#i just think he's fun to write and he has a lot of easy characterisation points so :3

[gor3-hound]

Hello when did you realize you like Leon? Like was it his character design or his personality

it was his fat ass and thighs x

[aingeal98]

Honestly think part of the reason why cass is so often mischaracterized is bc she challenges the perceptions of Bruce (good or bad) that so many people

Honestly I think the majority of it is them not wanting to engage with female characters at all but knowing Cass exists and not wanting to be a fake fan by excluding her so instead they defang her into irrelevant side character number 2 so they don't feel guilty about engaging in fandom solely through focusing on the boys. But I do agree that part of the reason people like to ignore her canon and create something else entirely is because of how much of it challenges their good dad Bruce/bad person Bruce characterisations. Like if you want good dad Bruce content you can dismiss everything he does to the boys as ooc or twist it to being their fault and focus instead on the cute Robin moments. But Batgirl has consistent flawed person Bruce characterisation where he's not the main character and he's not pure evil but he's not good either. If you want to engage with Cass you can't ignore Bruce's flaws to the same extent you can with the others, because from day one he's Like That. Every single good dad Bruce moment from that run comes wrapped in like 5 layers of complicated bad parenting and it's so fun but alas. Not simple enough for fanon that wants WFA writing to encompass all of canon. (I enjoy WFA but it's very much a separate thing and should stay that way.)

Likewise with people who hate Bruce it's easy for them to mischaracterise Cass because she represents a lot of what Bruce's philosophy should be without all the flaws that make him easy to hate. And people kind of get threatened by that, so instead of actually engaging with the text and discovering all Cass's fun unique flaws they just make something up to vindicate their fave. Which is annoying to read sometimes like I have rolled my eyes several times during fics. Most of the time she's ooc by just being sort of a supportive doormat but sometimes they're like you know what I'm going to be brave and give this female character some flaws and then the flaws are just more ooc garbage so they can get a scene of her apologising to their woobie batboy.

Moral of the story is as always, read Batgirl 2000. Thanks for the ask!

[journey-to-the-attic]

rating all of the om songs (so far) to pass time on the train LET'S GO

i was going to split these into separate posts but Ah who CARES they're all here now. for the intents and purposes of this post i am leaning more positive to the romance aspects (usually i'm more ambivalent). looong post ahead!

(i'm considering the lyrics based on the direct unofficial translations credited to Maon_ObeyMe on twitter, rather than the official english versions)

CHARACTER SONGS

Arcadia (Lucifer) -> Sonically: 7/10 I'm oddly into that one synth that comes in after the chorus. The violin stings are cool. Fun to vibe to! Points knocked off because he kind of doesn't sound like Lucifer, though. -> Lyrically: 5/10 Points removed (derogatory) for "lady", other points removed (affectionate) for the hilarity of "I'm fall in love u baby". You can tell it was written when they were still clinging somewhat to the dominant diet Christian Grey thing, but a lot of the lines are still genuinely romantic (while also being very Lucifer.) -> Overall: 7/10 I scrunch my face when I get to That One Line but otherwise I do pick this to listen to semi-regularly.

Are You Ready? (Mammon) -> Sonically: 6/10 Banger, but repetitive. Good rhythm to walk to. Hirotaka Kobayashi's delivery makes it. -> Lyrically: 6/10 Points docked for repetitiveness, but it's cute to see this side of him verbalised. Gender neutral high heels are a serve. -> Overall: 6/10 I don't relisten to this one quite as much as Arcadia, but I think that's just a genre preference.

My Chance! (Levi) -> Sonically: 8/10 The mixing on his voice is a bit weird, but it fits in with the chiptune sound, which I adore. Really catchy chorus. I also really like that soft bell insturment that's playing along with the main melody. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Really cute! Levi's characterised really well here. I love his little spoken interjections - Satoshi Kada is one of my favourite VAs in terms of delivery. (Levi's lines are some of the best in either of the voiced pop quizzes.) -> Overall: 8/10 Cute and fun to listen to. It's really easy to imagine a music video for this one.

Read My Heart (Satan) -> Sonically: 8/10 Really pretty piano instrumental, but I feel like there could've been a bit of variation. On the one hand, layering in some strings could've sounded really nice, but on the other, it does feel more personal as a solo piano ballad. Shinya Sumi has a really nice voice. -> Lyrically: 9/10 Very sweet, almost poetic, very Satan. The reference to cats doesn't feel heavy-handed. It feels like he wrote it. -> Overall: 9/10 I really like the bridge. It has a sort of lullaby quality as well, so it's nice to fall asleep to, or listen to when you need to calm down.

Pomade (Asmo) -> Sonically: 7/10 It's better-produced than some of the songs I've given a higher sonic rating, but this is more a matter of preference - this song isn't super my style. -> Lyrically: 10/10 EXCELLENT. The journey Asmo goes on? Starting out singing about himself and tempting you, then shifting to singing about you (You are my captive -> I am your captive) - the way it basically reflects his arc in OM S1? Chef's kiss. Beautiful. -> Overall: 7/10 I don't listen to it that often but I do think about those lyrics. They're so good. This is how you write a character song.

Hungry Six-Pack (Beel) Sonically: 8/10 I'm a sucker for that 'wah' effect on the guitar. I really like the rock sound, but I think it was done better in Barbatos's song. (Sorry, Beel.) Kyohei Yaguchi also does a really good job on the performance - you really get the feeling that this is how Beel himself would perform in a band. The interval in "darou" in the chorus is to die for, as is the "forever, forever-ah-ah-ah" in the last chorus. Lyrically: 6/10 Even in songs Beel cannot escape the "they only know how to write him with one character trait" allegations (/hj). To be fair, it'd be hard to get into his deeper character without dipping into lyrics about survivor's guilt, which I feel wasn't what they were going for. Overall: 7/10 I like to imagine him performing this at a bar. Also, total aside, but I really don't like that title.

Dreamscape (Belphie) -> Sonically: 9/10 I'm not usually a lo-fi person, but the vibes are perfect for Belphie and I really like this composition. -> Lyrically: 7/10 Really cute, but pretty basic - then again any of the songs' lyrics seem so when you compare them to the Queen Pomade. I do like how much Belphie's needy little-brother nature comes through here. "Hey, come see me, please?" Makes me want to pinch his cheek. -> Overall: 9/10 The sound alone carries it. I listen to it pretty regularly.

No.1 (Diavolo) -> Sonically: 9/10 Takuhei Yamamoto is giving it so much oomph and it's fantastic and also very in-character for Diavolo himself. He would be that enthusiastic. He would throw his head back and belt like that mic was made for him. (I find the "Sā, hora!" before the chorus really cute.) -> Lyrically: 6/10 It feels a little weird that he's doing the dominant thing in the lyrics here, but his sin attribute is apparently pride, and it's interesting that they chose this characterisation for him given he's usually so affable. (It's not like it came out of nowhere, to be fair - Diavolo basically admits to it on occasion, he seems to just hold it back, usually.) -> Overall: 7/10 Solid song that I don't listen to all that often for some reason.

Crazy About You (Barbatos) -> Sonically: 10/10 Absolute banger. The guitar solo makes me want to run through walls. Masayuki Harada's performance as Barbatos is also both spot-on and pitch perfect. That "Ahh-" leading into the chorus is gorgeous. I'm not the biggest fan of the spoken lines, but I appreciate that they're there for those truly starved stans who don't get nearly enough of him in the main story. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Perhaps oddly I really like his mix of servitude and sternness here. Feels playful in a way that I think really works for his dynamic with MC. (If only they'd utilise it in the game.) -> Overall: 10/10 It's just that much of a banger. Barbatos I'm so sorry for what the NB remix did to you. You were too powerful.

