - warm, bright and captivating - and that comes from everything that she is: her back story, her desing, her personality and even her powers - I love how she is not “normal”. 

May’s “voice in my head” is alot more emotional and calmer than Neshaa’s. I love how May is mature and still so sweet, so full of feelings and flaws. 

3. What annoys you most about your OC?

Neshaa’s desing KKKK is the thing that I love about her and also the thing that annoys me. Cuz its so hard to not forget the freaking butterfly in her cheek, SO HARD! *sobbing*

May’s hair- it is a nightmare to draw it in her normal hairstyle. Thats why I created the “loose” version, cuz I wanted to enjoy more draw her :’) 

4. What fandom or original work is your OC from?

Mcl and Mclul (Neshaa don’t really exist in mclul, its basically a complety different environment that I created for her and Armin after mcl, you can say that the only thing that I didn’t changed in it was the fact that Alexy will meet and be with Morgan).

5. What inspired you to create your OC the way you did?

Neshaa was inspired in anime characters as such: InuYasha and Tomoe (kamisama hajimemashita). And honestly, any character that have powers, is kinda problematic, need to hide their powers and struggle with two sides of them. 

I was very inspired for Hamilton to create May, more specifically Szin’s desing for Angelica. She also have a little bit of Eliza on her now that I think about it, I tried to come up with a character that looked more like me in my personal tastes, because I liked the idea of Candy being in a Art Major and I really wanted a character that I could relate better to, maybe have more fun with. I wanted May to be a poc, hardwork, independent, but very emotional woman (my sister, even in this very fine day, still calls May of Angelica just to tease me kkkkkkk).

6. Has your OC changed any from their original design?

Not much besides their hair. Neshaa had like... 4/5 different hairstyles? I guess when I started playing at first Neshaa had brown hair and brown eyes too, but that changed pretty quickly and didn’t changed much since.

When I was trying to figure out what I wanted for May, I nearly did her with silver/grey eyes - but that changed shortly too. 

I can’t say about major changes, because my art style is so inconstant.

7. What is your OC’s sexuality? Did you choose it for any specific reason?

Neshaa is bissexual - cuz there is not enough bissexuals characters out of there and, as being bissexual myself, I didn’t wanted her to be straight. I didn’t much with her sexuality... cuz she did ended up with Armin and such. Thats why May is straight kkkkkkkk cuz I knew that she would end up with Rayan kkkkk but I don’t mind if other’s ship her with female characters at all. 

8. If your OC has a pet, what is it? If they do not, what sort of pet would they want?

PFFF, I LOVEEEE THE PET QUESTION AND I WILL ALWAYS ANSWER THE SAME THING: Neshaa is the pet! KKKKK When Rocket dies, she and Armin wouldn’t have another pet, because of her fox form. Neshaa normally scares small animals with her presence - Rocket tho, was the weird exception. Neshaa is not much of a pet person. 

And May will have a cat, I didn’t decided the breed yet but it will probably be a stray cat (Rayan is going to give it to her after she quitting her second job, there is a whole long ass hc about that). 

9. Does your OC have a power? What is it?

Neshaa have 3 forms (human, fox and kitsune), she can summon ghost fire (blue) that can burn or not burn ppl (when it don’t burn, its purifies things), she is also strong than a normal human (if she don’t control her strength, she can easily break somebody’s bone) and still she is physically weaker than a normal kitsune. Neshaa can also enter in other’s ppl dream for a short time period and create small illusions.

Also, its not really a power, but humans can feel easily attracted to her (in a friendship sense and in a sexual sense sometimes) - its not super duper strong, there is ppl that absolutely hate her, but its like a defense mechanism that helps it blend in better.

Seems like she is pretty op, but y’all should check out what normal Kitsunes can do kkkkk some can dirtorce the time and space :’) (but maybe I overdid it, just maybe kkk)

May’s super power is know how to use painting and draw better than me, what is not very hard *sobbing*

10. What has been your favorite part of creating your OC?

Is see how their personality and backstory is taking shape and changing - that you only learn with the time and how they interact with different situations, different characters and experience new things.

11. Do you have any current fandom interests or original content in the works that you are in the process of creating characters for?

I’m always in process of doing something and never finishing them complety... I was working in my Stardew Valley ocs (now I have two), I have a idea for a oc in mclul that works in the Snake Room (that I’ve in my head but I have never drew him)... and lately... I’m beeen thinking about something that i prefeer not say now :’) I want to show when I have it done. 

Now, my questions: 

What kind of song your two favorite main ocs like hearing? 

What would be your oc’s favorite movie when they were kids? 

What takes to make your oc fall in love for someone? And why? 

What is the craziest scenario that you ever pictured your oc in? 

If your oc had 3 wishes to make, what would she/he choose? 

What inspired you to create your OC the way you did?

What oc that you created and grew dearly to you with time? 

What was the most painful thing that you writed/drew with one of your ocs? 

What would be your favorite oc Hogwards house? Why? 

Describe a place where your own would feel safer and more peaceful?

Do you have any current fandom interests or original content in the works that you are in the process of creating characters for?

