#i just think it's interesting how the show is giving us some very solid ground to stand on

[unnecessarilygrandiose]

the thing that's making me insane is the fact that buck sleeping on the couch was the most explicitly romantic thing the show has done, including the will scene.

every single Moment we've gotten between those two had an element of plausible deniability. yes, it's all very romantic coded, but if someone interpreted it platonically, they would be right too. even the will reveal (which was done in Such a romantic movie cliche manner) could be interpreted platonically, because making your best friend your child's godparent isn't such a far fetched idea, right?

but the couch. the show explicitly had buck connect the couch to having girlfriends, it made a point to show us that scene in 6x01 where him putting the single seater in the middle of the living room was meant to represent that he's ready to find himself outside of romantic relationships, it showed us buck squirming uncomfortably on the couch margaret bought for him. and then he shows up at eddie's, because that's his safe space, and he passes out on the couch in three seconds flat, and later he himself is surprised at how quickly he fell asleep there. because eddie's couch (the thing that represents romance) is the place where he finds comfort and warmth after everything.

there's not very much plausible deniability in this one. there's no getting past the fact that he quite obviously had a more relaxing sleep on that couch than he had in his loft all week. there's just the fact of him waking up and for once not going through his checklist, him having an honest and heartfelt conversation with his best friend, him feeling safe, understood, and loved.

[shinjisdone]

Two Humans in the Demon Realm - Fantasy And Nightmare

What if by the time Luz Noceda the human emerged into the demon realm...some other human did, too? However, instead of being joyful of being surrounded by all they love and taken in by a kind and openhearted witch...they are terrified of this place, taken in by the ruler of the realm?

[Basically I watched TOH again and dammit HUNTER SHALL HAVE A FRIEND I SAY NOT UNTIL S2 but NOW I SAY NOW]

BECOMING THE GOLDEN GUARD'S/HUNTER'S HUMAN FRIEND BECAUSE I SAID SO

The ground was red.

You swore you heard something akin to a growl from the plants.

The sea seems to be boiling and there is no way out, no matter how much you twist and turn.

There is no escape.

And as your fears turn into reality as raindrops hit your skin and burn your flesh away as you read in the book back home, you run and cry.

This is a nightmare.

This isn't earth. Nowhere this place could be, could be earth!

And if what that book said was true...

There are no humans but just one. From decades ago.

Perhaps you heard of the demon realm - through stories, gossip, theories, relatives that are aware of magic and witchcraft.

Maybe you believed in it, or maybe you thought it'd be humbug. The few magical instances in your life you witnessed - those were just show, right? A trick of the mind?

Or real magic after all.

But it did not matter. The moment you opened your eyes, you were stuck here.

On a rotting, red, boiling island that seemed far, far too familiar in that book you've read. Either out of interest or boredom. Maybe someone wanted to prove it to be real or you wanted to know if it was really fake.

Yet here you are and the smell, touch, sight and taste you sense were accurate to that stupid book.

And if that were the case, then certainly the rest of demons, magic and curses was real, too.

Being all alone in a strange place, stuck in it, is definitely going to be hard for you. No friends, allies or family around with only this stupid, stupid book in your hands that got you trapped here in the first place. As much as you hated it, it did give insight of the many qualities of the isles and therefore saving your skin a dozen times.

"The rain seems to be toxic. I have seen none indulge in its coolness but rather, hide from it. Witch and demon alike."

"The ground is very...solid. Almost bone-like...I do fear the entire island may be nothing but a macabre graveyard."

"I was not quite welcome here...nothing and no one hunted me down but I presume if my curiousity pushes for it, they will begin to."

The impressed yet depressing writing of the author did not help but they always managed to decribe things objectively with great detail that saved you again and again. Especially the pages including magic spells.

The many complicated and confusing glyphs written in it daunted you at first. Magic, you believe, is what got you in this mess in the first place but after careful thinking, procrastination, blocking it all out and finding yourself in a situation that forced you to cast magic - such one that could cost you your life - you've grown to be a bit more accepting of the concept of these...glyphs. Little by little, though.

So after some time, you finally, finally gained enough courage to...enter their society.

The market seemed to be fine for now. Hiding your ears behind a cape and hood YOU HAD TO MAKE YOURSELF USING THIS STUPID BOOK (which actually turned out quite impressive even when you did have to use magic) you entered. Turning into the wrong directions though you ended up in a even sketchier part of the night market.

The constant bellowing of...demons wanting to sell you things was familiar enough from earth (even when their...four eyes and gills decorated from their chin down to their chest where you can...see their heart beating...was a not so familiar sight) but the constant showing off of magic was not. You did not know everything and this (stupid) book did not detail everything either so you did your best to avoid anything magical. Which was harder than imagined considering this is a market for amplifiers and potions and whatnot.

Avoiding it all let you to an dead end of an alley...and right in the middle of a criminal act!

'Wild witches' as they were called and a red light engulfed all of you quickly from above. Figures clad in dark and masks that you recognized as that of guards of this realm appeared, those that you often had to run away from as well. Desperately tugging the book under your cloak you hoped you could use th scuffle to get out of there as fast and quietly as possible. These 'wild witches' and guards could thrash each other as much as they like, you won't stop them!

Yet from above, a cold gale with a flash of gold swept up from behind you, shoving a staff into your face.

"I wouldn't do anything stupid now if I were you."

Damnit!

Fine, the potion you begrudgingly needed three days to make had to come in handy now!

Whisking a flask to the ground, you made a run for it. You could hear coughing and cursing as the vapor ingulfed them, followed soon by another echoing sound before the same golden mask appeared in front of you again.

In a mere blink of an eye, they swung their staff and a biting wind knocked you to the ground. You quickly clung onto your book as the guard rose their staff above their head.

"One more of that trick and you're ash." They lowly let out, "Can't believe there are still wannabees out there that-"

They halt and you freeze, a shiver running up your spine. Even when all they did was stand still as a statue, the very fact that they were clad and gold and white with real, heavy armor and with a staff compared to the local guards around the isles was enough to leave you frightened.

This one means business. It must be.

But what are they? Nowhere are these people ever talked about in the book!

"...Human..."

You jerked up. Even their whispers were threatening.

Slowly but surely, the guard lowered their weapon. Though their face remained hidden by the mask resembling an owl, there was just a feeling, and underlying but undeniable feeling that made your stomach churn that whatever expression they might be having, their intentions are not in your interest.

"You're a human."

Your breath hitches. The cloak had fallen off from their spell, leaving it damp and abandoned further down in the alley. You didn't this would happen, you followed the instructions bit by bit. It felt like time stood still as the person before you hummed.

Finally, they raised their head again. "...You don't want trouble. Surely you don't?"

You shook your head.

"Then you're lucky you ran into me. Either you come with me or its the Conformatorium for you." They pointed the glowing tip of their weapon at you before playfully swinging it around, "And then, you know, zapped to dust, thrown into the sea to boil alive or petrified - there isn't much use for humans here."

Finally, you manage to speak. "You're not serious, are you?"

They sigh and motion for you to get up, doing so more threateningly when you did not obey the first time. "I'm not known for playing around." The red glow of the staff zapped towards your body, slung around your wrists like a snake before they jabbed you to keep walking out of the night market. "The Golden Guard can't afford to play around."

The next events were something you could only describe as hectic. Put on some kind of zeppelin (though it looked like a ship with wings) with magical...ropes(?) on you and head off to somewhere. Somewhere this guy claimed to be better than the 'Conformatorium'.

You had asked him what the point of taking you was but he was a bit too nonchalant for your taste.

"Oh, you'll see", He let out, "The Conformatorium is for witches and demons useless for the covens. But lucky for you, you might end up being useful, human."

It's all he said as he turned his back to you, controlling the ship with an carefree tune.

"I have a name, you know."

You spat out, couldn't take his attitude anymore. What is wrong with people in this realm?

The Golden Guard halted for a moment, stopping his melody abruptly. He waved his hand. "And?"

In turn, you scoffed out your name and telling him he might as well use it instead.

"What, does everyone also go around avoiding your name and calling you 'Golden Guard' instead or whatever?"

Once again he halted, longer than you anticipated. It was one request, a mere question but it left this guard guy guessing. He tilted his head absent-mindedly. You wondered what he'd need to ponder about for so long.

"...I do my job well," He started softly, "Well enough to be the only one worthy to be called the Golden Guard."

The trip was short and you did not know what to think of it. Glad to not bear this guy's attitude any longer or fearing for your life as a mere human in a place full of witches.

And covens? Use? Use for what? What is this...giant building, seeming more grande than anything else you've seen on the isles?

The rest followed by command. The Golden Guard shooed you to an different entrance than what you assumed tha main one was. The staff pressed against your back as you had no choice but to obey. With what could you defend yourself anyhow? An ancient book and bound hands?

The interior was akin to a palace of the medieval times, you noted. Individuals masked and clad in similiar white and gold worked routinely like soldiers in the hallways though your Golden Guard guy made sure nobody saw you. None of this was written in the book and though you have heard a few mumble in fear of the 'Emperor's Coven' you thought none of it. As long as you stayed away from it, you'd be safe. Yet here you were.

With a jab to the back, your oh so sweet companion ushered you up hidden stairs. Once entered the door behind you closed shut (with magic. Of course. Even in movies you never liked it when doors unexplainedly closed) and you went up ahead. The guard seemed to speed up more and more - along with getting ever so closer to a bright light ahead, you grew more anxious. This was it, wasn't it? You were going to die.

This would be your end, thrown into an hellscape away from family and friends. Treated like something worse than trash before your inevitable death.

Your companion rushed ahead of you, stepping into the room and immediately kneeling down. He moved his staff, causing you to tumble next to him, the magic ropes around your wrists tightening. "My Emperor," He let out in the most reverant voice you've heard him speak, "I apololgize for the sudden intervention but I have found something that might be of great interest to you regarding...the plan."

Looking up the dimly lit room, following the golden floor and walls, clad in immaculate red carpets and a set of stairs lied a throne. Tall and towering and on it, a man even more frightening.

He leaned his masked head against his armored hand, comfortably sitting on gold. His pale blue eyes glowed like that of a predator, you swore it at first sight.

"Your little friend will help accomplish our plan?"