My Wish (Luke) -> Sonically: 6/10 Gonna be honest I completely forgot how this song sounded after I finished listening to it for the first time. I'm not the biggest fan of Luke's voice direction and there are parts in this where I just fully see a full grown man doing the voice. I do really like the chorus (the part that mentions sweets and cream) though. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Just very cute. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect from Luke - another one of those where you can easily imagine that the character wrote it themselves. -> Overall: 6/10 I don't think I've listened to it more than five times, to be honest. I actually quite like the NB remix for this one.

Question Love (Simeon) -> Sonically: 4/10 Simeon what the hell did they do to you. The production is fine, it's just... the autotune? It isn't like Yu Hirata can't sing. Why did they do that? Presumably it's a stylistic thing, which I'm not against, it's just not executed well. (Though it's cute to imagine Simeon himself being responsible, as tech-illiterate as he is.) It's a weird genre for a character like him, too. I was expecting another ballad, maybe with a harp... -> Lyrically: 6/10 Feels quite generic - I feel like Simeon of all characters would have had a more poetically written song, and his relationship with MC could have been particularly interesting to write about. (Though I'm not sure how long ago this was released.) -> Overall: 5/10 He deserved better. I do like the instrumental on his NB remix, though. That deep bass synth in the back is great

Our Destiny (Solomon) -> Sonically: 7/10 Really like those violins on the chorus. The blend of the strings with the more lo-fi adjacent sound is actually really fitting for a character like Solomon. Kazuki Kawata has this really nice smooth voice, and his ad-libbing at the end is pretty charming. The "hey!" on the chorus sometimes veers into youtube_kids_going_yay.mp3 territory for me, though. -> Lyrically: 7/10 I really like that he calls back to one of his in-game phone calls. It's kind of funny that he sounds so sure of himself when there's an almost insecure nature to his affections in NB especially. -> Overall: 7/10 All around good song. Another one who got done dirty by his remix.

------

UNIT SONGS

Choose Me (Mammon, Levi, Asmo) -> Sonically: 6/10 I like the big brass sound, but... eh. Feels like something's missing. I like Hirotaka Kobayashi's delivery on Mammon's rap lines, but the chorus in particular feels kind of lacking. -> Lyrically: 7/10 I don't know what this 'love game' is but I don't think I want to participate. I also fully hear "gay" every single time. That aside, the verses are pretty good. -> Overall: 5/10 Not really for me, but I'll listen to it on shuffle sometimes. This one's remix was criminally bad.

Telepathy (Beel, Belphie) -> Sonically: 10/10 Such a pretty instrumental. Is that "ooooooo" in the background Belphie? It does sound like Satoshi Onishi's voice. The twins both sound perfectly in character and in sync with each other (though I would've liked for them to have a verse together.) Their spoken bridge is adorable. -> Lyrically: 7/10 It's hard to gauge the vibes from the lyrics. They're definitely singing to/about each other (they say so in the bridge), and that's clear in the chorus, but there are a few parts where it's like. Is that something you say to a brother?? Did a songwriter miss a memo? Also what does "your muscles are mood" mean. -> Overall: 9/10 It's such a comforting song to listen to. I just get a bit distracted by "your muscles are mood" every time. Belphie. What does that mean. Please

Passion (Lucifer, Satan) -> Sonically: 8/10 Really big fan of the piano. The breathing sounds caught me off-guard at first, but I know to expect them now. I really like both VA's performances. Lucifer sounds like Lucifer again! -> Lyrically: 7/10 I find Lucifer's line "I said that I’d listen with patience and silence, but you've got some nerve to actually continue" kind of out-of-place - it's more consistent with his characterisation in early NB than anywhere in OM when this was released, which is interesting - but the rest is pretty good. I really couldn't imagine singing this alongside your own sibling though. -> Overall: 8/10 I don't tend to choose this one a lot, but I don't skip it if it comes on in shuffle.

Take It Easy (Satan, Belphie) -> Sonically: 8/10 Really fun bouncy instrumental. I really like the rapport between these two here. (Would you say Belphie's in falsetto? Either way, I love how he and Satan take the higher and lower registers respectively.) -> Lyrically: 10/10 God I love these lyrics. They're so funny. The brief moment of sincerity before they go right back to singing about how much they love pranking Lucifer. "Makes me happy" makes me so happy. It's so sweet. These little rascals. These absolute rapscallions. -> Overall: 9/10 I like the sound of Rock On better, but the LYRICS. They're so great.

Rock On!! (Lucifer, Mammon) -> Sonically: 9/10 This one's another banger. The VAs do a great job with the back-and-forth delivery in the spoken bridge (I especially love how Lucifer and Mammon both sound like they're pretending really hard that they don't give a shit on "Yoroshiku douzo negawakuba" together". Lucifer also sounds like he ran out of air on "...omae wa" a little earlier. Lol -> Lyrically: 8/10 It's really funny to listen to them both strut their stuff singing about themselves in the verses and then suddenly get sincere to each other on the bridge. Though I think this song could've really benefited from the "feels like it was written by the characters" approach. -> Overall: 9/10 I just really like it!

Trigger (Levi, Asmo, Beel) -> Sonically: 8/10 This used to be my favourite of these three unit songs sonically, but solely the delivery of "Trigger!" bothers me a little bit. It could use more force, is all. That aside, everyone did a fantastic job and Satoshi Kada in particular served on Levi's verse. -> Lyrically: 7/10 I'm not even entirely sure what's going on in this song, but I like it. I didn't like Asmo addressing you as "kitten", but I did really like Miura Ayme adding a sort of cutesy whining tone to "I'm the cutest demon in the world, right?" - Ayme in general does a great job with Asmo's character in songs. -> Overall: 8/10 Still good! I think my tastes have just shifted since I first listened to it.

------

OPENING SONGS

Sinful Indulgence (OM!:SWD) -> Sonically: 9/10 It really is a bop. Miura Ayme's performance is great. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Pretty strong! "Oh baby, obey me!" is clever and very catchy. I only ever use the word sexy as a joke so it catches me off guard when Asmo says it, but that's not really a complaint. The dark-and-sinful nature of the lyrics is really funny when you compare it to the stuff these guys actually get up to in-story. -> Overall: 8/10 It's a good listen and a good opening to the game, even if the lyrics don't really reflect the content all that well.

Devil's Way (OM!:NB) -> Sonically: 9/10 Ohhh whatever that metallic bell sound in the intro+outro instrumental is, it is a tasty sound. Shinya Sumi is performing his heart out and he's doing fantastic. I still can't fully tell if that's Belphie or Levi on the start of the second verse, but whoever it is did a really good job of making it sound subtly unsettling. The bridge starts shifting into edgy territory, but the whole song is teetering, to be honest. Also, I've mentioned this before, but the "sekai de-eeee" just before the bridge is still so good. -> Lyrically: 8/10 I adore the use of "sweetiepie" in the chorus but it does detract a little from the dark vibe they've got going on. Lucifer using 'boku' in this song of all places is bewildering and hilarious. The darker tone definitely fits in with S1 and S2. -> Overall: 8/10 Something about that bridge bothers me. Other than that, banger.