I will tag: @otome-aeriie, @badgalasuna, @kurohabl, @dailygila, @colombia-chan, @murdererowl, @irene-yorokobi, @loonylein, @moonywithoutpadfoot, @hipster-writer-official (for some reason I couldn’t get to tag you).

Anyone that feels like it, feel free to do so and maybe tag me!

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Morose Mononokean II 1 | Mob Psycho 100 II 1 | Meiji Tokyo Renka 1 | My Roommate is a Cat 1 | Promised Neverland 1

I think I’ve got too many cute fluffy creatures this season...

Mononokean II 1

For some reason, before I started watching this I kept reminding myself of Tomodachi Metre and fearing the new OP (because there’s almost always a new OP when dealing with a second season) would be faster-paced…the song is faster-paced, but not in the way I thought it would be (I thought it was going to be hard rock kind of pace, but it’s at least a tad slower than that).

Utakuni is such a fluffy kitty!

Ah, Moja Moja is best moja, indeed. Gossamers from As Miss Beelzebub Likes just don’t compare, y’know?

The Legislator is practically the king of “You mad, bro?”. (LOL)

Okay-dokay, lemme explain. There are 3 arms of government (known as the separation of powers, in order to have a series of checks and balances) – the Legislative, Executive and the Judiciary, meaning we’re missing that final one at the moment…

I never knew Morose Mononokean was so obsessed with comedy…or maybe I’m just noticing it now that I have experience with comedy I get bored at…

Abeno’s face of disgust really sold that moment with Moja, LOL.

Well, by virtue of being a sequel to something I watched previously, it’s more likely to get coverage, but you can never say for certain until the first episodes are over and done. On to the next thing – Mob Psycho!

Mob Psycho 100 II 1

Alright, all these “II 1”s are going to make me confused someday, aren’t they…?

I think the dude’s Suisho simply means “water crystal”. But I’m only guessing as to what kanji are being used here, so I could be wrong.

The pixel art bit was good. More like that, please!

“Your life is your own” – is that Mob Psycho’s slogan, in the same way Symphogear has that thing about “holding courage to fist” and whatnot?

Unlike Mononokean, which you only need to know the very basics (which are in turn explained in the episode itself), it seems Mob Psycho is playing hardball in that department – if you don’t remember that time Kamuro started kicking his lackeys around, you’re going to have to watch it again. (Either that, or you watch the Reigen recap.)

Hmm…”[something to help Mob] grow” sounds a bit odd, but that’s a correct translation. That’s what seichou suru means.

Oh great…you know how I said I was cleaning out the house lately? Someone found an old copy of this book called Inventing Elliot, which I despised studying about (because it got me some of the lowest grades in my school life, aside from outright failures and close scrapes with failure). The problem is, I’m getting Inventing Elliot vibes from this particular plotline…and since that’s Mean Girls in a boys’ private school + Mob Psycho is all about the abuse of power, that’s completely a storyline the show would go with. *gulp*

Hey, they have actual eyecatches now! Hooray!

A certain kanji for “Emi” (with a mi in hiragana, IIRC) is “smile” in English, so I find it interesting they paired Mob up with a girl like her. (Then again, if it were a hiragana/kanji mix, that’s not a name.)

Oh yeah, the hitode (starfish) shirt.

Rinshi! Ekoda-chan 1

Why am I covering an R18+ series? It’s a long story…

The jokes are, as of this segment with the old lady, only about 50% hits. That seems to be a pretty bad track record. The thing about Ekoda being identified as 3 years older than what she really is is also relatable, since I don’t think I’ve grown much past a certain age.

Note there’s a Japanese store called JUSCO. There was one in Hong Kong, which was full of cool stationery.

Wait…that’s it? So why’s it 26 minutes??? Documentary…okay, I’m getting the heck out of here.

Meiji Tokyo Renka 1

I heard Ume was here…? More bishies and more Ume for me!

What’s up with the Haikara-san ga Tooru outfit, anyway?

Who dis boy? He kinda looks like Mikoshiba from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun…Update: That’s Ougai.

At least the jazz music is cool. Also, the episode title should be “Suddenly, under a Strawberry Moon…” or something, since it went totsuzen ni.

*Mei checks her phone* - This is why you don’t text and walk across the road, kids!

Ougai…y’mean, Mori Ougai? The loli dude from Bungou Stray Dogs is this redhead?! EHHHHHHHHHHHH?

Oh great. Amnesia plotline…

Hishida Shunso…a painter.

Okay…that’s a really obvious point where you’d be able to insert your own name if you were a gal (or if you wante to play as a gal).

The age of the Rokumeikan seems to pin the timeline down to “after 1883”. For some reason, it sounded familiar, but I wasn’t familiar with why - so maybe I’ll learn about it someday.

“Little Squirrel”?(!) (lowkey laughs for all the wrong reasons) And here I thought “Little Flower” (from Magic-kyun’s Louis and Dame x Pri’s Vino) was awkward-sounding but still endearing.

Okay, second redhead. When I saw him in the OP, I swore he was Ancient Magus’ Bride’s Chise…

So the germophobe redhead is Izumi Kyoka…but I’m not sure who this Kawakami is…

I don’t know how anyone could make a germophobe endearing, much less make him romanceable…

Otojiro Kawakami. Comedian and actor.