"It is not anyone, sir." The Golden Guard pushed you forward and exposed your ears, "It is a human."

The exchange was scarier than anything else you'd seen on the isles.

The man on the throne was as swift as the wind as he stood up and approached you. He'd examine you, ask you question on who and what you are.

"Where do you come from, child, and when was that?"

He'd tilt his head and hum at your answers but did not make it known that he noticed your shaking and stuttering. However, his eyes lit up even more when he saw that book tightly hidden in your bag.

"Oh? What's this now?" With a flick of his finger, the book floated up to his eye level, pages after pages turned as he read them ever so quietly.

He'd definitely would ask you from where you got this book.

In the end it did not matter. Found it at a library, abandoned at a bus stop, given by clerk or friend. However, the man would raise a brow if you said that this book had been in your family for years.

Only if that were the case, though.

"Interesting. Well, welcome to the Emperor's Castle. Do make yourself at home."

...Wh-what?

The Golden Guard was just as confused as you. Stammering, he got up. "U- Emperor, what, here? Wh-what do you mean 'make yourself at home'?"

"It is what I said. Have you never had any guests, Golden Guard? You don't keep them prisoner," The man lifted his hand and the ropes around you vanished, "and you certainly take care of them. Like preparing a room for example." He put his arms behind his back, staring down at the younger man expectantly. He in turn, bowed and helped you up.

The...king of this castle you presumed, waved you goodbye. "We'll see what we can do for now. I'll gladly keep you here in my castle, safe and sound from the wilderness outside as long you can help me, little human."

Your companion excused the both of you and hurried you out of the throne room. Discreetly leading you inside an unused room, he shut the door.

"You're really lucky." He sighed, "...Anyone else wouldn't get...this treatment."

He sounded surprised and slightly melancholic but you didn't care - instead you can bombard him with any questions you like but he won't answer. Instead he shook his head and rose his open palm. "Listen, human. We're going to see how much of use you're going to be to the Emperor. But right here and now, the two of us are going to make some rules that he doesn't need to know of."

You can complain as much as you like but here you are in no position to refuse.

The Golden Guard listed each rule he abided to you.

'Do not leave the the castle, let alone the room. No one but him and the Emperor can know of your existence.'

'Tell each and every little secret you have to him first.'

'Don't cause trouble. He can get permission to stop treating you like a guest if you do'.

And lastly: 'Obey the Emperor.'

Your expression sours. This isn't what you wanted.

None of this was supposed to happen.

"Well, you'll get by. After all, as long as the Emperor allows it, you'll be kept safe. It's, ugh, my duty now too, to protect you. But be sure to stay in line because I can easily withdraw that priviledge."

Here you were. In this room.

It did have a bed, closet and desk with a chair. Much better than taking shelter in the rain under a firm bone or illegally breaking into someone's basement or shed. However, it was much more barren than any shed you broke into.

The Golden Guard would come in two to three times a day (WITHOUT KNOCKING) and bring you food and water. Either sternly ordering you around or playfully degrading you with a tap on the head with his staff. "Don't worry, the food is digestible for your human organs!" His enthusiasm didn't make the food taste any better though.

Aside from this, he'd ask you questions which you could only refuse or answer vaguely. He'd remind you of the safety the Emperor is providing you...but you can't admit that this 'Emperor' man felt sketchy to you. The book you always had with you was something you kept only for your eyes to see. It was your key in getting out of the demon realm and not matter what, you swore to yourself you wouldn't give it away or lose sight of it.

However, one day you had a request of your own.

"You remember our rules, don't you, human? No leaving this room."

"You can't expect to keep me here - thats keeping me prisoner, not as a guest!"

"I can tell you all about the great Emperor's Coven here. Besides, the Emperor plans to have a talk with you again."

You sigh. What's the point of escaping the room and getting lost in this giant castle right after? As well as risking being kicked out into the deadly outside of the isles?

But staying here would make you mad. Stuck in a system that you know nothing about...and you're supposed to just obey and take it?

"Can't you at least...show me around? I'd leave the room, yes, but you'd be with me. We wouldn't leave the castle and you can just keep an eye on me if you must. It's just...tiring to be here and not know what the rest of everything looks like." You looked out the window you were prohibited from opening. At least light went through, something akin to what you could deem a sun. "I still don't like this realm...but knowing nothing of it doesn't put me at ease even when I'm safe here."

Looking back you reckoned the Golden Guard was pondering about your request even behind the mask. You couldn't believe you were about to beg.

"Please, Golden Guard?"

Something about that look on your face felt too familiar.

With a heavy sigh he looks away - yet quickly regained his usual vigor. "Well, it would be a shame to be stuck in the great Emperor's Castle with the Golden Guard as your host and not see any of it."

He waved you over his shoulder to follow before swiftly spinning around with a stern voice. "But don't stray out of my sight. Disobey once and you're back in your room, human."

Hoooh boy, it worked.

Although a cloak and a mask was shoved into your hands, you gladly wore it if it meant getting out of the barren, same old room. As he said, the Golden Guard did not let you out of his sight but did insist on leading you. After all, you are pretending to be a newbie covenmember and the Golden Guard can't be seen walking side-by-side with someone beneath his status, hah!

He blabbered on and on about the many sights and objects you face with every turn of the hallways, some more interesting than the other. Your guard however, explained in great detail and with much vigor himself. "To the right we have the Healing Hat and if our guest were to turn to the left, they can admire the Oracle Sphere..."

He continued on with great detail as he waved his hand around as if that information was swimming carefreely in his brain. "Uhm, Golden Guard?" "Yes, newbie?" You ignored the sarcasm, "You witches can do magic because of that heart-addition-gall-thing-" "A sac connected to the heart filled with magical bile, which you lack." "Right. Then why do you need these magical items?"

He sighed. "They can be seen as amplifiers. They're made out of ingredients from the isles which can exceed magical abilities far greater than of any witch, besides Emperor Belos of course. It's easier than to train forever in a coven, so a short cut in a way." He shrugged.

You pondered about his answer, pursing your lips as you somewhat hesitated to ask again.

"...What are covens?"

In an blink of an eye the Golden Guard spun around and you could just imagine his dropped jaw. He let out something of a chortle. "Are you serious? You don't know anything of the Boiling Isles, do you, human?"

You sure were sick of his insults.

"If you were thrown into my realm, you wouldn't know a thing about my home either, would you, witch?"

Taking a step back, your companion hummed. "Hmph, fine. Then I'd better teach you about things here you should and shouldn't do before you get yourself killed. Can't afford to have you walk off and do something stupid, that'd be getting in the way of the plan...so follow my lead, human! I can show you the ropes."

So here you were, taking a longer patroul than planned as your teacher told you all there was to know - which was already a flood of information to take in and remember and you only started with the Emperor's Coven.

As witty his remarks were and how much he loved to throw them at you, the Golden Guard was truly a great teacher. He had a way to inprint each little trivia into your brain and even when you struggled to understand something, he managed to teach it to you in a way that you could grasp. The guy was quite knowledgable himself and it seemed his thirst for magical knowledge couldn't be easily quenched. He had an high opinion on both the Emperor's Coven and magic itself.

At the end of each day you made sure to write each new knowledge down in your book. It brings a smile on your face to see the book continued on from the detailed drawings and pretty, cursive writing to your little doodles and quick notes. It weirdly felt like being back in school and studying and while the change of environment and subjects weredaunting, the familiar routine brought you a bit of comfort.

The instances that brought no comfort were the 'meetings' with the 'king man'.

The Golden Guard drilled it into your head that he shall be adressed as 'Emperor Belos' yet no title could cease his suspicious aura. The man in question never seemed to take offense however.

He began with easy questions. Name, age, where you're from specifically and your time here in the demon realm. Often he found interest in your book but you hesitated to share its contents. The ruler always backed off when you refused.

It was also always very strange when the powerful witch emperor used your name and the Golden Guard didn't.

"Thanks for your time. It's always interesting to hear your perspective from your realm and how you perceive ours. You're really lucky you ended up here in my castle."

Belos also always reminded you of how safe you are in his domain.

If you show any disdain for the demon realm he surprisingly understands. A poor human like you couldn't survive out there for any longer...he can imagine the struggle.

He'd also be interested how far the human realm is on it's moderness. Is it the same as in the demon realm?

His number one question is how you got here in the first place though. You genuinely do not know nor remember but you do keep the secret that it had something to do with the book. Even when you did not know how.

Nevertheless, no matter how much Belos tries to win your favor and trust to look into the book and how you got here, you cannot bring yourself to trust him. The mannerism, the way he talks and walks and knowing he is an emperor just did not sit right with you.

It was never pleasant to meet with him even when he pretends it is.

So the routine stayed the same for a while until something happened.

How it happened is up to you. You snuck onto the airship to finally get out of that castle, the book or some magical item led you to it, you needed to see the Golden Guard for whatever reason or you accidentally got on it. The how doesn't matter, the fact that you are here is what would drive Belos' right-hand man mad.

"What- are you doing here?!" He squeaks out but no explanation would actually calm him. This is an mission he's on and no matter what he cannot let Belos' guest get involved in it! Think about the danger! "Oh, no, no, this isn't good. I already wasn't supposed to show you around the castle but this - this is inexcusable! No, I can't...you aren't supposed to be here, human!"

You back off. This is the first time you've seen the Golden Guard so...anxious.

As quick as it came however, he was able to shake it off and put on the mask again.

"No, it's fine. I can fix this before it even becomes a problem. But you, "He grabs your wrist, "You're staying by my side, got it?"

The outside was dangerous.

You landed in a part of the isles that was unfamilair to you. A few plants and forages were drawn in the book but that was all there was to it. Trotting after him, danger was quick to follow. It took him first and with the book always on your person, you swiftly drew a glyph in the ground. Creating a few more and dragging the guard back to the ship, he panted out his panic. And what you actually did.

"That...that was magic. I think. Picto - Picture - I don't know that part is hard to distinguish in the book." "That...that was kinda amazing...how did you-!"

Another wave of danger came and you drew another glyph onto ground. The guard steered the damaged ship to safety while you threw every trick you had up your sleeve. Finally arriving close to the castle in safety, your companion caught his breath and approached you.

"How...how did you do that? I thought humans can't put any spells on anything! I've never seen magic casted like that before!"