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BROTHER ENSEMBLE SONGS

It's My Party -> Sonically: 9/10 It's a bop. -> Lyrically: 6/10 Relatively basic. From a cynical perspective, the brothers basically each tell you their One Assigned Trait that the writers fall back on when they can't be bothered to do deep characterisation, but that's not the fault of the songwriter. I take psychic damage every time I hear "haters gonna hate." -> Overall: 9/10 I've listened to this quite regularly since I had my friend edit me the version with "haters gonna hate" cut out. (It's a 7/10 with the hater line left in.)

Eternal -> Sonically: 9/10 So nice. I can't unhear the first few notes as See You Again, but the rest of the track is definitely a credit to itself. I feel like there could've been more orchestral build-up, but that might also make it feel too dramatic... as is, it feels more candid and personal. Like you could imagine this being performed to you in a small local theater. -> Lyrically: 10/10 There is definitely bias at play, but hearing this as OM's first sincere ensemble love song made a pretty big impression. The lyrics are so sweet. "My love" is one of those terms of affection that I love so much I don't even mind when it's used on me. -> Overall: 10/10 Again, biased, but this song just has a special place in my heart.

On Your Way -> Sonically: 6/10 It's.... fine? I like the instrumental, but the chorus feels a little empty. Shinya Sumi hitting that high note on "Let's get you on your way" each time is kind of inspiring, though. Belt it, girl! -> Lyrically: 7/10 The "eeny-meeny-miny-mo" is so silly but I love it. -> Overall: 6/10 Pretty standard stuff.

With You -> Sonically: 9/10 Gosh, another really pretty instrumental! I think the seven VAs are definitely more comfortable singing as an ensemble here, though it would've been nice to get some more harmonies... -> Lyrically: 10/10 They're so sappy but that's what makes it work, especially delivered in all sincerity like this. Something about that last line (and its delivery) feels so earnest. -> Overall: 9/10 I'm just a sucker for whatever genre you call this and Eternal. Also, I really like title callback to S2's play (I don't think it was necessarily intentional, but still).

Spooky Night Parade -> Sonically: 7/10 It's a really fun instrumental. I love the little "hehehee....... trick or treat?" in between choruses and verses. They're just little guys. -> Lyrically: 6/10 Just sort of standard Halloween-y lyrics that don't mean too much. -> Overall: 7/10 it feels more like a novelty song than something I'd listen to regularly.

Magic Moment -> Sonically: 9/10 Oooooh that's a nice instrumental. The swelling dynamics are so satisfying, the vocal performances are all lovely. I love that glockenspiel in the back. (At least I think that's what it is.) (I've imagined IK playing it while the brothers perform this before.) -> Lyrically: 9/10 Another "it's so sappy I love it" moment. "I'm so happy I could cry" Like GUYS!! Aw man I love you. They drop three I love yous and they're all great. -> Overall: 10/10 I know the maths doesn't add up but I just really like this song.

Anniversary -> Sonically: 8/10 Strong instrumental, but I feel like the delivery on the raps in the first verse are a little lacking? Asmo and Belphie's verses feel incredibly satisfying for whatever reason. Though Belphie(?)'s little "come on baby" at the end just makes me laugh. I feel like the chorus could've benefited from splitting the brothers up a little (at least for the first two) rather than having them all sing at once. I love hearing them all talk to each other at the beginning, like a behind-the-curtain moment. -> Lyrically: 9/10 "We can't live without you" AWWWWWWWW -> Overall: 9/10 Feels nostalgic even though it came out this year. Another one where the overall rating is based on pure vibes and feeling

------

TRIWORLDS

All the Feels -> Sonically: 10/10 Certified banger. Is it something about Barbatos? (His "one more time" in the final chorus is kinda hype.) Feel like there could've been more variety in the instrumental, though. -> Lyrically: 8/10 The verses feel more personal to the characters than in e.g. It's My Party, but the chorus is still pretty basic. It's a little upsetting that one of Barbatos's lines here has more depth to it than most of his characterisation thus far. I find it really funny that they call the listener "buddy." Probably would've been too weird for Luke to say "honey". Also, the "We are dancing, we are dancing (uh, uh)" bridge is so dumb (in a cute and funny way) -> Overall: 10/10 Just a great song to listen to (and imagine choreography to.)

[mysterycitrus]

Quick question about how you decide what comics to care about? When it comes to characterization?

I know there’s comics that are generally considered ooc and no one really incorporates them into their characterizations. (Eg: I skimmed All Star Batman and Robin for fun. I now understand why people call him Crazy Steve, and I’m obviously not going to be taking this particular iteration of Batman and Robin into account when characterizing them.) But other than these really obvious instances, how do you deal with it? Like, I know fans of pre-N52 comics avoided a lot of stuff during that time? But now that we’re in Rebirth? I know that characterization in comic fandoms is always a bit thorny because of comic books as a medium, with all those different writers, timeline resets, etc… But you seem to have a really good handle on that, cause whenever I read any of your stuff and then read a comic, I’m usually like, yeah, same person here. Which I think is a feat! So, do you sort on vibes? Writers? Another metric? Case by case? TLDR: How do you deal when a character canonically says/does something that makes you go, “he would not fucking say that?”

Love your blog! And your writing!!!! Thank you!!!!!

ahh, crazy steve. what a guy (derogatory)

hmmmmmm for me personally if im writing a character i generally identify a “core” comic, regardless of retcons or conflicting characterisation, and then go off that. im reading a lot of bart allen atm so i focused on mark waid and todd dezago and completely ignored everything geoff johns has done with the character. for dick, scott snyder and judd winick are kinda the benchpoint for me, and then i kinda pick and choose (from wolfman, dixon, higgins, etc) what i think fits with that character. jason is easy cause he’s only had two comics worth anyone’s time. weirdly, some of roys best comics are written by devin grayson. so on and so forth.

wrt “he wouldn’t fucking say that” disease of which i am a chronic sufferer, I look back on dick (as an example) and his legacy characterisation, and whether or not it would make sense. not all legacy characterisation is good, mind!! but it’s generally easier to get a good benchmark if u go off a period when writers weren’t terminally on twitter. a lot of it is case by case, and i just map that in my brain

idk like SO much of it is just vibes and trying to create some internal consistency. like u said — there is so much conflicting characterisation and plotting and events that it can be very difficult so u just kinda have to trust ur own intuition. when i first posted persephone and got positive feedback for how i wrote dick I was kinda surprised — cause how i write him tends to clash with his popular depiction in both fandom and many modern comics. ig my real advice if ur writing (or reading) about these characters is to not fear complexity, and be conscious of exactly how racist most comic writers are.

[mrghostrat]

Hello!! I'm not new to writing but I am absolutely new to writing fanfiction and have been extremely nervous to even start doing that, do have any suggestions on where to start so I don't make it accidentally it's own story just using someone else's character names? ( I mean that in a sense of accidentally altering their personalities and other components that would be really important) Because chances are I probably won't notice while doing it and probably think it's fine. I'm really really bad at not noticing mistakes until it's too late to fix them but I have a fic idea that I think would be really cool and I don't know how to go about it without doing it terribly.

Here's a random pic I took this afternoon, I dunno just the way you describe scenes I figured you'd enjoy the atmosphere of it?