Lafcadio…wuh? Update: (Patrick) Lafcadio Hearn, Greek dude with a Japanese penname. He seems to have written stuff on Japan as well as other places.

“…that collection of ghost stories…”

Everyone seems to have forgotten about the roast beef but the animators…LOL…oh, spoke too soon. Kawakami just walked it back to the table.

Wowwwwwwwwwwww, Mei is so easily distracted by roast beef and pretty boys who, to be honest, aren’t that pretty…I’m just waiting for the long-haired dude and/or Ume and I’ll kick my butt out of here.

I thought Fujita was voiced by a familiar voice and turns out I was right – it’s Fukuyama Jun.

Well, that was mildly unsatisfying. I think I spent more time watching Mei getting blushy at dudes and not feeling an attraction myself. Fujita was the only one I wanted and he didn’t even do much but swing a sword. Seriously, though, what the heck was Charlie doing turning off the lights all of a sudden?

My Roommate is a Cat 1

Well, it’s either that title or Dokyounin wa Hiza, Tokidoki Atame no Ue. …which is a lot to write in one shot.

Why’s the cat on Subaru’s…junk?

The cat appears to be typing out the Dancing Men from Sherlock Holmes…except they’re cats. The Dancing Men are basically what made me think I had a career in computer security in the first place, come to think of it…but I’ve abandoned that kind of thinking now. Modulos are way too hard for me.

Them spoilers! I know that feel.

Koguma = small bear, in a story about a small cat. LOL.

Hiroto…I thought about this during the funeral scene, but…why does he look like Suzaku from Code Geass???

Hmm, yeah. I can see why Hiroto isn’t all that convinced – I’m a similar kind of person, with only a small pool of pursuits that keep me going for a long, long time. *looks at rabbit outside and remembers when I saw it in the darkness about 3 years ago*

Oh, so Subaru was so absorbed in his manuscript he forgot to eat, huh?

Kitty show too cute! Ehehehee… <- (ecstatic about having a new weekly dose of cuteness)

Promised Neverland 1

I’ve read the first volume of this. I’m not 100% in love with it, but if I can have bragging rights over finding the next big hit, why not?

Noitamina…now that’s a name I haven’t seen in a few years…*grumbles at Amazon*

For some reason Norman (white-haired boy) has this “betrayer” vibe written all over him. It’s because I know in BnHA and Ao no Exorcist, there are betrayals by certain people.

The aesthetic of this thing is like a fairytale and not like a typical anime. That’s probably one thing that convinced people to give it a shot.

LOL, there’s a Detective Conan door..well, it kind of looks like one.

The word for “tag” in Japanese is onigokko and “It” is an oni. That gives a whole new meaning to “playing tag with monsters”, doesn’t it?

Update: I can sort of feel my “this is popular, so I won’t like it” radar going off...so I’ll put it on hold until I get over that feeling.

[fyeahbatcat]

Not batcat related but what did you think about the Wonder Woman movie? I love your blog btw!

Thank you!!! I haven’t seen Wonder Woman yet. I have tickets for tonight :)

Edit 6/30/17

Sorry I meant to give you an update right after I saw themovie but then the proposal happened the next day and it shifted my focus for awhile. Anyways, last year I was kind of asked about my thoughts on the thenupcoming Wonder Woman movie and I outlined my concerns about the potential forlightweight feminism, portrayals of violence, and the representation of theAmazons and everyone I am happy to say that I could not have been more wrong(for the most part). I’ve been begging the powers that be at WB for a WonderWoman for years and I fully intended to catch an advanced screening since itwas announced in 2014, but I was away on vacation that week so it didn’t happenand I had to do some extreme internet acrobatics to avoid spoilers. Between that,the letdown that was Suicide Squad,and the pressure of having the first *real* superhero movie starring a woman I thoughtthere was no way it would live up to my expectations.

That said: I am a changed person having now seen Diana ofThemyscira grace a giant plasma screen in her own movie. Watching Wonder Woman was a spiritual experience.In response to my own concerns about:

1.      The trailer looking too violent

It’s not that I expected there to be no fighting or violencein a multi-million dollar action movie I meant more along the lines of WonderWoman was created as a foil for violent hyper-masculinity and a symbol ofpeace. A lot of these themes have become very muted over the last severaldecades by mostly male writers who interpret Wonder Woman’s strength as coincidingwith traditionally masculine ideals when William Moulton Marston created WonderWoman as a symbol of feminine power. Because it was very clear that PattyJenkins and the DCEU is taking the recent New 52 daughter of Zeus origin story Ithought that they would mostly be relying on more recent versions of WonderWoman which, in my opinion, strayed too far from Wonder Woman’s importantlarger themes (until Greg Rucka, God bless him, came back to the series).

The ending completely shattered my expectations and I amhappy to report that I was wrong. The movie was all about Diana’s destiny andhow she became the hero that she is. By the end she decides that she wants tobe a hero that believes in the power of love. That’s exactly who Wonder Womanis. This was a feminist movie through and through.