You can't help but smile slightly, seeing him genuinely flustered. Seems like he wasn't really this all-knowing teacher.

"I just copied what was in the book...it's easier than you think." Yet at that moment, your heart dropped. Someone as inquisitive as the Golden Guard who is still your captor even if he doesn't see himself in that way, would then want nothing more than to look into your book. You caught him reaching out for it before he stopped.

"Wait...those were various magic spells used from all kinds of covens...wild magic. You can't use that." You raised a brow and pressed the book further into you and away from him. "Why not? It's just usual magic, isn't it?" "You don't understand," He sounded serious despite being roughed up, "Of course you human wouldn't understand. You could get hurt if you aren't careful. Wild magic can..."

Retracting his hand, a sigh escaped him and he halted for a few moments. You weren't sure what he'd do next.

"...I am not giving you the book."

"You should! In fact, you gotta if you don't want to end up hurt!"

"These spells saved us! I saved you!"

Your glare soured again into a small frown. You took a step back and looked up at him, lips pressed into a thin line. You didn't really wanted to have him as an enemy.

You didn't want anyone to be an enemy. You didn't want to be here.

"I'm not fond of this magic either, Golden Guard, but I've got to use them. If I don't, I won't survive. If I didn't use this book back when I first got here and just now, I wouldn't have survived this place at all."

The guy was unusually silent. Only the flat breaths hitting his mask filling the silence.

Finally, he spoke up just as soft as you.

"...Why did you save me anyway?"

You rose a brow. You could understand where he came from with that question...but it still came out of nowhere. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you have no reason to. I...I am your host and you are welcome in the castle but you...you still didn't have a reason..." He trailed off for a second before starting again, "You could have steered the ship and got yourself back to safety. You could've left me behind."

Again, you only looked at him puzzled. "...Why would I?"

You stared at each other in silence.

- Before you broke it with nervous laughter. "I don't know how it is with you but from where I come from we...don't usually do that. You needed help and I could help you with these glyphs," You pointed at the book, "So, I helped you. I...couldn't just abandon you, Golden Guard."

The second wave of silence that ensued truly made your nervousness rocket.

A breath was taken, as if he had held it the entire time he was staring at you, and with it let out mumbles under his breath. "That's...so weird." With an unsure gait he passed by you, grabbed your wrist and lead the both of you to the castle.

Without looking back he adressed you with his usual stern voice. "I will not be confiscating the book. But I want to know what other forms of wild magic you can do...for research and safety. I won't tell Emperor Belos anything of what happened today."

The days grew less mundane at least, beside the one misadventure.

The Golden Guard visited you more often with more interesting intentions. You shared with what you were comfortable with and though it did annoy him at times, he found this new information more than helpful. You discussed many variants of magic and his excitment of the topic was quite infectious (but you'd never tell him that). In turn, he showed more around the castle and introduced you to many things but would not take you with him outside the castle barriers.

He still did not thank you for saving his life. It seemed he did not know how.

But you've come to grown to his company and vice versa.

[wings-of-ink]

Hi Lunan, I was wondering about the player stats if you have time. I keep getting reckless as a go to response for things despite trying to play a more shy and timid MC and it made me curious. How do you determine what choices actions constitute which stat? I understand that the game is still in development and it may not be set in stone or other aspects of the game might be more of a priority, but I was mostly interested in picking your brain, in a general sense, if that's OK. I'm sure you're very busy so there's no rush to answer this ask, or answer it at all.

Hello, Anon!

Let's see, player stats are definitely something that will get fine-tuned as we go. And, funny that you ask, I have literally been dwelling specifically on the reckless stat this weekend.

I'll just explain how I have worked this out below. I apologize that I went a little long...I genuinely enjoy chatting about this stuff, and I gotta bit...lost in the sauce here, lol. ^_^

For the MC's personality and actions/reactions and some of their speech patterns, I have 4 main stats. These are on a scale with their opposing characteristics, so 8 total. There's a 5th stat that tracks how your MC flirts.

Reserved vs Outgoing

Gentle vs Assertive

Serious vs Playful

Reckless vs Cautious

Bold Flirting vs Shy Flirting

The MC starts with scores directly in the middle for all of these (50 on a scale of 100); however, I decided not to code for much in the way of "middle ground" behavior. This saves me tons of coding and tons of agonizing about what a middle-of-the-road response would be. So, if your MC's score is above "49" they default to the characteristic listed first, but lower than that, they default to the one listed second.

The only score that is treated differently is the one for flirting. To default to bold, the score needs to be below 40, so the character must show a fairly direct preference for boldness in this area. I did this since shyness is a fairly "safe" bet for this type of characteristic.

Number 4 does not come into play very often - yet. As things heat up, some actions that the player does not get to choose will be determined by their score in this stat. Currently, there are only a few options to choose what influences this score. It is possible to barely have any score for this stat one way or another. I'm going to be increasing the influence of this and probably adding some new ways to get points for this as I do some editing.

As for how I determine if something raises or lowers a stat in general, I try to use my best judgment to determine motivation when I design the choices that influence stats. To me, being reckless or cautious could be either intentional or not. I think the first time this stat comes into play is in Chapter 1 when MC decides if they are going to try to steal the honeycakes at the beginning. Trying to snatch one gives an increase to recklessness since it could be a naughty or impulsive decision.

I also wanted 1, 4, and 5 to be independent of one another since someone could be more outgoing but very timid when they flirt and cautious when they act. Outgoing/Reserved is another that needs some adjusting as well and will be tweaked in the future.

The others are more straightforward. If an action or speech choice is more kind/soft/mild/considerate, I label it "gentle." If it is more direct or even a bit aggressive, I label it "assertive." I kinda just have to use my own interpretation as best I can, and I know that to other people some of my options will feel flipped (occupational hazard, lol).

I have liked this system for the most part. It took a lot of working out when I got started. I was just learning so it was easily a solid week of me just hammering out what I understood and what worked. I have learned so much since then. I knew I wanted to keep things paired down to ease my own burden. Lots of stats can be so much fun in a game, but I just do not want to get too lost in it, so I keep my focus narrow.

Hope that helps, Nony! If you have follow-up questions, please feel free to let me know! ^_^

A side note, while we are on the subject...

For my next IF, I may play with a different way to set the MC personality. I may just have players pick at the beginning from either specific stats or like 4 or 5 MC archetypes. The wheels are still turning on this though, nothing is set!

[ask-the-ryans]

I'm not an expert on character design and this "layout" is something I use amidst all my inconsistency, but here are some things I try to keep in mind. Apologies if this throws you off since I got pretty selective interests, but I still hope this answers your questions!

First I figure out who my characters are, and in this wildly specific case, they're boxers. Everyone knows boxers are muscular, but they have a special kind of muscle.

One thing you might notice is that boxers' bodies are pretty diverse, even in the same weightclass (take Andy García and Luis Ortiz together, for example), but the things that tie them together are their solid cores -another word to say that their abdomens are strong and shaped like squares- and that their pecs or legs aren't usually very muscular given the kind of sport they're in. Exceptions can happen, but it's generally for stocky/short athletes like Tyson who hold tremendous amounts of power.

Now compare one to a wrestler or a bodybuilder.

What do we see here? For one, wrestlers got very thick legs and great amounts of their strength go to their upper bodies, so it's easy to see them more as meaty triangles. Then we got the bodybuilders, whose muscles are well-defined, but not very "useful". I'm not saying that they're not strong, but these guys practically dehydrate themselves to show off, so I'd recommend not modelling athletes after them.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I personally like to take in consideration all the little nuances of the human body, so I go over this small process of research. That's just me who'd rather have a more grounded approach, but I encourage you to take creative liberties if reality is stopping you from drawing the next Baki. :)

(Side note, please check out Howard's Schatz's athlete photography. It can give you a beautiful array of examples.)

Once I figured out what kind of body I want my character to have, I do exploration sketches. It's very fun to hop straight into making an illustration, but I've found said sketches to be very useful because they make me feel familiar with whom I'm dealing with. You might also get a funny face that sticks with your design the rest of it's life (happened to me with Aran's "unibrow" and Joe's droopy face even though they already got a canon design), but beyond that, it's a way to give everyone you draw an identity.

Expressions are another thing. This is more an intuitive act in my part, but you might see that in real life, despite people sharing happiness/ sadness/anger/etc, our expressions are not going to be the same. How do you think an energetic lunatic might laugh vs a mild-mannered scaredy guy?

Exactly.

When all of that is done, for consistency's sake, I tend to have a ref sheet right next to me when I draw (this involves pulling out pinterest, old art, comics, etc. whatever I got at hand). I've done turnarounds before, but I'm honestly a bit lazy when it comes to that-- so to Joe and Don anon, don't escape from your responsabilities like some people.

⚆ _ ⚆

I think it boils down to treat each character as an individual, taking in consideration things like their profession, nationality, age, etc. You don't gotta have a super expansive biography, but what has generally worked for me is going for a gut feeling of what feels natural and what doesn't, and said feeling has developed over time the more I meet people in real life and study other artists.

(And thank you for the kind words, anon!)

[sirfrogsworth]

Review of Blue Eye Samurai on Netflix

There are some spoiler-ish things below, but I think most of it is in the trailer, so I don't think I will ruin anything. I'll warn you during the most spoilery section, though the show makes the "twist" pretty obvious from the beginning.

Premise

Blue Eye Samurai is a Kill Bill-style revenge tale that takes place in 17th century Japan. The samurai is half white/half Japanese. The show states that no white folks were allowed in the country back then, so the samurai tries to conceal blue eyes with some sweet BluBlocker™ orange glasses. The Samurai is displeased to have white heritage and decides to try and kill all the "white devils" hiding in Japan.

Will some reactionaries complain there is a show all about someone trying to murder white people? I have no idea. But they're all bad white people, so I'm hoping it won't become a thing.

My Hot Takes

A few episodes meandered a bit, but I enjoyed the series as a whole quite a bit. If nothing else, the sword fights were epic and bloody. I would have watched it for that alone. And there is some gorgeous art direction where they really take advantage of the 2D styled, 3D animation. Plus, Japan is just really pretty. There is also a puppet show that was brilliantly mixed in with the story and the way they animated it was next level awesome.