1. this picture is stunning, my god, it's giving me chills. so beautiful, thank you for sharing 👁️👁️

2, i think dialogue is probably one of the biggest components of characterisation, so linking back to canon dialogue can be a really helpful and easy way of keeping your characterisation in check. quite literally an exercise in "would he fucking say that?"

you've probably noticed how much i love using canonical lines from the show like this, even though i'm usually taking them out of their original context. as a reader, hearing dialogue in MS/DT's voices can be very grounding, and as a writer, it can keep you in line as you write their conversations.

i also like trying to create a parallel between events and decisions in my fic vs the canon. something tiny: in ATWS chapter 3, crowley orders takeaway and convinces aziraphale to get something too. in my initial plan, he was going to say no and wave crowley away/be a bit holier than thou, but when i made the takeaway food bbq ribs (like the ox rib), i realised it was literally aziracrow 101 for crowley to tempt him successfully into things, especially food. so i made aziraphale say yes, and simply act put out about it.

you'd think these kinds of parallels would be more important on a grander scale, but i like comparing every little decision to the canon, even if it's only for a moment, to think about how they'd act in that situation. it could be an entirely different universe but they can still be the same characters who make the same decisions as an angel and demon would.

3. a lot of people would say that it doesn't matter, that you can write whatever you want even if it's wholly out of character and just has their names attached to it. even though that's not the kind of fan fiction i like to read and write, it's still valid, and the most important thing is that you're having fun and being creative. basically, don't sweat it if it's not perfect.

[pastafossa]

hi pasta :) hope your week is going well so far !!

i dunno if you’ve spoken about this or been asked before (i apologise if you have) but i was just wondering how you always get matt’s characterisation so spot on?? if i didn’t know any better, i’d have thought you wrote the show. i can literally always picture him doing/saying the stuff you write <333

😭😭😭 This is like, an AMAZING compliment oh my god, thank you so much!

As for the question I'm not sure if I've talked about it before but ironically seeing it in my ask box triggered a discussion with sis. Like, I know there are folks who have a different take on Matt than mine. That's valid! So I don't want to be like... 'I did the research and delved and etc etc' because they do too. But eventually me and sis arrived at a conclusion that it's a few combos of things that makes Matt easy for me to click with:

A lot of psych classes in college that ironically I've used more for writing than anything else. This helped me understand some of how Matt's background of abandonment and trauma would potentially affect him and influence his coping techniques and behavior. I like learning psych stuff in general so that all wound up being an influence. I'll always recommend digging into this when working with characters!

I've watched Daredevil over and over and over and over and the more I've rewatched, the more I wind up picking up on new things and analyzing what Matt is thinking or feeling (bless Charlie for giving Matt so many little hints and fidgets and subtle touches of what Matt's internally feeling). This includes interviews, behind the scenes stuff, anything breaking down the why of Matt. I'm familiar with him at this point.

There are certain parts of Matt's character that I relate to incredibly strongly as a disabled person with chronic pain raised in the church, and also as someone who went through a long lonely period of depression where I felt very isolated, and then was afraid when I did finally make friends that they'd leave me. So. There's always an element with Matt that's like, 'ah I get it', this sense of resonation. I feel like that natural click with Matt really helped me when writing him, cause... been there, get the motivation, also dude needs to cry more and let that stress out, trust me.

This sounds weird but me and my sis love to break characters down, rip them apart to examine their insides. We love our favorite characters and talking about all their wholesome or badass elements, but we also gd love and have fun dissecting flaws, fuckups, the shadow self, character trauma, are they the asshole, is EVERYONE the asshole, what does this mean when he did this or that. The whole Pasta clan is immersed in that - Dad was a theatre major so got a lot of practice, Mom's loved lit forever, and we all have this tendency, so I got very comfortable very early with taking characters apart in a really honest way to figure out how and why they tick and what the writer/actor is trying to tell you. And since we've all seen Daredevil, and dad has also read a lot of the earlier comics, we've all more than once metaphorically laid Matt out on the table like a frog and dissected his character. I feel like having someone who's not only willing to talk about these layers with you, but also comfortable enough with you to kinda push back and go 'Or what if he was doing it because of this' or 'Ok yeah you love him but he was actually being the asshole here because *valid reason*' is important. Get you some allies who love to know why characters tick!

So basically lots of reading, really enjoying picking characters apart with fam, and familiarity, all mixed up in a bucket of 'Ooooh poor thing, I've been there and that was not fun. You really need therapy and maybe some antidepressants.'

[natsuphoria]

Hihi! I loved ur first fic w/ natsume and jun! If u don't mind could u write abt Eichi, Keito and Nazuna having a crush on reader but the reader is super oblivious </3 and thinks they're just supperr close and calls them "nii-chan"

thank you anon! i didnt know much about these characters so this was a fun challenge <3 (everyone say thank you cherry, reze and qian for helping liddle ol’ me with characterisation!) also oblivious reader is so silly /pos

eichi, keito & nazuna crushing on an oblivious reader

they/them pronouns used for reader in keito's part; no pronouns in other parts

eichi would be confused at first, but it eventually makes way for amusement!

he’s a busy man, but he makes sure to make time for you. you’re incredibly important to him… even if you’re not aware of just how much.  

at first he thinks he’s doing something wrong – much of his knowledge on courting and romance comes from movies and books, so he’s unsure as to whether such things are okay in real life.

he invites you to tea… or to a fancy dinner… he buys you whatever you even glance at… and all he’s met with is a sweet smile and a bright “thank you, nii-chan!”

ah… he’s not very sure on how to proceed. cue the signature eichi faint smile ^_^

he’s not very creative in this department, so i’d expect him to start consuming more romance media to gain inspiration… he's hitting the books yall look at him go!!

due to this, a lot of his courting methods are traditional and cliche, but it’s incredibly endearing that he tries so hard! or it would be, if you were aware that he was courting you in the first place…

i’d think eichi is quite the clingy person – he hasn’t had many friends or acquaintances, so to find someone he likes so much? someone who (probably. arguably. possibly.) likes him back just as much? he’s going to be so protective of you. 

it’s very obvious how much he favours you! at least to everyone else -.- he’d have a special seat in his office just for you… your favourite tea blends (or other drinks, if you don’t like tea!) just within reach… 

it’s visible in the way his voice softens almost imperceptibly when he’s speaking to you, or the way a smile slips onto his face when your name pops up in conversation.

though he thinks your oblivion is amusing – aren’t you just the cutest, most innocent thing? – he’s well aware of his clock ticking down. he won’t admit it, but he’s quite afraid that he won’t be able to spend as much time with you as he wants to. he’ll have to speed things up… maybe he’d just have to ask you directly? you’re sure to say yes, right? 

keito & nazuna below the cut!

ah, keito. he’d be losing his mind actually.

this man is absolutely an overthinker. his huge wrinkly brain is working overtime for sure.

it’s silly because both of you would be oblivious at first! meaning, keito wouldn’t notice his little crush until someone else points it out to him.

even then, he’d be firmly in denial… such feelings are utterly foreign to him. plus, he has no idea what to do with them!?

confess, keito. shoot your shot, that’s what. ← real words from his lecture club

he’s not likely to confess to you unless he knows for sure that you like him back. he likes having a solid plan to follow, and feels much more at ease when he can anticipate every outcome.

but you’re not gonna make it that easy for him, are you?

he really does try his best… but he has unconventional ways of showing his affection

he nags at you quite a bit! i hope you like his lectures 0(-( he just wants you to be at your best i promise.

romantic words aren’t really his forte. this man is incredibly awkward when it comes to you, so any attempts to rizz you up end in him getting embarrassed and fleeing the scene.

100% he comes up to fix your collar or your tie and he’s so flustered from the proximity but you’re just like :DD nii-chan!!! and there’s a pang in his chest.