2.      The diversity of the Amazons

You can read about what I had to say about the initial promoshots of the Amazons in my previous post: but what it came down to is the factthat diversity among the Amazons isn’t just a meaningless gesture of diverserepresentation or just for optics. It’s essential to Wonder Woman’s characterbecause she stands for equality among all women and intersectional feminism.People expressed concerns over how the first images of the Amazons were of allwhite faces and Patty Jenkins said was just Diana’s “immediate family” and the restof the Amazons would be diverse. It was a pretty unsatisfactory placation, buton that end Jenkins did hold up her promise. My exact words last year were:

So diverse like WOC will be playing actually namedcharacters who contribute to the plot and/or Diana’s development? Or diverselike they’ll all be in the background swinging swords, thrown a few tokenlines, and will be credited as “Amazon” #4? Because those are two verydifferent ideas of diversity?

Spoiler alert: it was the second one (though I think some ofthem had names, not that you would’ve known). It’s hard for me to criticize thedecision to cast Robin Wright as Antiope because my goodness she was born toplay that part. It was so thrilling to see an actress in her fifties in actionsequences and woman fighting as warriors free from the male gaze, but it justas well could’ve been Phillipus that also had a hand in training Diana. Evenafter viewing the movie Jenkins reasoning strikes me as defense for casting allwhite actresses in the most prominent roles for the Amazons, which is prettyexpected by Hollywood standards. There wasn’t even any need for Diana to havean “immediate family” as it didn’t contribute to the plot in any way.

Stray thoughts:

Okay I anticipated the “twist” but that didn’tstop me from thinking “If they make her the daughter of Zeus Patty Jenkins isgonna catch these hands” the entire time. I’m willing to overlook it but thatdoesn’t mean that I liked it.

Omg Diana’s characterization was so friggingood. A lot of writers make Wonder Woman too severe and serious, but Diana wasa character that was full of joy and humor. One of my favorite moments in theentire movie was when Diana swoons over the baby (“A BABY!!!!!!”) which wasadorable because they don’t have babies of Themyscira so it’s something thatshe didn’t take for granted. Also I loved it when she tells the ice cream manthat “you should be very proud.” It was just little moments like that you gotto see Diana’s human side and that she was a joyful, loving person.Also the scene in NML when Diana is socompelled by human suffering to cross the trenches and put an end to theviolence once and for all. This is the moment that she becomes Wonder Woman.I also think that they did a really greatjob of conveying what it’s like to be in a foreign place. Some of the mostinsulting stereotypes in media are that foreigners are just stupid and don’tunderstand anything (see Starfire). Dianacan speak dead languages and knows about literature. Diana wasn’t dumb by anymeans, but she didn’t quite know all of the cultural cues. Like when she didn’tknow why her and Steve couldn’t “sleep” together which Steve assumes this meansthat she doesn’t know what sex is and Diana matter-of-factly informs him that she’s“read all twelve volumes of Cleo’s treatises on body and pleasures.” And whenshe tries to hold Steve’s hand because “they’re together.” Cultural norms areregion specific so of course anytime you venture to a place unknown you, youdon’t know everything about there is to know about how to socialize with the peoplethere. The film did it in a way that was funny and honest without beingcondescending.

Gal Gadot and Chris Pine had some of the bestchemistry I’ve ever seen on screen. They were both so charming and funny. Evenmy mom liked them and she hates superhero movies.

“I wish we had more time.” I’ve never sobbed somuch from one line before.

Best universal human theme since The Dark Knight. Wonder Woman was allabout Diana’s journey of self-discovery. When she first leaves the island shenaively believes that all of the violence and evil in the world is a result ofAres’ influence and once she destroys him it will magically end. Before sheleaves she asks Steve if he’s typical representation of mankind.  Sure Steve Trevor was a genuinely good guyand that probably got her expectations a little too high, but he points outthat even he’s not a saint. No one is. When she first kills who she thought wasAres and nothing changed she became immediately disillusioned by mankind andrealizes that people are pretty shitty and it wasn’t just because of Ares. It’sSteve that brings her to this realization that: yeah we suck, but that doesn’t meanthat we’re not worth saving.

Steve got hella fridged. Well sort of. Steve’sdeath is really what motivated Diana to destroy Ares and continue to mentor theworld through love, so it’s a rare example of a male character’s death beingused as motivation for a female character. However, Steve was given much moreagency in his death than a female character would’ve been given. Steve died onhis own terms in a way that was really, really heroic and sacrificial. It’s almostthe way Batman went out in The Dark Knight Rises and how Steve Rogers “dies” inCaptain America. Compare that to GwenStacy’s death in Amazing Spiderman 2 whoseneck snapped in the last ten minutes just to make Peter all sad and angsty. Ithink that writers still have more expectations for male characters to beactive and think that it’s more acceptable for female characters to be passiveso in terms of gender representation in Hollywood there’s still a long way togo but hey it’s a start.

Scene that had me laughing even days later:

Diana, who has neverseen a man before standing in front of a bare ass naked Steve: What’s that?

Steve:

Steve:

Steve:

Steve: This is awatch.

Bottom line: I loved this movie. I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I’mgoing to go see it again this weekend.