They fell into cliche a few times. I think they were trying to do homages and tributes but ended up in Derivative Land and some of them felt a bit cringe.

They used "Battle Without Honor Or Humanity" which is that rousing instrumental song from Kill Bill and it was way too on the nose. Like, yes, this show is obviously a 1600s version of Kill Bill, but you're not supposed to make it that obvious.

Also, there was a Metallica song that equally made me roll my eyes and think, "That is badass" so I give them a pass on that one.

And there were a few sections where it felt like you were watching someone else play a video game. I don't know how else to describe it. As if the narrative melted away and suddenly a bunch of Prince of Persia obstacles appeared.

That said, the story was enjoyable, the actors were great, the characters were interesting, the animation was solid, and the fight choreography was top notch.

The nice thing about animation is you don't have to do any jump cuts during the action, so you get to really *see* the fights develop. Thankfully they didn't make use of a lot of impossible-in-real-life camera moves, so it all felt very grounded. As if these fights could actually be filmed in live-action. I suspect they may have even used motion capture or closely adhered to reference footage. Most of the non-fantastical choreography felt like something a stunt performer could actually do. They even had some legit Japanese samurai-style sword fighting moves before it got to the "John Wick with a katana" part of the show.

Back in the day, samurai duels were more akin to jousting than fencing and usually only lasted one or two moves. It can be pretty exciting as long as you build tension and anticipation. But if every sword fight in the show was like that, it would probably get boring. But it was still nice to see it toward the beginning.

So the quality was a bit roller coaster-y at times, but I think it was a solid first season. And I am really hopeful they get a chance to smooth things out in a second. But it is Netflix, soooooo...

As far as content warnings, there is a lot of blood and sex and nudity. Women are very subjegated and some of those depictions are rough. There are some brutal torture scenes. And I think there is implied rape, but it isn't made super clear.

The nudity was surprisingly balanced which felt refreshing. So get ready for boobies and floppy cartoon peens. All the genitals get screen time.

Quick aside about erotic scenes...

There has been recent discourse about nudity and sexy time in media. My biggest issue has always been that men's bodies are rarely shown aside from the patoot. It is never balanced and I always felt uncomfortable with that arrangement. I know movies are a bit stuck because the MPAA has decided dicks in a sexual context are an automatic NC-17. But even in newer HBO-type content where they do show penises, they are usually prosthetics. Hyper real fake dicks on top of real dicks that probably cost tens of thousands of dollars to develop and apply.

Like, the folks with boobs don't get expensive prosthetics. Only the most famous actresses can opt for a body double. For years, if an actress wasn't willing to get naked they would just say, "Well, I guess we'll just have to find another actress."

And now if a guy doesn't want to get naked, apparently the response is, "Don't worry, we'll raise Stan Winston from the dead so he can make you a perfect megadick."

Women are usually asked to do the brunt of the nudity and I have long felt that wasn't fair and it was exploitative whether intentional or not.

I just think if you are going to ask actors to be vulnerable, everyone should do it or no one should do it.

I also think we need to see more normal non-porn genitals. Like, you can't brag about your progressive all-inclusive nudity if you slap a giant fake wang on every time.

/end tangent

And now, the spoilery part...

The big twist, which is really only a big twist for a character in the show and not the audience, is that the Blue Eye Samurai was born a girl. To avoid capture and death they essentially hid in a different gender identity. And I'm trying to decide if this is a trans story or not.

Sometimes it felt like the show was bluntly saying, "She's a girl. See, she has boobs and no penis. And we make a big deal about her getting caught naked. It's like Mulan!"

But then the show kinda/sorta implies that while identifying as a man was a tactic at first, the Blue Eye Samurai came to feel much more comfortable as a man most of the time and only revealed their feminine attributes to a select few. They also had a binding scene which felt like intentional trans imagery.

Since there wasn't the same concept of trans-ness in 1600s Japan as we understand it in modern times, I'm having trouble determining if this is just an homage to Mulan that wasn't thought very deeply about, or if this is allegory exploring a trans identity.

It is unclear if the identity was chosen purely out of necessity or if there was more to it.

Was it like... they tried on a coat because it was cold, but then they really liked how it fit and made it an essential part of their wardrobe?

Or was it just pure pragmatism? If they don't wear the coat they will die from exposure.

I'm worried they wanted to stay close to that line where they could say it wasn't a trans story if that ended up being more convenient. I don't know. I'm fine with allegory and I really enjoyed how they did it with Nimona, but this felt more deliberately ambiguous and it frustrated me a bit. It would be nice if we could just have blatant trans stories that didn't need to hide in ambiguity to avoid controversy. But maybe there were more obvious things I missed and my confusion is unwarranted.

I also think an argument could be made for ol' Blue Eye being genderfluid. Actually genderfluid would make a lot of sense. Their masculine side is the stoic warrior and their feminine side is their vulnerability, love, and humanity—reserved only for those most trusted. And when the two blend and they are a warrior woman they get super horny. So the entire spectrum is there.

I'm sure there will be a long complicated video essay analyzing this gender dynamic.

/end of spoilery section

In any case, I think if you liked Kill Bill, this might be a show that interests you. It has much less cultural appropriation and blatant stereotyping. No Pussy Wagon, but there is a cool horse. And they did use an all East Asian voice cast, so that representation was cool. And the co-showrunner was Japanese, and I think that influence definitely made a difference.

I give Blue Eye Samurai 7.5 Froggies out of 10.

[cinnibunbear]

The New Update

First of all, I want to say I think the quantity of stuff they're adding is fine, especially since the updates are coming smaller and more frequently. HOWEVER, the stuff in the update, specifically the pale forest one, is boring.

First of all, looking at the content by itself that I like: the wood is good, the vines are fine, and the carpet is ok. I've always liked the concept of white wood, so it's great that we're getting that, and I imagine other people will really like the wall thing that the pale garden carpet does. I like the creaking; it's a really interesting concept and some very cool design. I've heard it said that the spawning functions with the heart and everything is useless in single player, but I think the fact that you can spawn-proof an area of the creaking is great for if someone wanted to build a house there! Plus, outside of single player, the pranks are kinda nice, if not really top-Notch. I also like that there'll be ambient noises during the night. That's cool.

Now for the content that I don't like (that we've heard of so far): the leaves, the grass and the ambience. The fact that the leaves and grass are so similar in colour, and that that colour is GREY honestly sucks, especially since the wood is already grey. I think the biome would look interesting and actually kind of spooky if they made either of these white, or added some much darker tones to any of the new blocks/textures, but as of right now they haven't, and it's boring. The grass especially. It's like a worse version of the mountain grass, which in fact has its own sort of charm (tho imo it is (was) the most boring). The ambience overall I kind of already adressed. This is going a little into what has been said by the presenters, but the pale gardens being 'eerily quiet' will likely go unnoticed, since there's no sound everywhere else half the time. I think the only time the player would notice is if music is playing and it fades out as the enter the pale gardens. That would be cool, especially if it picked up again when they left. But otherwise, it's just kind of this boring greyscale biome with no contrast.

Now going onto how the update contradicts the words of the presenters: the presenters say that it will be 'eerily quiet' (adressed earlier), and that it will be 'spooky', as well as using other words to the same effect. They also showed some reference pictures that they used as inspiration for this biome.

The weeping willows, very pretty, very mystical.

Spanish moss, look how cool!

Now look at the result:

Now, I do want to point out that they evidently didn't want the trees to actually be willow trees for some reason "this gives this drapy feeling without being willow trees", but I feel like the biome could have really benefitted from them just using the shape of willow trees. Instead of looking spooky but pretty, ominous but mystical, the tree shape they've opted for is the dark oak, which is robust and towering. They've given the biome a feeling of being a little packed in, a little claustrophobia, with hardly any frills. Of course, there are some. Let's talk about those. The new vines and moss blocks are far more grey against the already grey grass, which gives the biome an extra element of complete dullness as the new elements look the least visually appealling, which they evidently are meant to be (the presenter describes them as 'pretty' in the day time). What I'm looking right now is a shy, bland biome. There is hardly any personality other than that it doesn't want to be looked at. There is no whimsy, because everything is in solid, clumped together shapes. There is no eeriness because everything blends together with their colours so easily. This biome needs colour, and it needs more shape. For example, the dark oak forest has peonies that help to bring in both colour and shape variation from the ground level, and the giant spruce forests have boulders that complement the rich colours of the rest of the ground. The pale garden has flat grey carpet on the flat grey floor. This is boring! And I'm mad about it!

I'm aware that this biome will likely undergo some development before its official release, so I really, really hope that the Mojang team also sees these issues and does something about them, because a biome called The Pale Gardens deserves more than a monotone FOREST with the most boring greenish-grey vines you will ever see. I want to be excited about this biome, but as of right now I think that if I were to see this biome in game I would only ever go in to get wood and saplings on the outskirts before scurrying away from this greyscale horror of a biome as quickly as I can.

[dicenote]

DN Fic Recs!!

Aight, I think the Death Note fandom could use some positivity. And I wanna be positive :D! So here is a list of fics with reviews, aka a thinly-veiled excuse to wildly ramble about brilliant fics made by incredibly talented people. A lot of these works inspire me, so I want to share them with others! If these fics sound interesting to you, I highly recommend that you check them out and give the authors lots of love :D

Anyway, here we go!

Fallout by Zaney HacknSlash Rating: M (FFN) Ships: (Not the main focus) eventual Matsu x Sayu, eventual Ide x OC, background Aizawa x Eriko, (kinda) Mogi x Misa

Dude. Duuuuude. If you want to see an action-packed, angst-filled joyride of a fic featuring the Task Force after Kira, this is it. This is a 10 year old rewrite of the original version of the fic, but it has a lot of the old fandom charm left over from the 2008 original. The plot is centered on the guilt Matsuda feels after shooting Light, and what he has to do when a mysterious enemy forces him to confront that guilt.

I like how the author gives us insight into every major character in the story. The flipping perspectives keep the story grounded in some places, but make it chaotic when it needs to be. Most importantly, I like how we see, inside and out, how tight-knit the Task Force has become after everything they've gone through. I also enjoy how each of the Task Force members have their own dilemmas and struggles that pay off by the end, all to do with loyalty. Overall, Fallout is an epic story with action, suspense, and plenty of original characters that don't overstay their welcome.