"i smiled at them more than normal why dont they get it" "keito you looked constipated" /hj

he’d probably write manga about you… or create a character that’s clearly inspired by you… please, please take the hint ;-;

he’d be crazy frustrated!! he’s not getting through to you at all and it’s driving him insane. this is solidly outside his comfort zone too, he’s not exactly having a fun time. he thinks he’s doing something wrong, or that this is your way of telling him you’re not interested… poor keito :(

someone close to him would have to coax him into telling you directly!! even then, it would take him a fair amount of time to psych himself up enough to act.

when it happens, though, he'd be a blushing, stuttering mess -- such a far cry from his usual calm demeanour.

nazuna is a sweetheart tbh...

he's already an affectionate and caring person, but it's turned up tenfold with you! it's pretty obvious when he has taken a liking to someone.

nazuna strikes me as someone who has to have a solid friendship before they can develop a crush, so the two of you probably already have a good relationship!

he dotes on you a ton, and checks up on you the same way he does his unitmates! he just wants you all to do your best, and he's unconditionally proud of you regardless of the outcome. he makes sure you know it too.

sure, he likes being called nii-chan by his juniors, but theres a certain pang in his chest when it's coming from you, especially when you sound so sincere about it.

ah... maybe he's taken on a brotherly role from your perspective... how would he go about expressing his interest in you instead? he's extremely respectful about it. nazuna drinks his respect people juice daily ^_^)b

he doesn't really know a way other than showering you with even more affection. loving you comes so easily to him! how could it not? you're so incredibly precious, he just wants to see you happy :)

poor guy gets overwhelmed easily, though... the combination of your sweet smile and your oblivious reactions to his advances makes his head swim!! if he's not careful? if he gets worked up enough and acts rashly? he might just go in for the kiss straightaway...

tags: @tokusaatsus, @kalimism

[thatstheproblemwithnapkinman]

fuck it, i'm talking about beast world

(i have not read issue #1 yet, this is mostly a rant about tom taylor and #6, so kind of spoilers for dick in beast world)

ok, so the cover for #6 was announced and...

i'm pissed

so, firstly, this article on it made me want to cry

WHY IS THAT THE TITLE FUCK OFF

i am sick and tired of the "nightwing is a sex symbol" bc why do they keep forcing this narrative

also, this is a direct quote from tom taylor

Yes, you do get Nightwing turned into a fox because we’d be inhuman monsters not to do that. People want to see that.

do i like dick as a fox bc i like dick and i like foxes, so i am happy for that, but the fact it has been done purely for the sex symbol reason is annoying

tom taylor's run is something. there are good things about it (haley) but a lot of mis-writing of dick as a character and ignoring a lot of characterisation that has occurred aver the past 83 years. i like the limiting of his sexualisation - it is a lot less present in taylor's run than previous runs - but making dick a fox bc foxy get it bc foxy bc sexy is stupid and annoying

dick WOULD be a fox, but not because of that. he would be a fox because he is a trickster, he is manipulative (something tom taylor seems to forget half the time). this man can fool batman if he wants. this is a good enough reason for him to be a fox but no, it's because he is sexy

it also fits with the bats being canines (not damian but cat damian makes so much sense and it's close enough) with bruce and jason both being wolves. dick as a fox fits this perfectly. especially with him, bruce, and jason, the three characters that mirror each other. bruce and jason are both wolves because they are the same. they are so similar it's scary sometimes (my own opinion on them anyway. there are differences between them ofc but they are a lot more similar than they are different). dick is a fox because his is the same but different. a canine but he chose his own path, became a better version of batman. a master manipulator.

there was a perfect reasoning but it was thrown out because "let's continue the over-sexualisation of him" was the easy way out

do i think the better reasoning might end up being the actual reasoning in the comics, possibly. idk if they will dive into the reasoning tbh, i'm not holding out hope for it.

idk man, i think beast world is gonna be fun, but this just made me cry

i'm only happy bc the cover by sweeny boo is actually nice (it doesn't accentuate his ass so tysm for that bc now i don't feel bad when i use it in my nightwing widget)

also, i am not someone who hates tom taylor. ii think his writing is fine and i love superman: son of kal-el ok. he doesn't write dick badly, sometimes he just misses and that is ok. i still like the run and will still get it and read it bc i'm enjoying it ok

i just don't like the OVER-sexualisation of dick

[nyehilismwriting]

do you have a favorite character to write?

I love all my children equally😇

BUT t b h it's whoever I've been writing most recently/most indepth!

writing Nash comes very easy to me - I don't often have to stop and really think about their characterisation, particularly their conversations with the operative, and that's a dynamic I never get tired of writing.

rohan is always always fun. xe can be a bit tougher to characterise than nash, since xe has a lot more.....layers, but I love xem and thinking about xir reactions to stuff is always a good time, even (especially) when xe's being....irrational, or kind of a dick.

leanna is also a joy to write, she's a nice break from the intensity and, tbh, bullshit of the first two. she's very straightforward and very refreshing, and I like writing a character who is more mature and knows what she wants and what she's looking for in a scene.

ki-ha is my specialest little man and I love him- he's great fun to write, and he has a lot of context to him that you guys aren't aware of yet, which makes him super fun to drop hints about👀 he is also, like leanna, one of the more straightforward characters, and I find his dynamic with the operative really satisfying.

rhaxa and imxa are just FUN! I love exploring the nonhuman axis there, with different body language and different experiences and how those colour their interactions with the op. you all haven't met imxa yet, but she's just kind of a dick, which is a thing I (obviously) enjoy writing, while rhaxa has a very different perspective from characters I usually write.

so, yeah! no favourite just my arms full of little dudes<3

[senblades]

hi! i love fftsr and i really enjoy the dynamics between everyone and their personas so i wanted to ask how you decided to characterise the personas/their dynamics and if you had envisioned how the other thieves interact with their personas as well?

sorry if this question is weird 😭 keep up the good work!!

interesting question...

(uhhh I didn't think this would happen with this question but SPOILERS FOR UP TO CHAPTER 46 OF FFTSR)

To be honest, the ony dynamic that I put a real degree of thought into is the Akechi & Robin & Loki dynamic- I wanted neither persona to be entirely good or rational, or one side representative of 'being evil' or whatever. Akechi's problem, is that his thoughts, feelings, and ideas so often contradict eachother, and he is entirely unable to reconcile that. So even when Robin and Loki do agree, Akechi is more likely to ignore them than take thier advice.

Of course, just because I didn't put too much thought into it doesn't mean I'm pulling all the other dynamics out of my ass lmao:

Sumire takes second place for "Persona who talks the most"- Ella, for the most part, is a supportive force that also isn't afraid to call Sumire on her bullshit. Whether or not Sumi listens is another matter entirely. This sort of stems from how Sumire's third awakening is her final resolve to stand on her own, to reject Maruki's reality despite all it could give her, to be unapolagetically Sumire for the rest of her life- So her persona is a force to remind her of that vow, when she starts slipping into her anxieties and her tendency for avoidance.

Haru doesn't get a lot of POV scenes, but her awakening was very fun for me to write. Since I've taken Haru in a direction that is distinctly angry, I wanted Milady's words to reflect that anger at her circumstances, and the need to break from it.

Ren doesn't chat with Arsene often enough for me to remember much of what he says HAHA- he doesn't have the same influence on Ren's character the same way that Akechi and Sumire's persona's do. When he does talk, however, it's usually to quip or be a smartass- a trait which I've quietly yoinked from how people tend to characterise Arsene/Shadow Ren- as, simply, the essence of Joker.