[punkscowardschampions]

Grace & Janis

Grace: Not to cause drama but your man can't stay away 😂💓 insisted on giving me the caravan keys himself this morning babes Janis: 'Cos he's not my man, go hog wild Grace: OH HUNNY NO 😭 WHAT HAPPENED? OMG DID HE GO TOO FAR WITH THE PRETTY WOMAN SITU Janis: No, sadly I'm not 3 grand better off for it, Grace. Janis: Just run its course, I'm over it. Grace: I can't believe he'd use you like that! 🐖 After you took him on hols too OUTRAGEOUS 😧 Grace: You'll be okay though babe you are better off if he's gonna be like that Grace: OMG ITS THE CURSE OF SKERRIES! REMEMBER ME AND TY Janis: Maybe I used him? Ever think of that Janis: Nah, I don't...which one was that Grace: That's right gurl ♀ take control of the narrative Grace: You dumped him, consider it announced 💋 Grace: He had that well buff neck tat, remember? Janis: Its the truth. Nothing happened anyway, not proper. Janis: I'd rather keep it to myself but if you must, cheers Janis: Ahh, borstal boy Grace: 🙊 Gotcha 😇 Grace: Is that in 11? He was from there Grace: Anyway you should come on my juice cleanse Janis: No Grace, lol never mind, don't worry about it Janis: How am I gonna work out with nothing but a belly full of juice? I need protein Janis: but I wouldn't hate the vitamins and electrolytes, sometimes Grace: Oh Jan-Jan EVERYONE else manages it 🙄 but you are going through a break up 😢 just don't eat your feelings too hard. Asia's still trying to lose lbs 2 boys later 🙈 Grace: Yayyy! Come to town with me. It's lush there. 😜 drinks aren't bad either lol Janis: That's because you all only do half an hour of light cardio at best Janis: No I'm not, and there are no feelings to eat, I'll be in better shape now he's gone, more time to hit the gym, no more cafe shit Janis: Asia just wants an excuse to get fat, in or out of a relationship Janis: Not today, I'm busy but tomorrow lunch maybe Janis: I cba to be at school for any more time than is required Janis: might throw a sickie Grace: Rude! I know you're hurting but there's no need to come for me and my gym routine Grace: You don't have to pretend with me, babes 🤗 Grace: Unfair, Jan! She's been to WW and everything! It's so sad. Such a struggle Grace: YES! I'll phone in too. We can have a duvet day together. SISTER TIME SICKIE Grace: 💕 You'll feel better in no time Janis: I truly ain't. Janis: And if you don't want me to come for it, try harder, same goes for Asia. Janis: If she actually wanted it, she could, simple as. Janis: Nah, you have to spread my side of the story, don't you? Need you on the frontlines Janis: Plus, I'm going nan and grandad's, not home Grace: EXCUSE YOU BITCH I WAS AT THE GYM FOR 3 HOURS LAST NIGHT Grace: Okay yeah good point, can't let him chat shit about you after everything ugh Janis: Taking selfies? Lol, alright, alright, well done you Janis: I'm sure he won't.. Janis: It'll be everyone else Janis: Don't try and 'come' for him, Grace, that would be so embarrassing. Just set other people right, that's what I mean, right? Grace: thnx 😘 Grace: Boys can't even help themselves Grace: Oh Jan I'm not gonna fight him!! 😂 Don't worry I got this Janis: Yeah but just don't even chat to him Janis: I know YOU can't help yourself Janis: but I don't need it, Grace Grace: 🤐 Going to him for goss? Please. I'd never. Grace: He'd only lie anyway Grace: I can't 🤞 to hold the girls back tho Janis: For God's sake, its none of their business Janis: This is what I mean, everyone getting involved, can't people just leave it Grace: Bailey did lock lips with him first, babe Grace: You can't blame her for feeling wronged Janis: Yeah I can, when she practically grabs up on boys like Trump Janis: Its not on Janis: If she wants to try again, she can, she don't need to drag my name into her piss-poor attempt at chat Grace: Your ex WOULD say it went down like that 🙄 Grace: He's so gross! I shouldn't have let you near him 😧 Janis: It isn't just him Janis: she's getting herself a worse rep than she already had Grace: OMG JANIS STOP SLUT SHAMING MY FRIEND Grace: I can't believe my twin is such a bad feminist Janis: I can't believe you're siding with the abuser, and not believing a victim Janis: If you wanna chat that bullshit Janis: so leave it out Grace: You shouldn't throw words like that around. It's no joke Janis: It isn't. Janis: Let JGG know before she gets in trouble Grace: YOU STILL LOVE HIM, DON'T YOU? 😭 SO SAD Grace: I get you siding with your boy now Grace: poor Jan-Jan. I'll get him back for you don't worry Janis: No, it wasn't that deep, it was only a few months, get real Janis: Never did Janis: I don't want him back, focus on getting him for yourself, like you always wanted Grace: Oh honey...whatever you need to tell yourself sweetie Grace: I hate hearing you like this Grace: He really did a number on you 😢 Grace: We'll say no more about him Janis: I'm not you, Grace. I don't have to pretend it was love in the moment, or after, just to make myself fell better and to let the world know I'm not a skank. Janis: Good, stop talking, you've got no idea. Grace: DON'T TAKE YOUR MOOD OUT ON ME I'M ONLY TRYING TO HELP Janis: Well you're not so stop trying, thanks Grace: Well now I know what to get you for christmas ffs! Grace: You need therapy, girl Grace: No-one else can talk to you when you're like this Janis: I hope you've not pulled me in secret santa, 'cos you're almost as bad at gifting as 'helping' Janis: you can't either, you just like the sound of your own voice Janis: and i'm the fucked up one, lol Grace: Mum and dad will send you, you know, they're always chatting about it Grace: see how edgy you are then Janis: good luck, i'm capable of keeping my mouth shit for more than five minutes Janis: no wonder all your boyfriends use yours then bounce, who could bare you Janis: if we weren't related to you, none of us would Grace: Maybe that's your problem, babe. Jimmy obvs wasn't feeling the strong silent type Grace: At least I've had boyfriends you've done it once and think you're an expert Grace: No wonder he got fed up Janis: Yeah, he's