True Successor by @mapsareforbraindeads Rating: M (AO3) Ships: Beyond x Light, BeyondTsuda

I think this was the first fic that really helped me get the appeal of Beyond Birthday, and that's a feat all on its own. Here, Vari takes the original story of Death Note and flips it on its head with an idea that sounds like "crack treated seriously" on paper: What if L was dead before the events of the story? What if, instead, he were replaced by someone looking to, "realize what [L] could not"?

The portrayal of Beyond's mental state throughout is simply breathtaking. One standout (not-too-spoilery) example happens when Ukita dies as in canon. Vari does an incredible job of showing Beyond's frantic thoughts to the point where this part is actually stressful to read. I really wish I could go into more detail about how Beyond is portrayed, but it's really worth reading for yourself. Like I said, this fic helped me understand why people like B's story so much.

Even if you've never read the LABB book (I haven't yet), True Successor is an utterly fantastic work that you should check out.

Weakness by Airmid Rating: M (AO3) Ship: LawTsuda

I think I've talked about this one before, but it's worth talking about again. I think of this as "the" LawTsuda fanfic for a couple reasons, most notably in that it really makes the pairing work in a setting that's close to canon. I really adore the way Airmid characterizes L and Matsuda in this fic and immediately contrasts them from each other. The events of Weakness take place before L's death in canon, and the story asks some simple questions: What would have happened if L let himself confide in someone before he died? And what if that person was Matsuda?

I've read some of Airmid's other, longer, works, and while I enjoyed Happiness and Until the End, Weakness stands out to me because it feels a lot "tighter", if that makes sense. Using the bells from the anime, we get this very solid through-line of L secretly worrying and preparing for the inevitable... And then Matsuda comes in. This fic in particular continues to be a huge inspiration for a fic I'm writing, especially for the portrayal of Matsuda as equally earnest and impulsive.

Pretty much anything by Tallulah

Okay, I wish I could pick just one to talk about here. From the short and devastating Axioms to the very long and devastating Broken Hallelujahs, all of Tallulah's works—the smutty and the soul-crushing—have intriguing worlds and deep, dark characters. Just make sure you mind the tags before diving in, these ones get dark. As a MatsuIde fan, I've got to give a shout-out to Saviour. It took a while for me to "get" the style of the fic, but in the end I really loved the tone. The way Tallulah depicts the dissociation and trauma of these characters feels incredibly real, and when the fic drops its unique formatting to symbolize the characters "snapping out of it", you feel it. Broken Hallelujahs has a similar vibe, but its story has more fast-paced action. Ooh, and The End of Days is an incredibly solid, more "canon-compliant", work featuring Aizawa x Ide x Matsuda, a guilty pleasure ship for me.

Twisted Fate by TwilightMaster15 Rating: M (AO3) Ships: None tagged so far, background LawLight

If you've been in the DN fanfic scene, I'm sure you've seen (or maybe read) a "What if L was Kira?" fic. Well, here's a new one. What if Aizawa was Kira?

This is another fic that takes what could be a "crack" scenario and executes it super super well. Rather than getting a childish Kira who calls himself "God of the New World", we have Aizawa, who has become disillusioned by the justice system he works in. The fic does a really good job in setting up Aizawa's relationships, good and bad, with the other characters, as well as showing the very different choices Aizawa!Kira makes versus Canon!Light. Speaking of Light, his motivations and role in the story are very well-done. His inclusion feels incredibly natural, and I can't wait to see what he and L do next.

Kira's Guide to the Munchies by @palant1r Rating: T (AO3) Ship: MatsuLight

I've gotta end this list with a funny one, alright? This fic is an absolutely delightful treat. It's like digging into a nice, warm brownie... Oh, wait.

See, Palant1r doesn't just characterize Matsuda and Light, more like dissects these characters' essences, their weaknesses and fears and flaws, and lays them bare for the reader to see. And yes, this is also true for when Matsuda and Light are tripping fucking balls. This fic is so very silly, but we also get to see the way these characters think, even if their faculties are hindered by quite a bit of weed. A character study wrapped in a goofy concept, Kira's Guide to the Munchies is a ride that you just have to read to believe. Seriously. I was thinking about quoting lines here, but it works better when you don't know what's coming next.

[nualaofthefaerie]

Hello!! I come with questions for Madame Nuala President 🎤✨??

So I can see how Sandflower could be established since it has a solid foundation on canon BUT what about Immortalflower? Or Immortal Sandflower? ( hope I’m not mixing ships names! I mean Hob x Nuala x Dream)

Do you have any Headcanons as to how those ships come to be? I would be interested in knowing more about them!

Thank you 🖤

You are so not mixing them, dear. It is ImmortalSandFlower, ISF for short.

We have come to it! The idiots at the end of the road. My creme de la creme of polycules.

Okay, so before Miss Madam President gets too excited, this post will be structured in the following way *puts my big girl glasses on*:

Why do I think ISF works so much more for me than any other trio?

My personal headcanons for them

Note to the people: I too have some Dreamling inclinations, I just love WOMEN damn it. Also, she is not my self-insert (that too has been in my inbox). I too want to be a man who is not an idiot and WILL LOVE miss Nuala like she has never been loved before. She is my wife, my girlfriend, my muse. I have no interest in those men. I am in love with her. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

ALRIGHT! It's all under the flower line so I don't do the thing where I clog the tag.

Why ISF works so much more for me than any other trio?

In the short of it - they have such compatible personalities. It's insane. I have a picture I send to my friends every time I try to explain Morpheus - Hob - Nuala.

This is how they exist in my head. When they are in couples, their dynamics LARGELY differ, but together, they share the emotional burden of each other - Moon/Star/Sun dynamic. Morpheus is the tired moon, Hob is the bright star, and Nuala is the warm sun, and together they make the whole sky.

It's a very warm triangle, and to me, they are a real love triangle because each loves the other and they stand alone as couples. When they are a polycule, their power dynamics also equal out if that makes sense. Morpheus does not necessarily hold more power over them anymore, so I like that about it as well.

To illustrate their couple dynamics better, I will give examples. I love to give these examples so people see how versatile they are. (happy screaming).

Dreamling

I will not go into details, but my quintessential Dreamling is 1789 Dreamling.

I think this is the era that really summarizes their dynamic quite well - Morpheus doesn't really force himself on Robert but still holds a considerable amount of power that could equate to him having influence over Robert's life decisions. Robert on the other hand is also very independent, he respects Morpheus, but is not afraid of him anymore. So I enjoy 1789 Dreamling a lot.

2. Sandflower

I won't use the comics to explain what is THE Sandflower dynamic because the real summarized Sandflower dynamic is them:

I can swear this on my soul, when Nuala and Morpheus begin to act like Elizabeth and Darcy in the show, remember, you heard it here first. Their opposite views on the world, their stubborness, the way he treats her in canon as if she is no more but a mere inconvinience but in reality he constantly does things to protect her, is very Darcy and Elizabeth of them. And as I have always said, Nuala has always stood her ground and protected who she is and where she came from.

3. Immortalflower

There is one perfect media that encapsulates Hob x Nuala's relationship SO good that there is no reason to explain further to people because they usually get it from the get go.

THEM. Hob and Nuala have THEE Eugene and Rapunzel dynamic. Consider the fact Nuala has never been to the Waking world, she knows nothing about it and Hob is this Immortal man that has been to every corner of the planet already. Her enthusiasm about everything she doesn't know about sparks back his love of everything he does know. So they are very gentle, loving, fluffy, a bit silly, goofy.

Separated, each couple can stand on its own and be entertaining and complex, while being something completely new and interesting when together, which is VERY rare to me. So they compel me TERRIBLY.

ONTO HEADCANNONS

I have DOMESTIC headcannons the most. If anyone wants spicy HC, you'll have to ask separately. But just so we know, we do offer the Spicy version of the menu.

SO! This is based on the concept of Retired!Morpheus:

The three of them live together in the inn

Morpheus is either a children's book author or a librarian

Hob owns the Inn and does his little Professor gig to the side

Nuala transforms a part of the Inn into a beautiful patissiere, full of pink mugs and live plants and fresh bread, pasteries and wonderful unique blends of teas she learned from her fairy home

They play a board game together once a week

Read together on the couch every night

Saturdays are for movies (Nuala adores animation and Morpheus doesn't understand the appeal of cinema entirely)

When they do go on dates, they usually let Nuala pick where she wants to go because it's her enthusiasm about seeing something new that is more precious to the good old Dreamling who has seen all there is to see from Earth than being on a date per se

Hob cooks, always

Morpheus is a wine mom

Nuala runs around the kitchen to entertain more than to help at any capacity, but she has a talent for vegeterian dishes, but Hob is not a big fan, but they compromise, they compromise

Each of them kind of has their own room, but also they always end up sleeping together in someone else's room.

My hc are all primarily domestic, or maybe my mood is like that right now.

I will now do something very shameless and admit I have already written an ISF one-shot. It's called "Set Me Free" and it's a Sea AU - Dreamling Pirates and Mermaid Nuala. It's one of my favourite things I have written and it's quite fun short story!

I hope my answer was interesting! If there is any other questions, inquires or suggestions or thoughts, my Asks and DMs are always open!