And, now that Ren has also resolved the whole Crow situation, his dynamic with Metatron is pretty much that Metatron is a forceful reminder of the kind of thinking that got Ren to make poor descisions in the first place. Metatron often speaks up any time that Ren tries to justify taking Maruki's deal, spoken with all the snark and fury of the real Akechi.

Most of the PT haven't had POV scenes, but Futaba and Makoto certainly have!

For Futaba, any time Necronomicon speaks up is usually when Futaba is trying to avoid something. Stemming from her awakening, Futaba's vow to never allow lies to decieve her again is reflected in her persona, and especially when she tries to decieve herself.

For Makoto- I actually can't remember if Johanna has spoken in a previous chapter, or if she's going to speak in an upcoming one, but Johanna's shtick also stems from Makoto's awakening. Makoto's vow was to not be trampled by authority, to ensure that she can be herself even in a society that aims to push her in a box. Johanna will speak up if Makoto is becoming complacent, if she tries to take the easy way out.

Uhh that's pretty much it! For the other PT's personas, I would similarly draw from their awakenings to decide what I would want them to say. For the most part, though, everyone's personas start getting chatty when their wielders aren't being true to themselves.

FUCK I FORGOt about Maruki. HAHA I wrote Azathoth as being a cryptic peice of shit, mostly. That kind of 'cult leader talk' is the kind of shit he pulls in canon, and I saw no reason to change that.

Shadow Maruki, on the other hand, is a more true reflection of the man himself- an echo of who he was in the original timeline. Shadows and personas are two sides of the same coin, but how they present themselves does vary. They're archetypes, rather than a 1:1 of their wielder's personality.

aaand that's all I got! ty for the ask! <3 <3 <3

[sandsorghum]

pondering all the potential, wonderful challenges of writing Higuruma in a relationship, because there's so much nuance with each possibility of what one imagines his past experience (or lack thereof) to be.

First and foremost I headcannon Higuruma as someone who hasn't had a lot of time and space to invest in Love, not properly - or not on a level that rivals his passion for the Law, or his ideals of improving the world.

And there's a lot of ways to go about presenting that; I think he could have had any number of situationships or romances but not a serious relationship, a full commitment that he hasn't been willing to let fizzle out at the mercy of hectic arraignment schedules, sparks barely kept guttering with office trysts and motel rendezvous.

I like toying with the idea of a Higuruma who approaches sex as a (biological) hassle on some level, but also isn't that cerebral about it; he can be a beast when he wants to be <3

I could characterise Higuruma as someone who's had a lot of (sexual) encounters, but finds actual intimacy unfamiliar territory. Someone for whom it's simple enough to find a person to sleep with, but might be slightly flummoxed that person is still by his side, tolerating his snoring six months or a year later. maybe he'd even be downright befuddled at how it could get to a couple of years of mornings of sprawled limbs and entwined legs and offensively chilly soles despite the cuddles and blanket forts. (Lemme have my soft spot!)

Although speaking of cold feet, I don't think Hiromi really gets any - even if he were to find himself head over heels someday. Similar to how swiftly he adapted to the realities of jujutsu, I think there's something unshakeable about his emotional interiority, however new and overwhelming these intense feelings get. Though it'd be very fun to write a smitten Higuruma (I think he could be so unabashed and shameless about his desires, especially post "went off the rails in my 30s" Hiromi who's decided he's pretty done with decorum and excessive regard for others' opinions - tldr this is a man who will convince you to let him eat you out on a balcony if the whim catches him, and if your whines reach the neighbours' ears? Whatever he's just gonna quote Paragraph iiv Subsection C of the tenants' agreement at them. Maybe he'd even mock their polite sensibilities and taunt them by printing out a template complaint letter to the landlord for their convenience, knowing they'd be too embarrassed to actually bring it up.

"Mr Takeda, this thinness of the walls that you speak of, must be as imaginary as my patience.")

Higuruma isn't one to deny or bullshit himself about what he wants, whether that's a more just world or a woman he's certain is his equal, perfect partner. He has such astute assessments of the world, and how to shape it, he doesn't see why applying that same effort and logic wouldn't guarantee him similar results in a relationship.

That's one of the most attractive (and annoying) qualities to me in writing him, he's didactic and dynamic and direct, so to come up with scenarios that challenge those traits, or where those traits might be a hindrance or have unintended outcomes in communication objectives, requires a lot of writing layered conversations.

With Nanami, it's easy to misinterpret the unsaid - with Higuruma it's vice versa. He could be both so verbose and incisive, getting to the rational conclusion before you do, or before the emotional reality sets in perhaps. (I also think there is quite limited space in his world view for emotional realities taking precedence over objective facts.Growth for him in a relationship, with a partner for whom such things matter more at least, would be to accommodate this alternative view.)

I might also enjoy expanding the psychology of Higuruma's darker streaks; Obsession as the flip side to Devotion. One has to be a little "crazy" to be a criminal attorney in Japan, to go against the odds of 99%. His is a conviction that warps worlds, bends it to his will with eloquence and insight. He could flay someone apart and wrap the shreds of their self around his finger...(yall lucky im too lazy/busy rn to properly give a YandereHiromi a run)

On the opposite end, I haven't contended completely with what vulnerability looks like for Hiromi -- that'd depend a lot on how closely the canon influences the setting of one's story, or the points where it'd depart. How drastically different might Pre and post Culling Games Hiromi be?

Well...I think Post-CG Hiromi would have quite a lot of remorse over the innocents he killed, that's probably something he'd have to work through with his love. There'd be bouts of doubt as to whether he deserves something so good, lapses of cynicism like what led to that initial meltdown. I'm considering in particular how he couldn't bear to be around Yuji after their fight, that opening seam of self-loathing could lead to some interesting character developments.

All of this would be compounded by how he doesn't have the best track record in getting people to stay, or not caring enough to persuade them to until real Love came along and smacked him upside both hemispheres of that gorgeous brain. As someone who doesn't extensively experience (progressively) stronger emotions, he would need some time to sort through all that. I wouldn't say he lacks that capacity, but he'd be adjusting to a realm of depths he had never figured he was capable of.

Hiromi's had a lifelong career convincing others and convinced of man's (necessarily sufferable) shortcomings - getting him to have different expectations, or even to ask what he expects of this discovery of love, could be difficult and foreign. Fortunately it's well documented that those aren't daunting factors for Hiromi, there's a version of him so determined to not screw up what he has because he has no clue how he got so lucky. Imagine that tenacious dedication he's applied to his ideals being poured into his love, he'd be one of the most loyal partners ever. And it's not zeal, it's not fanaticism, nor tempestuous passion (though there's definitely a variant of that you could write him with); A serious relationship with Hiromi has a foundation in crystal clear-eyed love, based on both the sensibility of compatibility but also the mysticism of chemistry.

He knows he's clever, has an infinite handkerchief of wry witticisms in his pockets but what Hiromi doesn't understand is how he makes you laugh so brightly, so easily at the remarks and observations he doesn't intend as jokes or barbs. He doesn't know either how the knowing smirk between the two of you slipped into something far more innocuous, him simply smiling at your upturned face, in a lull in the middle of a conversation. And you always know the right thing to say, but your silence is just as comforting.