really after a girl just like you, that's why he does everything possible to avoid you Janis: You're the clueless one, Cher lol Grace: It's hilarious to me that you think I was ever interested in your fuckboy barista Grace: Both lads he works with are well fitter for a start Grace: I was happy for you, doesn't mean I'd be happy to go there Janis: You're so blatant the old dears having their pot of tea went to fucking pray for you after Janis: The idea you think you're slick enough that he didn't notice, I didn't notice, that the whole fucking town isn't aware who you want to ride next, is what's hilarious Janis: Sort yourself out, its embarrassing Grace: Nothing could be as embarrassing as having you for a sister 😂 Grace: Go cry to nan babes I'm over it Janis: The feeling's more than mutual, GracieGuru Janis: No one crying but you, as per Grace: As if I'd waste the mascara. Get a life Janis: I've got one, and it isn't yours to share; a fact you haven't been able to stand since you fell out of mum with me Grace: 😂 WHERE? You've got no friends, no lad and you hang out with our grandparents most nights Grace: so much to envy Janis: and yet, I'd sooner that than yours Janis: and that's what's really sad Janis: poor wittle gracie poo Grace: Next time you go running just keep going like Grace: Nobody'll mind here Janis: Yeah, 'cos they all love you Janis: You don't fit in Janis: Changeling baby, nowhere else to go Janis: Mum always liked taking in strays Grace: Must've been why she kept you Janis: Burn Grace: If you fit in so well why are you never here Grace: Too busy thinking you're above me to bother with the rest. That's sad Janis: Cos I can't fucking stand you, Grace Janis: and if I'm anywhere within a mile radius of you, I'm liable to kill you Janis: and you aren't worth the prison time Grace: Wow I'm so intimidated Janis: You aren't meant to be Janis: No one here but you needs to front Janis: Its the truth, you make my life hell Grace: Chats the girl who does nothing but Grace: You only went out with the barista because you THOUGHT I was interested Grace: Such a loser move Grace: Don't expect me to feel bad for you Janis: Jokes on you because I didn't go out with him Janis: He wanted you and your marauding band of molesters to get the hint and leave him and the others alone Janis: and you just made yourself look more and more idiotic every time, just been laughing about you behind your back this whole time Janis: It was a laugh Janis: So, do you get it now, hun? I'm not devvo, I'm just bored of making a fool out of you when you're happy to do it by yourself every day of your life Grace: Like I'd believe that. He dumped you because you're so crap you can't even make a candlelit bath sexy, cope with it Janis: Believe what you want, sweetheart, I'm not the one that's full of shit Grace: Yeah you are Janis: Oh honey...whatever you need to tell yourself sweetie Grace: @yourself next time babes Janis: you already did Janis: i bow to your infinite wisdom Janis: you should write a blog, oh wait- you already do and no one fucking reads it, 'cos you're a basic bitch giving children life advice like you have any idea what you're doing Grace: And you do? 😂 Faking a relationship for MONTHS to mess with me when all I've been is supportive about you getting a lad in the first place Grace: Such a good one of yours Janis: Yeah, this is hilarious Janis: like you ain't reacting exactly how I hoped you would, you pathetic bitch Janis: I knew it was fake, you need to catch yourself on Janis: fake friends, fake fun, fake boyfriends, fake happiness Janis: its honestly sad, you need therapy Grace: Yeah I need to catch myself on to how pathetic you are for literally living a cliche so bad it wouldn't air on CW Grace: To think I thought you were actually sorting yourself out. That's sad Janis: and yet, you and your gal pals lap up every episode Janis: just like you did here, so predictable i could set a watch to you Janis: what, to be like you? you're so sorted? Janis: no one wants to be like you grace, no one would ever want that Janis: you can joke and hashtag about goals, but if having to see you is anything like having to be you Janis: i'd sooner join edie Grace: That's a sick thing to say. Don't bring her into your bullshit, Janis Janis: MY bullshit? Janis: This ain't nothing but you, as per Janis: You're like fucking black mould, spreading everywhere, ruining everything, suffocating us all Janis: and I can talk about her all I fucking want, fuck you Janis: just cos you wanna pretend she didn't exist Grace: No I don't I just don't think it's fair that you use her death to play the victim with me now Grace: To say you'd rather die than deal with your bs is gross Janis: Yeah its only okay when you do it Janis: woe is you Janis: suicide is so gross ew Janis: what a problematic cunt you are Grace: You using it to guilt me is Grace: If you want to kill yourself don't put that on me Grace: You gonna leave me tapes? Fuck off Janis: Why not? Janis: Someone's at fault Janis: we all know who's fault it was Edie died Janis: its no secret Grace: And I'm at fault for your EVERY issue, sure Jan Grace: Don't take any responsibility at all Janis: Did I say that? Janis: You're a cunt, own it Janis: Don't pretend you care, 'cos I didn't ask you to and it does fuck all for me or you Janis: I'm not interested in being your sister, never mind anything beyond a familial tie so drop dead, sincerely Grace: I do care, bitch. How dare you. Grace: Yeah like death fixes anything. I'd still be your sister. Cope with it Janis: At least you'd be my dead sister, that's easier Grace: Yeah because you handle it all so well Janis: Better than I handle having to be anywhere near you Janis: Don't you get it yet? I hate you Grace: Then don't be. Run away to Grandad's. Nobody is bothered I already told you Janis: You are, you delusional cunt! Janis: You always try to talk to me, you won't leave me the fuck alone Janis: who started this conversation Janis: I do everything that's humanly possible to avoid you and you still won't sto