Love,

Li 🪷

[the--highlanders]

thoughts on the star beast!! under a cut bc spoilers

first of all just. as someone who really did not vibe with the chibnall era at all. dear god it feels good to be excited about doctor who again

it was FUN. it was great bouncy silly charming fun and that is exactly what the show needed at this point I think. I can really imagine kids tomorrow running around pretending to be the meep

also the meep was great and I'm SO glad it was practical effects, it looked so good

setting aside the doctor-donna plotline, the callbacks to the rtd era were fairly low-key (resonating concrete!) and fitted in with the episode but they were fun if they meant something to you

on the other hand the glass divider between the doctor and donna and him raging at having to kill her really felt like a kind of. reverse of ten and wilf and the radiation chamber. which HURT. ten raging over having to save wilf vs not-ten raging over not being able to save donna.

rose was lovely!! I really hope we get some more substantial stuff with her, I think she'd be a great companion

seeing unit again was fun, and I really liked shirley actually!! I hope she's a recurring character, I thought she worked well with the doctor and her gadget-y wheelchair was fun

also kate sorting out a place for wilf to live 😭😭😭😭😭😭

I did think the solution to donna being able to keep her memories was pretty creative, and the acknowledgement of the doctor being outside the gender binary made me yell

that being said I really didn't like the line about a 'male-presenting time lord never thinking of [letting go of power]. I feel like that was rtd trying to be too hip-with-the-kids progressive, which like. obviously I want the show to be progressive!!! but it's the sort of thing I hate

like, first of all, we've just established that the doctor is more or less nonbinary - and the show has been very obviously referencing time lord society as genderless since like, twelve's era. time lords feel that they are /genetically/ superior - it's a species thing, not a gender thing. a 'male' /or/ 'female' time lord is going to have a tough time giving up power. and this felt especially incongruous when we've just had thirteen, a doctor who used her white privilege to hand the master over to the nazis. doesn't seem like she was very interested in giving up her power there.

imo one of the doctor's whole character tensions across the whole show is them trying to break away from time lord superiority, and again that's species-based, not gender based. and it was literally established in journey's end that the doctordonna could think of things the doctor couldn't because of her human part! there was already a solid logical grounding for donna and rose to give up their time lord powers /because they were still part human/

there were a few thematic things I would have liked the episode to dwell on a bit more, like the whole cute-appearing vs frightening-appearing thing with the meep and the wrarth warriors, and how appearances are sometimes deceiving; or the stuff with the doctor and gender; or even just rose's character as a whole

that being said, this was an episode with an awful lot to do, and also an episode which was there to be a fun romp. it HAD to be a romp. so from a sort of metatextual point of view I can understand and forgive

overall I really liked it!! it really recaptured the magic of doctor who for me after so long not feeling it and I think it's going to do a good job of its most important task, which is getting the show afloat again in terms of casual viewers.

also SO glad they've gone back to a confidential-style program, unleashed was so fun

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Hello! Any thoughts about the info we got about Jungkook’s album? The name? Album art? Concept pics? Seven and 3D being included?

Hello! To be honest, I haven't said anything each time something new was announced because it didn't really pick my interest in a way that made me rush here to share my thoughts.

I think it's because it doesn't intrigue me and that might just be because of personal taste. It's not because the concept would lack substance or something meaningful. Perhaps it's not really something I might be interested in so far.

The color scheme is interesting for an album, I'll give him that. I did think the schedule program looked like a supposed fancy menu which I don't know if it was the intended desire. The font design and the colors do make me think of Kingsman and this sort of manufactured elegance.

As to the concept photos, I see a coherent vision that connects multiple facets of Jungkook. It's an idea that I like, in theory. SHINE shows his public persona, the one in front of the cameras, the BTS singer/solo artist; SOLID is hinting at things in his life that might keep him grounded, something that balances the shine; and lastly SUBSTANCE, an inner self, values, what is Jungkook underneath all and what is important for him. Having it all laid out like that, it sounds like the premise of something that might turn out really good. Jungkook played around with a similar hybrid concept for My Time, paired with a very good performance and stage production. At that time, it made me excited for what else he is capable of doing if only he gets the chance. I'm still waiting for that.

His first two releases as a soloist, both collabs, have been a letdown for me in terms of musical production, repetitiveness of themes, and a lack of actual commitment. PPTM wrote a bit about 3D and how the song turns sex into something almost clinical and how there's an attempt at trying to look like a player and ultimately failing. That made me think about how Jungkook started his solo career by using songs written by white men in their 30s or 40s who are also trying to emulate players, but they're not and it's somehow obvious. You either have it or you look ridiculous and people clock you. Not only that, there's a stark difference between the sexual tone of the songs which are both explicit (with or without using the word fuck) and the way in which Jungkook talks about them in promotional content. He tends to use words like romantic, the person you love, with whom you want to be close to, instead of actually telling it like it is. He sings the lyrics, but he won't use the accurate language when discussing the song. He is sanitizing them. His brief explanation about how the explicit version is not dirty was a good step in the right direction, but not enough. If he wants to sing about sex, perfect. But he should fully embrace it, otherwise it is just a way in which he merely plays a role. Is that the intention? For two songs?

It's difficult not to consider them as setting the tone for his album. It is music he has put out and which will be on the actual album. It's not a blip on a radar or something like Savage Love that gets done and then no one will think about it in 2 weeks.

Seven and 3D do say some things about him, but not enough to consider him interesting enough as a solo artist. If he brances out and puts out a more thematically diverse album or something conceptual or one that is cohesive because it centers around themes about him or he's gonna choose a storytelling path, then it would make me truly want to give it a chance.

[lasi-nariyoyoreads]

Could you do reading on Kai and Kyungsoo relationship please. Thank you <3

Kai and Kyungsoo's relationship according to tarots

Hi anon! It was on my to-do list, so here it is! It was a fun reading, they must've been pretty young when they met, especially Kai :')

Disclaimer:

My readings are made for fun and you should read them for fun too. So don't take them seriously.

Their relationship

7 of wands, rev 4 of cups, rev 5 of swords

It's a relationship that didn't begin on a good note.

I think there was some sort of evolution, getting to know the other better, sharing experiences etc.

It was a process to build trust in each other, so I assume that at first they might've been a bit wary of each other.

One of them felt like they were left out or ignored.

At one point they solved their problems although I don't think there was a real issue like them arguing about something, but it was more like having a prejudice or a preconception that was later proved wrong naturally just by spending time together.

I have the impression Kai was a bit immature when they met and he couldn’t understand Kyungsoo at all.

But at some point they found a common ground and started to work on their relationship.

I think there’s appreciation and respect in both parties and a willingness to preserve their union.

If you’re willing to protect a relationship, it means there’s a lot of affection and interest for each other.

It's possible one of them became protective, like a support whenever the other feels lost.

I truly feel that they really developed a nice and comfy union.

What Kai thinks

rev the fool, rev the temperance, king of pentacles

He thinks Kyungsoo is mysterious and hard to understand.

It’s possible at first he wasn’t even that interested in knowing him more and it’s possible he had a bad impression of him

He probably was unable to read him and got contradicting signals, like idk Kyungsoo might've seem very cold, but then he was willing to give him a hand or to lend him stuff, so he might’ve wondered for a good chunk of time if Kyungsoo hated him or not.

It’s kinda similar to what I found for Chanyeol, but he tried to approach Kyungsoo and his introverted aura was interesting for him, while Kai was extremely intimidated, so it might’ve taken him longer to get used to him.

Chanyeol got King of Wands in his reading while Kai gets king of Pentacles. Kyungsoo is indeed a king lmao

Jokes aside, king of pentacles shows that at some point Kai got to know Kyungsoo better and that he realized that behind his cold aura there is a very kind and reliable person, mature, successful, loyal, encouraging.

Pretty much like Chanyeol, he also recognizes Kyungsoo’s solidity, his hardworking persona and his sweet heart.

From this it seems like Kyungsoo is a pretty coherent person and always himself, no matter who he’s dealing with. It would be fun to do a reading with another member and see if I get again similar vibes lmao

What Kyungsoo thinks

rev 3 of swords, rev the wheel, rev 5 of wands

I feel Kyungsoo might’ve felt Kai’s “fear” of him and probably got a bit hurt because of that.

Probably he wanted to be friends from the first moment they met, but Kai was like “omg does he hate me?”, so he might’ve felt extremely frustrated.

He might’ve wondered why he was so intimidated by him even though he never did anything wrong.

At some point they managed to solve their issues, as I said. Kai finally understood Kyungsoo better.

Or simply Jongin became more mature.

I’m not sure if Kyungsoo fully got over the initial stage of their relationship, he might have those 3am moments when you wake up and remember what you did when you were 15yo and he probably remembers how awkward they were.

Probably there were pretty embarrassing moments for him, who knows if any of the other trainees teased them or something like that.

But now they definitely reached an equilibrium, they have a peaceful relationship.

[ellieellieoxenfree]

4, 17, 36

i have been sitting on this one! finally getting around to it.

4. Do you have any OCs? Do you have a story for them?

yes! across a few different fandoms. the most notable/fleshed out i would say are:

beth (the flash tv): ah, beth. earth-2's harry wells' executive assistant, modeled after every lovely middle-aged administrative employee i have worked with. i loved beth. she, like all real executive or administrative assistants, is the real brains of the operation and the one who keeps the wheels on the bus; she knows all, remembers all, and does not give a hot fuck about senior leadership being petty, bickering, useless assholes because she knows that if she so much as hinted at leaving, the walls would start shaking and the foundation would collapse. she was kind of a mom figure to my homie hartley during his acclimation to earth-2 -- very grounding, sweet, and non-judgmental. she is widowed, but has two adult kids, one of whom she has drafted into white-collar crime via identity fraud (for a good cause). she bakes, she tours vineyards on weekends, and she has an unerring ear for gossip and when to spill which salacious details. (there are certain secrets beth will take to her grave, of course; she knows the value of being discreet and there is no torture on earth that will get her to share certain things.) her favorite revenge when her boss is being a twit is to make him the world's worst coffee and feign complete ignorance about it. this is the only way she will express her displeasure.

oat and non (That Fucking Show): minor family bodyguards assigned to protect MVP; oat specifically is a second-generation bodyguard and his father worked closely with gun. he's the older of the two, more solid and practical, a born leader. non is younger, more religious, and less settled -- he looks up to oat more for guidance. they both have seen Some Shit, and their loyalty is to the REAL minor family and not the usurper korn installed, although they both have enough self-preservation skills to know that maintaining outward loyalties to the institution is going to serve them well in the long run.

(name redacted because he hasn't been officially introduced yet but hopefully soon) (kiseki: dear to me): i have a gestating kiseki wip that i want to use to introduce a major figure from chen yi's past. i can't say a lot about him yet, though some people know a bit more about him, but he's been really fun to play with in terms of how he affected chen yi's life and how his arc continues to have ramifications in the present day. also, he's not a love interest, just to be clear. none of that. i want to formally introduce him soon :(

17. Past or present tense? Why?

i switch depending on my mood and depending on the vibe of the fic. present tense can create more of an immediacy/urgency, whereas past tense is generally easier to wrangle grammatically. it's not always true, but present tense can be more of a smoothly rolling rhythm for me, whereas past tense i think is easier to use for rapid-fire/staccato pacing.