It's both getting his sense of humour, and empathising with his frustrations. It's both innate, and it's effort - just like his intellect, or his skill with sorcery, the connection comes naturally but so what, he's still had to commit to fighting for everything he wants to accomplish and achieve. He puts in the work despite the sheer genius or talent. So similarly in a relationship, Hiromi isn't going to rest on his laurels or merely rely on what he feels. He won't take your affection (or attraction!) towards him for granted, likewise he'll constantly try to earn and keep your trust, and probably expects a similar commitment from his partner to talk through tension or hash any arguments out. (Stonewalling wouldn't work on him, it only guarantees further frustration and distance.)

That of course is an idealised, almost fully realised version of Hiromi.

I'd also like to write stuff where I examine what his flaws or oversights in a relationship would be in, I suspect they'd stem from a rigidity of certain perspectives - in the same vein of how there's usually some duality or double-edge sword aspect to our base qualities, or most inviolable ideals. (For example how does Hiromi temper justice with mercy, can he afford himself that kindness?)

It's so easy to love Hiromi, like it is with Nanami, for his beliefs. But being a good person isn't the same as being a good partner. Those with strong principles have an obstinacy about their ethics that can translate to their diagnosis of what the source of conflict and "solutions" are in relationships. And attempting to conceive a cogent argument against an attorney? His lover's got their labour cut out!

I'm addicted to analyzing these complexities of Higuruma's character, to cross-examining how his traits and tendencies would work or work against him in a relationship. How he would bring his passion, his processing, his oscillations between optimism and realism into Love. I really want to do justice (hah) to him, and it's such a struggle parsing all these things sometimes I just wanna give up and write "stress-relief" one night stand filth for him ):

[the odds im working on something like that alr is 101%]

god i've spent too many hours just thinking about this man! there's just so much to unpack with him and yknow he's also packin'

[freeuselandonorris]

yeah so the electrostim ficlet has completely done me in, I need to do, ahem, further research into this ASAP holy shit. absolutely loved oscar's voice and whole vibe (awkward but completely willing (eager, perhaps) to go along with lando's whims. which then switches into lando being completely fucking floored by the products of oscar's beautifully weird little brain). in fact I loved it so much I took notes:

when oscar, casually, like it's fucking normal, said "I uh think it stimulates my bladder or something" I genuinely had to take a moment to just stare at a wall and Process. logically I knew damn fucking well it was bound to happen but I must admit I hadn't exactly been doing any, well, useful thinking up until then. not after either. but actually having many thoughts, head very full. good lord

"ah jeez." oscar says as he pisses himself. on camera. on a recording he full well plans to send to his Formula One teammate of all people. there's something wrong with him (affectionately.) secretly freaky but vaguely mortified whorescar may be my next obsession ngl. and the findom crumbs have my brain absolutely melted. thank you. oh my god.

and just fyi the post does not seem to have been piss tagged which personally I view as a great loss to all the deranged scrollers out there. but it's also, yk, filtering

tyyyy i’m so glad you enjoyed it!! i very much enjoyed writing it 👹 and omg how did i forget the piss tag… amended now! (ty for the other heads up about the cut moving after editing too - i think it looks okay from my end but pls shout if not! i hate this broken app lmao)

hahaha secretly freaky but vaguely mortified whorescar… perfect description. i feel like it’s so easy to default to writing lando as the feral kinky one introducing oscar to weird shit but it’s always SO much fun when i write it the other way around and as previously discussed, i really feel like this one has the kinda science experiment vibes that fit him better than lando in a lot of ways! as i mentioned on the other ask the findom vibes were genuinely accidental!! it was meant to be a crispy oscar joke/backref to lando betting him, but funnily enough i have been discussing paypig lando recently so maybe it was subconscious lmao 🥲 it’s not a true ojp joke if people don’t take it seriously though right… maybe i have reached peak oscar characterisation 🤔

[valyrfia]

Hello! I came to ask you to please write that essay you mentioned about how Charles is feminized in the fics, but you already beat me to it hahahah. Pero he de decir que coincido contigo en que se asigna una estructura heteronormativa a la dinámica de pareja y Charles acaba asumiendo el rol femenino, lo que se percibe como algo negativo debido en gran medida a la misoginia internalizada.

Personalmente, como ávido consumidor de fanfics, estas son caracterizaciones con las que siempre me encuentro y, francamente, me molestan. En el caso de Charles, lo describen como sumiso, ingenuo y con baja autoestima, en resúmenes con un carácter “débil”. Sinceramente no le veo nada malo si es con fines narrativos, pero el hecho de que muchos fanfics solo lo describan así o asuman que esa es su personalidad da mucho que pensar, sobre todo porque ignoran otros aspectos de La personalidad de Charles (o bueno, lo poco que sabemos sobre la personalidad de Charles, ya que no debemos olvidar que no lo conocemos y Charles solo muestra lo que quiere mostrar).

En fin, sólo decirte que valoro mucho tus reflexiones. 💕💕💕

Hi anon! I'm glad you agreed, and I agree with your points too. My issue is, and continues to be, when people can't divorce the narrative from the real person and these characterisations carry over into spaces where they shouldn't be. I'm going to expand wider than just RPF here and say the narrative around Charles' generally is sometimes a little much. Take this whole "haunted by tragedy" thing that Sky Sports was having a little too much fun with this weekend, with Damon Hill saying that the reason why Charles wasn't driving well was because he was distracted by grief? Sure, it makes for a good narrative to sell on your sports channel, but doesn't fit with the image of Charles who won Baku in F2 the weekend after his father died, and won his maiden grand prix the day after a childhood friend of his died.

It's so easy for all of us, fans to news pundits to talk about Charles battling with the circumstances of his life, whether it be those he's lost, or Ferrari being like a toxic ex he can never quite seem to leave, that it strips him of recognition of his own agency in a lot of ways. Charles has shown incredible mental strength in his life, and lest we forget, literally girlbossed his way to a legendary Ferrari contract. I got a few anons calling Charles mentally weak for not disobeying team orders in Japan, and I couldn't disagree more. This is a racing driver approaching his prime, who knew he could not defend on 20 lap newer tyres but ran an incredible race nonetheless. Charles is not a damsel in distress, he's an agent completely in control of his own destiny.

Speaking of destiny, the il predestinato nickname slaps, but I think is incredibly misleading for some people sometimes. When Charles wins a world championship, it won't be because he is 'destined' or 'fulfilling some prophecy', it will be due to his own choices, his own skill, his own talent, his own hard work. I think that Charles as a WDC is going to get hit with a VERY different narrative than the one we see now, one that acknowledges his hard work and agency in making his dream come true.

[coraniaid]

Very (very) slowly carrying on with my Buffy rewatch.

I really like Fear Itself. I think it's probably the best of the show's three Halloween episodes. Maybe not one of the truly top tier Buffy episodes, but certainly a very fun and solid one.

I'd completely forgotten about the scene Buffy shares with her mom while getting her costume prepared for the party. In my memory Joyce really isn't in this season much at all. It's a really nice shared moment too, of the sort I wish we'd seen a bit more often. (Although it's not clear to me exactly when Joyce is meant to have found out that Ted was a robot. When did Buffy tell her, and why?) And canon confirmation that Joyce has friends other than the late and unlamented Pat!

Anya is a fun addition to the group, even if you have to do some mental gymnastics to reconcile this version of the character with the very different version we saw in a handful of episodes last season. Still, this version is charming enough that I don't really mind doing that ("Xander is in trouble! We've got to do something right now! Aren't you listening? Xander is trapped!" she says to Giles by way of introduction, only to respond to his question "Where are Buffy and the others?" with a wonderfully uninterested "Oh, they're trapped too, but we've got to save Xander!").