[wordstrings]

i don't want to step on any toes or sound like a complete snowflake but honestly your accessor au is a little triggering. i believe you've said in the past that you aren't a fan of non consensual themed stuff and it seems kinda hypocritical that you'd have an au based on slavery? bc no matter how you fold it dean is still property and still treated as property. i like most of your work and its a shame that you haven't invested more in your other aus.

Firstly, you’re absolutely right.

Non-con is my biggest squick. I generally refuse to write things that put anyone in a situation like that, where they don’t want what’s happening and they are being held or forced against their will. This is why I will almost universally leave prompts unfilled when they include themes of punishment, coercion, or torture.

Secondly, I expressly tag every Accessor AU post with “Accessor ‘verse” and try to include salient warnings for any objectionable themes (beyond the obvious) that come up. I’ve been assuming that’s enough for people to blacklist or choose not to read something that might upset them. But if there is something else I can do to help you – or anyone! – not see those posts by accident, please let me know. It’s really important to me that my readers don’t get ambushed by a trigger.

(Sidenote: I’ve heard rumblings lately that the concepts of “squick” and “trigger” can get confused. For anyone unsure of the difference, this post does a good job of explaining.)

So, with all of that being said...

You’re correct that Accessory Dean is property, which inherently complicates (or, some would argue, completely negates) the ability to give consent. When I first thought up the Accessor AU, I felt squeamish over sharing it publicly. I knew the concept was problematic. I knew some people would hate it. I knew it didn’t align with my usual brand of friendly, openly-consensual content.

I’ve talked a few times before – here and here – about how a slavery AU can be really questionable, both morally (an individual’s sense of right/wrong) and ethically (collective rules of right/wrong). I have never claimed that the concept is a-okay, and I try my best to show the reader that the societal thought patterns and constructs in the Accessor world are not aligned to our real-world ethics or morality.

(I am under no illusions that I manage these things perfectly, as a white woman from a relatively privileged background. But I am always trying to do better.)

Fanfiction can be many things to different people. It can be a way to “fix” what we don’t like about canon. It can allow us to relate to stories or characters in more intense ways. It can de-risk our exploration of precarious feelings or circumstances by imposing them on external characters instead of ourselves.

For me, the Accessor AU is about personal catharsis and turning a popular trope on its head.

When it comes to tickle fetish content, the single most prevalent theme is non-consent. “Let’s tie down this straight guy and tickle him ‘til he pisses himself!” “Watch sexy co-ed Kimmy get destroyed by her jealous sorority sisters!” “A wrongfully-convicted citizen gets sent to a tickle-torture detention center for an inescapable five-year sentence.” A common subset of the non-con theme involves tickle-slavery – “I’ve caught you, and now you’re mine to torment however I want, whenever I want.”

As a young teen exploring her desires on a developing internet in the late 1990s (who just dated herself? this gal), these themes were everywhere. They pervaded all the kinds of content I consumed, so I came to the conclusion that This Is Just How Things Are; there was no use in trying to avoid them, even if I kind of hated them. I say “kind of,” because they weren’t what I really wanted, but they still pushed the button, y’know? Complicated feelings.

Add to the complications that I was asexual (but didn’t identify/realize it until much later in life) while a majority of the available content involved varying aspects of nudity and sexuality. I didn’t like those, either. AND I was a minor. Yikes, right?

Talk about a recipe for confusion and shame.

I’m not going to wax poetic about “finding my tribe” here on Tumblr, because y’all have already heard me soapbox about that a dozen times. It took years of rediscovering who I was and what I liked before it didn’t feel shameful to allow myself to think about the less-fluffy expressions of my kink. Things like bondage, sensuality, even some forms of (limited, conditional) sexuality, and, yes, the inexplicable draw to see somebody caught and unable to escape being tickled. But I still wanted those things seasoned to my taste, with sweet flavors of desire and consent – on both sides of the cuffs.