36. How do you come up with fic titles? What's the one you're most proud of?

ima be real chief like 95% of those puppies are ripped from the split enz lyrics handbook. i cannot claim to be above the time-honored, time-tested tradition of song lyrics as titles. we all did it in the dark ages; we all do it now. i embrace my cringe life.

the one i like the best, despite the fact that i never fucking use its full name when referencing it, is 'by your response to danger it is easy to tell how you have lived and what has been done to you,' from my girl j holz. the full quote:

punches me right in the goddamn throat every time. i fucking love j holz more than anybody on the planet except ars. this is the quote that most sums up how i pick fictional faves.

[tutuandscoot]

I have a query about lifts that would benefit from your experience as a dancer. I’m interested in the mechanics - Scott doesn’t seem very big to me and yet lifts Tessa with ease and grace. So if sheer muscle power is not the secret to lifting another human while travelling at speed on a thin blade on ice, what is?! I’m interested in things like the role of the partner for eg, Queen T is so strong she holds up much of her own weight, plus also how their bodies work together to make it happen?. And which body parts do all the work? S has a solid neck and shoulders, a core to die for and a (well loved) sturdy behind, all of which would help, but his arms aren’t that big. Same with many other male skaters. When I think of big arms in an athlete I guess I picture AFL/ NRL blokes whose arms are massive. Next to them, S would look like a ballerina (which, sigh. He is). So how do these relatively small skaters do it?

⭐️LONG POST AHEAD⭐️

Ohh what an interesting question!

I won’t go too much in-depth on this ask bc I have a post I’ve been working on forever about lifts that I’m finally ready to release soon.

So I’ll cover a few things.

The no. one thing with lifts is form. Correct technique. My very first pas de deux (duet) class, our teacher (who was not a small man) lay on the floor and had about 10 of us- boys and girls, try to lift him. The first time he made himself really heavy, no control in his limbs, relaxed core- he didn’t hold himself. The second time, he held himself, core, limbs, made himself lighter just through form. The first time it was impossible to lift him, the next time probably 3 of us could of. So the first thing we learned is as the girl you have to hold yourself- make yourself light, and that makes it much easier for the man to lift you.

So form is the first thing. That goes for both of them. Scott is always so well balanced on his skates- whether that’s a parallel base or turned out base. He lifts from his legs:

-not by bending at his back. That makes it easier on his upper body, using the power muscles like his quads and beautiful tushie glutes for that explosive action is guiding her upwards, along with T clearly being very aerodynamic, he is not holding the weight of her purely with his arms. I haven’t really heard him talk about it but I know he had some back issues kinda around 2014. (For a couple or years before/after this time). Since I don’t know anything else I don’t want assume false facts, it may be from lift form or something else (lord knows I could give you a thousand stories about back issues), but it does go to show how much goes into correct technique and proper strength training (I believe this all came from their trainer in the comeback). Tessa meanwhile has to make herself light, and that comes through strength- especially core strength, all that Pilaties training to keep her core so strong while having exquisite lines though her limbs. It also helps if she is good at launching herself off the ground- aka jumping, which I assume she is. I don’t mean figure skating jumping, but just jumping off the ground. This helps Scott massively when he goes to lift her is that she is able to launch herself off the ice. She suspends herself in the air so he can then easily manipulate her. This is the case for some lifts but not all depending on the mechanics of it.

I don’t want this to be confused with simply T jumping into a lift and Scott catching. That would not result in the flow they have. This is where another really important factor comes in which is coordination. In their book they talk about creating more difficult lifts and getting them to ‘pop’. What this refers to is them having the right momentum, coordination, skating action- all those physics actions coming together to make the lift happen- this is what makes all their lifts so smooth and effortless. It’s not quite the same action but think a plane lifting off. It requires the right speed, angle of attack, weight balance, connection to gravity otherwise it over speeds or stalls.

Not all lifts require the same dynamics which makes their repertoire of lifts so versatile and memorable.

Let’s look at some examples

Latch straight:

They get into that tight position, she has her right leg bent up, he holds it as well as around her waist, then T jumps/pushes off the ice in coordination with Scott rolling her over, she shoots her left leg into the air (which also makes that beautiful circular motion as they ends in the arabesque). This kind of reminds me of learning back flips (back handsprings) you dive backwards over a big round (cylindrical) squishy mat so you can get used to the motion before having no support. This is almost like that but sideways and instead of the mat, she is rolling over him. But you can also see how they use their momentum, the backwards stroking, spinning around each other, setting the rhythm so when they go into the lift the motion is there in their bodies to carry forward. But they also cleverly disguised it so you don’t see the lift or what kind of lift coming. I was coaching this girl on a ballet solo the other day and there’s this movement that repeats I think 7 times where you jump off two feet, landing on one then rising (relevé) into a held pose.. on pointe. I was explaining to her if she pauses at the end of the jump for too long, she loses the momentum to rise up. If she’s uses the rebound from the landing of the jump to rise up, it will be easier, rather than fighting the energy your body has out of the jump- same with not holding yourself in a way where momentum will work in your favour for lifts. (The same way runners use the transfer of energy out of the ground to propel each proceeding stride- the energy expenditure/return ratio).

Latch rotational:

As he grabs her leg she jumps (pushes off) into that twist, he doesn’t have to bend low down or use his back because she is getting herself almost up to his shoulder height before he manipulates her around his neck.

A different example would be the prince/MR curve lift.

This doesn’t require so much of a jumping or popping action because there isn’t really any upward lifting motion. Tessa has to be so strong to step up onto his leg (so lots of box jumps and weighted step ups in gym training) she has to be so stable and so well balanced- assisted by him holding her so steady as she kicks her left leg over his head. This all coordinated together, in place and balanced as he begins to lean back to the outside edge to create the curve. And of course they lean soo far back, T is bending nearly 90*, she would be able to see the back side of the rink, and he as well gets such a steep lean in his beautiful grandé plié position... the damn trust to do that! Also on the matter of leg strength, I don’t think people realise how hard it is to hold a flat turned out grandé plié in second on your own for a solid 8 seconds let alone HAVING A FULL ADULT HUMAN STANDING ON YOUR THIGHS IN KNIFE SHOES LEANING BACK AND YOUr WHOLE STRENGTH RESPONSIBLE FOR IF SHE FALLS BACK AND CRACKS HER HEAD OPEN….. at the end of 3:1/2 minutes of skating also..

Something I love that about them as well that they never just had go to lifts in their competitive programs. They always had such good variety and lifts you’ll remember like ‘oh that’s the latch lift or that’s from Carmen.. not just a similar version of each type of lift for every program.

Another thing is the also the way they start and end lifts. You never see them prepare for a lift or having to re organise themselves after a lift. You see a lot of other teams that brief pause before lifts, and more noticeable the exit, a lot of teams slow down to exit their lifts and have to regain speed, breaking the flow of the program. That’s shows the strength of TS transitions and dance and skating skill.

These two things- form and coordination then allow them to dance their lifts. I’ve always felt like their lifts have stood out.. for many reasons: creativity, difficulty appropriate for the dance style and character, not being hijinksy for the sake of it. But also how they just become part of the dance. Even now when I know their routines so well and can easily recognise the skating elements, I never feel ‘oh there’s a lift’, they come out of nowhere. They’ll just be dancing along and suddenly bam! She’s in the air.

On the body/physicality bit.. yes they are both very small and close in height (they aren’t ‘short’, they are just small/ petite. There’s an interview with the actor John Hamm after he met them on Ellen and he exclaimed ‘they are so much smaller irl, I guess you have to be to do what they do’- he saw them live in YVR and had remained a big fan of them through pyc). It’s so cute watching them as juniors when they were basically the exact same height, lifts especially just staring out learning and performing them. I think their closeness in height lead to a very unique lift technique, type of lifts, and in fact I think became a massive advantage to them in how their lifts are so seamless. In most situations S would need a smaller partner because he isn’t that tall himself, but they made it work it and didn’t it work out brilliantly?!! Taking nothing away from Scott but this is how I think we got such spectacular on the part of Tessa lifts bc she so freaking strong and fearless. ie the Carmen/MR rotational lift, also the goose since it doesn’t require any lifting motion, just skill and balance and T being a rockstar. Her strength also made it so they didn’t have to resort to a lot of lifts where it’s just the boy swinging the girl (I hate those lifts) the more contorted lifts (the one above) T’s so equally strong and flexible she’s not like a rag doll being thrown around.

When I say lift technique I don’t know what technique specifically- like there’s no offical name for it- it’s just what worked for them. The ‘pop’ they describe is a good way to explain it because a lot of the time with their lifts you don’t necessarily see a definitive upwards lifting motion, as I said it just becomes a highlight moment in the dance, not ‘there’s a lift’, they used their respective similar physicalities, physics, chemistry between them- trust, to lift, not just muscle strength. Lifts would definitely be tiring for Scott especially training them repetitively, but I don’t get the sense he would be getting over exhausted/fatigued/injured through drilling or performing lots of lifts because they play such equal roles, and have excellent technique. People don’t realise lifts are incredibly hard on the girls as well. Your ribs get very bruised and sore, you can get winded, sometimes you end up in or for the mechanics of the lift you’re in uncomfortable positions, you don’t have a lot of extra padding- both clothing and costumes but also.. you know.. fat to protect you, so that’s why strength and form is so important to keep yourself safe and in one piece.

Basically everything I’ve mentioned above can be trained and worked on and talented enough dancers will make it look great, but TS advantage is they had been doing it for sooo long they only know how to partner each other, so the unique technique they developed for their physicality as dancers extends deeper to them personally. (Their excellent form and understanding of their respective roles in lifts allows them to occasionally partner others to a high standard as well- but you can see the imbalance when you split ts up and put them with other people..)