It's nice to finally get some real character development for Oz -- seeing his fear of losing control of his werewolf side and of hurting Willow -- though it's made more than a little bittersweet by the knowledge that this is all in service of writing him out of the show forever in just a couple more episodes' time.

Also lots of foreshadowing for Willow's later character development ("I can handle the dark forces as good as anyone else.  It’s not that hard!") and indeed for the wider theme of the season itself (with Buffy and Willow's argument and Xander's fear that he's becoming invisible to his friends). It's easy to get distracted by how goofy and underbaked the Initiative arc is this season, but there actually really is quite a lot of good season-long characterisation going on here.

Who knew that opening a new bus lane in Dublin could cause so much supernatural trouble?

If I could change one thing about this episode, I'd have Buffy confronted by a vision of Angel/Angelus when trapped in the basement, rather than some random frat guy (and we know the show was still doing lots of crossovers at this point, so I feel it could have happened). You'd need to change barely any dialogue, but I think it would add a lot to lines like "They ran away from you; they always will. Open your heart to someone and ..." or "No matter how hard you fight, you just end up in the same place. I don't know why you bother". (I mean, obviously Buffy's angst re:Parker is already meant to not just solely be about Parker, but why not make this even more obvious?)

I feel I've been very dimissive of the show's lighter episodes recently (well, of Something Blue in particular), so it's rather nice to be reminded that the show actually can be pretty funny when it wants to be.

[that1nkyone]

For the send a character ask game: Sans

First impression One of the Skeletons from this Skeleton Game that I've just started hearing about. He seems chill.

Impression now I really don't think anyone anticipated how much of a cultural staple this dude became, least of all Toby Fox. It took me a while to go from my fond characterisation, to 'holy shit this guy's everywhere and I've forgotten what he's Actually Like' back to fond characterisation. We all love a chill guy with Knowing undertones. Everyone's mischaracterised the hell out of him, though, myself included. He is 90 percent Just Some Dude who is really likeable, silly, deceptively intuitive, and easy to project on. The other ten percent? Well, we can speculate.

Favorite moment There's a lot. If you do Shyren's battle concert, he appears out of nowhere and hands out tickets mid-fight. Also, the "my brother'd really like to see a human... so, y'know, it'd really help me out... if you kept pretending to be one."

Idea for a story hey what if he turned into a werewolf dragon thing except he's a gaster blaster and it's symbolically a manifestation of his trauma and anxiety and he learns to overcome it with the help of his friends and family and gets to shoot lasers at his problems and it takes me four years to write. ... in all seriousness, if I ever wrote more Undertale Sans Fanfic, I wouldn't mind doing a small oneshot of what comes After Spectrum.

Unpopular opinion I know folks see him as the Secret Depression character, and while I think that holds some water, I see him a very hopeful character, too. He makes do with what he has, enjoys doing shenanigans, and is tuned in to the world enough to have routines, keep making friends, and make others laugh. That can be interpreted in a few ways, but I don't think he's on the Brink of giving up on everything, either.

Favorite relationship I semi-ship him with Toriel and Grillby, but not to a huge extent. I prefer his friendships with Frisk, any interaction with Undyne is fun, and of course him hyping up Papyrus wherever he goes.

Favorite headcanon That he was once taller than Papyrus - when Papyrus was like, three.

[epickiya722]

Hey, I hope you’re doing well. Ik we fic writers always complain about the lack of discussion surrounding our work so I thought I’d start asking questions to my peers.

Here we go:

I have a few questions about the Jin x Kenjaku fic you wrote:

1- How did you get the idea?

2- Did Jin’s characterisation cause you any problems since we don’t know much about him? How do you usually handle characters we don’t have much information about?

3- Can you detail your writing process a little bit for that one? Did you write it easily? Did it take a few days or more?

My last question is about writing in general. What do you like about writing Mirko?

Thank you in advance 💕

For anyone curious, this is the fic -> Blissfully Clueless

1 - Since I've been more "active" with JJK, I remember doing a reread and getting to chapter 143 and going "Oh, new fic idea" when I read the flashback scene. Wanted to try out an interpretation of how Jin's relationship with Kenjaku could have been like, you know? Simply was just writing it to be writing it! Honestly, I'm surprised I even wrote that fic because I didn't think would! Most of my fics are more comedic, but lately, I've been dipping into trying more styles.

2 - Ooh, so this plays into what I'll say later! It wasn't easy coming up with some kind of characterization for Jin, but at the same it was kind of easy. What made it difficult was that, yeah, we don't know much about Jin like that. Writing the fic, I questioned myself "how can I write this particular character without making feel too OOC, how to make a possible personality fit for this character"? Now what made it easy is that Jin doesn't have a lot to him in canon. Whenever I write characters who have little to nothing to them in canon, I think of them as empty or unfinished canvas. I have room to add colors to them, details that can bring them to life. Instead of a paintbrush, I'm using words. With characters like that, I'm able to let my imagination roam free because there are no limitations. If Jin had a lot more to him in canon, then it feel as if I have to take that and work with that. It's like "Well, he's like this in canon, so I can't mess up". I won't lie, sometimes I feel pressured to write a character aligned with canon personality because I feel like if I step just a little over the line, someone is going to get fussy about it. I mean, I understand that some people tend to write characters completely different just to bash that character in their fics or twist them in ways they see fit because they feel they have some authority over that character even though it's not theirs. But other times, there are those who do it as a creative choice, they're doing it to fit into an idea they have for a story. And it doesn't mean they really think of the character that way.

3 - That fic actually took a good twenty minutes or so! I needed a distraction that day and thus, that fic was born! Like a lot of my fics, I didn't plan that one. The idea came to me and I just wrote. As I wrote, that's when I question how I could possibly frame Jin's character. A challenge it was, but it was a fun one!

**

Oooh, to choose what I like writing when it comes to Miruko is giving her more depth. Okay, she has a personality in canon, but I just feel like she isn't just this "aggressive, angry rabbit woman" that some of the fandom sees her as. Now, unlike Jin, Miruko does have more backstory and screentime. In Vigilantes (BNHA Spin-off manga, it's great), she even has a whole flashback arc. So I have a little more to work with when it comes to her.

However, she is still just a minor character, so there is still not too much for her in canon. Even so, again, she's a canvas to me.

I actually have a lot of posts analyzing her character just from little information and her dialogue. I don't know how I do it, but I believe it comes from more how much I enjoy Miruko.

When writing her in fics, I don't want her to feel one-dimensional. Some of the fandom already do from canon which sucks. I'm about to sound salty, but it's just crazy to me that some fans will complain about aspects of female characters they find annoying and displeasing, but makes excuses for the male characters and admire them some those same aspects.

Some people will say the female characters barely got personality, but come on. Some of the male characters are bland as hell or has been done a thousand times before. It's not just the female characters, folks.

Anyways! I want readers to see that Miruko is capable of being sad, happy, tired... that she is capable of feeling, too. So I often think back to my posts about her and incorporate them in my fics. Or even vice versa. Sometimes, my fics inspire a post.

Sometimes, it can be a challenge, but not one I'll give up on because it's fun taking a line of dialogue and deciphering what it could mean for Miruko. I get enjoyment from looking at a scene and writing a post about it.

Gets the creativity flowing!

That's all I really can say for now. 💜