Accessor AU Dean is a tickle slave, because the world he lives in happened to lead him there. Accessor AU Dean has it in him to enjoy being restrained and tickled, because that’s part of how he’s wired. Accessor AU Dean had really shitty experiences and trauma, because there are terrible, abusive people out there. Accessor AU Dean found someone who respects, values, and loves him regardless of his social status, because the roles the world gives us do not have to define who we are.

Can a situation like his be gross and non-consensual? Yes.

Can a situation like his be affectionate and enjoyable, even to the point of active, enthusiastic consent? Exploring that question is what this AU is all about. (Hint: I’m really aiming toward also yes.)

I feel like I’d be remiss to neglect stating, once again, that this is fiction, which is not aligned to our real-world ethics or morality. I don’t expect everyone to agree with my views on this, either. I’m going to stand up for those views, though, because if I don’t believe in my own work, then I’m just shilling snake oil to an unsuspecting audience. And I respect you too much for that. But my point is: I’m creating something that younger-me would have died for. Something that says, “Yes, you can have all the things you like, and no, you don’t have to compromise.”

People who like things I don’t are not wrong, nor are those who don’t like the things I do enjoy. Nobody alive on this earth is going to have the exact same preferences I do. My stories aren’t always for everyone, but if I can create content for someone – perhaps someone like me whose desires never seemed represented elsewhere – then I’m happy. Really, truly happy.

I started this post with a “firstly” and “secondly,” so I’ll wrap it with a “lastly.” Lastly, I don’t want you to think that just because I’ve “invested” a lot in the Accessor AU – over 30,000 words, actually – that it means I haven’t poured significant care into some of my other AUs! I really enjoy finding ways to translate different facets of what I like into distinct narratives. Here are a few of my more prolific ‘verses (and there are always more to be found in my masterpost):

Artist/Chef - college AU

tiny!ticklish!octo!Cas - what it says on the tin

TFW adopts a monster - a stray baby tickle monster comes to live in the bunker

Amateur Production - Wincestiel threesome makes tickle videos

Thank you for asking this question. I’m several weeks late in getting you an answer, but I wanted to give it the full time and respect I felt it needed.

[kathrynreade-blog]

Mama's Wisdom.

http://beautiful-you-Body.info/Inhibiteurs-de-leca-effet-de-levier-insuffisance-de-zinc/ Always remember that a person day you will certainly be actually a relative, too, and you can easily use a lot of these strategies in vice-versa to create a positive and loving relationship along with your brand new daughter-in-law. I at that point realized that the daddy, my customer, had actually litigated with the very same outlandish assumption that he would certainly be rewarded safekeeping as well as the mom would disappear. Also then, a sibling-surrogate daddy still carries out certainly not normally need to deal with the unique burden from being actually the supporting coach or partner of an anticipating mama ... and child may that be actually daunting often! Simply her older bro as well as sis survived and also they were actually 19 years apart therefore my Mama had to stash everybody by herself. Anyway my mama obtained wed to my daddy merely at the age of 29 as my father was doing his level before that.

I had a collection from appendicitis strikes when I was actually 10 as well as 11, and also due to the fact that the medical professionals could not find anything wrong along with me, they actually turned my mommy away when she brought me to the health center, however my mommy was actually persistent. Portion your ideas for exactly how our company can easily present Environment that our company really carry out respect her. Also a safely and securely bonded child will certainly really feel tremendous abandonment when her mommy denies the truth of childhood physical, sex-related or even mental abuse. When Creation took place, She not just had a palm, however was actually the Mom of all from that. She is really additional from a Main Incentive compared to He, considering that feeling can easily inspire greater than intellect can. United States, i like spicy products, therefore my mum will include even more spice for my foods and my sibling is a fantastic fanatic of sugary foods as well as my mother will ready separate food for her. Despite your dimension or even shape, there is a mother of the bride-to-be dress that will tastefully charm your non-traditional amount. Regardless of whether our company find out some ideas on actions in the classroom, it has the interested passion of a caring mommy to enforce the practice. Visualize being the a mother of 4, shedding your youngest while your other half was actually away, at that point must pack up the loved ones as well as board a ship to America within a brief time after. These best picks in a mommy of the bride dress are actually stunning as well as are going to possess you really feeling glad as you stroll down the alley. I had discipline problems many of my life so my Mother and the rest of my household overlooked just what took place to me as well as certainly never recognize that. I am actually consistently recovery and attempting to be actually much better for my very own kids, yet I definitely have connection issues. My mother really loved all living points and also saving Angie the Pussy-cat was only some of several strays that she assisted via the years. Right now, think back to a time when you were a toddler as well as remember what your mom informed you. Yes, that is definitely just what your mom needs to have after spending the only thing that handling everybody in the loved ones. My thoughts as well as requests this Mama's Time are for mothers for whom Mama's Time is actually difficult or even unpleasant; those who dread the time considering that they carry out not fit the conventional culturally-accepted photo of a mama. After that gift her a really good manual that she reviewed that out and appreciate this every opportunity, if going through manual is your mama pastime. As a little gal and also while growing up, my mama was my idol, as she mastered whatever she performed. Nov, 1943 If ever before, Cortney Anders assured himself, I avoid this mommy from a thunderstorm there is a point I will definitely do if it is actually the last action from my life.