Another thing that kind of has nothing to do with it but also everything to do with it, is in slowing down lifts and watching transitions you can see the trust and care they have in each other. They never hesitate. He puts her down soooo gently, like a pin drop would be louder than T’s blade hitting the ice- she’s in skates so where as dance on the floor you would using the strength of your foot to roll through the metatarsals to make your landing soft and quiet. I’m constantly amazed at the way he manhandles her in both beautiful and deliberately ugly/confronting positions, but it’s also so gentle-or appears gentle, like he stops his grip just before it would hurt her. I love seeing her back after a program when you can see the marks, sometimes scars/scratches left because their dancing is so beautifully physical and they love to feel that physical connection with each other through movement but it also makes you realise what they do is really fucking hard and as gentle as it is they sometimes do go home feeling a little beaten up- but in the best way possible because it’s their best friend beating them up and they know the end product is worth it. Sometimes I think about that and how they hug before every skate even it seems practices on/off ice at competitions and they are making each other feel so safe and comfortable being held before they have to do it choreographically. Like they are just re-reminding each other what their touch feels like so they can re-connect with that familiar sensation every time (brb, Sobbing break 😭😭).

I would also like to speculate that their breathing aids in their lifts, just as physically they coordinate, their breath coordinates as well, so in preparing for a lift that requires that ‘pop’ action (most of them in some respect) they would breathe in together on the preparation, then out releasing that energy as they go into the lift.. idk if this is the case but I like to believe it is.

Lastly on the matter of trust, and this is clearly the case with everything they do, T just has full faith in him. I love this little clip here of them practicing the stat. lift from latch at SCI:

They get a little bit stuck, just a brief loss of momentum. While initially, only for a split second T seems to motion to help her situation- not bc she’s afraid of falling but just to help the lift get moving again, but she quickly stops and just lets him sort it out. She holds her position so strongly, so he can clearly feel where each of her limbs are and body weight is and makes the the most economical choices to continue the lift and she is fine with whatever he chooses to do to get it back on track. Look how calm they both remain. And as he puts her down they are still so in it with their expressions and focus on each other. It’s also incredibly sweet that as he’s put her down, he puts his hand on the small of her back- this happens in the program as well but it’s easier to see here bc she’s in tights, the way he has to put her down means his hand kinda gets wrapped high between her legs. There is nothing ‘suggestive/sleezy/slutty/secret coded msg through movement’ about it, it’s just the mechanics of the lift, but nevertheless its not like he needs to put his hand on her back afterwards, it just seems like a gentle little moment to centre themselves after the element, like ‘here I am, I’ve got you’ as they continue on (totally made that up I have know fkn clue if there’s any thing to that but I like the thought of it). So this all going back to everything I’ve said of their form and coordination, ease of movement they developed only for each other, their beautiful individual movement as dancers, and the trust and gentle care they have for each other in every moment of life.

So I don’t really know if all/any of that answers the question about how he’s so small but is so strong.. muscle doesn’t necessary equate to strength I guess I would say.. it’s skill, form, coordination. T plays a huggeeee role in their lifts and I think Scott would back me up on that. I love when he says things like (on the MR rotational lift) ‘that’s so cool right, she just goes for it.. she’s fearless’. He is so stable (never looks like he has a problem) he hardly ever missteps, so for T knowing she’s on such a secure base she has no reason to hesitate. Obviously the lifts aren’t perfect straight away, they would have to work for them. Practice off ice for ages then slowly move to the ice. I don’t know how they do any of this in fucking skates on ice that’s insane I don’t understand it they’re crazy daredevils and I love them for that!

TS are obviously an extremely positive example of partners supporting one another- him never giving her any reason to think to starve or diet unhealthily to become lighter for him to lift. (T had said in an interview I think this one that he only wanted the best for her and make her feel +look amazing, never giving her the crap that others did, and T herself being so strong willed and determined for both herself to be healthy and knowing she was setting an example for young girls/athletes in general QUEEN T HAS MY HEART). A not so positive example I’ve experienced is the staff in the company I use to dance in, one of them publicly saying how they tell their woman dancers they are fat and over weight (which none of them are) because they have to ‘protect their boys’.. the staff had an unhealthy obsession with their male dancers and one girl in particular who they set as the gold standard for being about as thin as my pinky finger. Weight and body fat distribution has nothing to do with how easy it is for a boy to lift you, everyone’s body is different, we are all fit because we are high level athletes, your weight can fluctuate several hundred grams whether you are on your period or you’ve taken a shit that day.. form and communication with partners is far more important. If you are both applying the correct technique and working together to make the lift/partnering happen it shouldn’t matter the physicality of the partners (when it comes to specific chore it may be necessary for there to be more significant height differences). So there you have a prime example of what not to do- damaging artists based on BS ‘science’, controlling and sick obsessions with both men and women, and in contrast TS, a team who physically shouldn’t work for the type of movement they do, yet creating stunning, ground breaking skating because they did everything right and proved these bullshit mind games are just that, bs. Compared to other ID teams where the girl is relatively smaller/thinner/ lighter, their lifts appear to be much more in-equal in the roles each parter plays- it appears much harder on the guy because she thinks because she is light it will be easy to lift her.. no. When she is light but not strong/not holding herself correctly the lift is sloppy, they don’t make nice positions, and then I do start fearing for one of/both their safety.

I know I said I would just say a few things… that IS me saying a few things…

Hope this did answer but if there’s something I didn’t cover you want me to, anyone let me know..

Also ‘sturdy behind’ had me giggling for about 5 mins..

Also like the AFL guys would probs be ok with lifting a girl kinda gracefully but those NRL boys oh man.. 😬🫣

I love Scott’s physicality so so much and it changed a fair bit in the comeback but I loved how he learned to work with it. I can’t imagine having to totally retrain your body back to not only competitive but OLY gold medal shape at an “””older””” age, but didn’t he do a stunning job at it!! I can’t believe how beautifully he was moving by the last few competitions. Grace and ease but incredible strength as you put it is exactly right!

Lastly apologies this probs doesn’t flow very well and the paragraph topics are a bit miss matched.. hopefully the info makes sense even if it’s not the easiest read..

[samlgc]

what's up party people!

or at least that's what sam wants to say when he makes his "grand entrance" into lgc 🙄 anyway, i'm blue (any pronouns)! i was a member of lgc a while ago but never really got off the ground and had to quietly drop for personal reasons. i'm back now with a new muse and hopefully here to stay around a bit longer!

i remember that people used twitter a lot last time was here, so i created an account this time. it's not fully set up yet, but if you'd like to connect please give me a follow! i'll probably lock the account in a couple of days or so but please still feel free to follow req.

without any further ado, let me introduce a little more about sam under the cut!

sam's full story can be found here, but for a quick, summarized version, keep reading:

sam was orphaned at a young age due to some tragic circumstances but was adopted by his aunt, his father's sister, who was never able to have children and loved sam as if he were her own. she was always up front with him about his "real" parents, but as far as sam's concerned, she is his real mom. he grew up a bit spoiled and his aunt is very doting.

basically, sam's aunt was relocated to pleasanton, california for work and sam had no choice but to go with her. turns out he actually thrived there. he's a really outgoing guy, lacks humility or shame so he had no fear in speaking a language he wasn't very good at, and therefore got good at it quicker. it was in california that he really began to fall in love with music and his friends encouraged him to start dabbling in composition. his early stuff was atrocious and he's buried it all on an old hard drive somewhere.

around the time he was getting close to high school graduation, he started to gain an interest in kpop. unfortunately, the western music industry doesn't really have a place for asian men and sam sorta figured out he'd have a better chance of being a popular singer or something if he got himself in the kpop industry. turned out he was wise to think that, since he joined legacy in january 2020!

sam likes to think that he's the best thing since sliced bread. he's a bit full of himself, a bit cocky, but it's not totally without merit. he's a bit of a triple threat; he can sing well, he's a solid dancer, and he's pretty skilled at rap too. and he has a loud, boisterous personality that's just perfect for variety shows someday.

"but sam, if you're so good at everything, why haven't you debuted yet?" he would say that it's because he's so good that legacy can't simply add him to the existing boy groups and they're building him his own. he may be a bit delusional. gotta love his confidence, though.

despite being rather arrogant, he's a pretty nice guy! super friendly, super willing to help out a newer trainee or a peer who needs help in something he's good at. he recognizes that debut is a team effort so he's also trying to be the most liked trainee too... though he's a bit stupid so i can't promise he'll never offend anyone.

so now that we all know sam, how about some plots? :) i actually don't have very many ideas, but i'll add stuff on as i think of it!

i would LOVE a more antagonistic rivalry in sam's life. honestly, he could probably be the aggressor in the right situation. someone that just has a conflicting personality, who could fill the same role(s) in a future debut group, and sam finds to be a threat... but having a rival makes you stronger, so he's in no hurry to make amends.

not sure what his romantic history looks like exactly, but i do sorta imagine him as the type who always needs someone who dotes on him. i believe he's historically had a preference for women so he probably wouldn't have had a boyfriend, but he also really likes attention so i can see him leading someone on a bit just because they're into him. exes and flings are tentatively reserved for girls only, though. he might've been a nice bf at first but i think he's a bit emotionally selfish and even now isn't really mature enough to be in a serious relationship.

best friend, partner in crime sort of relationship? someone who lets him get away with anything and calls him out on his shit at the same time, sorta like a sibling-like best friend if that makes any sense at all. yes, it's contradictory. but they're the first to do some dumb shit with him and then tell him he was an idiot for it later.

a muse. sam likes to write music and compose, so someone he's inspired by. actually, this could be multiple people and go in a hundred different directions. someone he writes about because they're beautiful and he writes love songs with them in mind, someone who's another composer who he wants to learn from and may or may not steal ideas from, a close friend he writes songs for so they can impress the guy or girl with an original song for their confession, someone he hates so much he just has to write about it... the more the merrier!

i would also love someone to kick his ass. no i'm not joking. someone who gets so annoyed with his smart mouth and attention-seeking ways that they just deck him right in his stupid pretty face. it's honestly what he deserves.

i also just love love. romance plots are my bread and butter. i think sam's historically only dated women, but i don't know if he's totally straight. self-discovery might be nice, but he's a bit stupid so it'd have to be some damn good chemistry if it's with another boy. girls would probably have an easier time catching his attention!

again, i'm kinda short on ideas, but i'll add more to this post when i think of them! in the meantime, please drop me a like or send me a message either on tumblr or twitter and i'm looking forward to getting involved!!

[tharizdun-03]

Arcane Watchthrough

Episode 1: Welcome to the Playground

EP 1 was very good! It's not an unusual premise, but it's the execution that really stands out here. Aesthetically, it's wonderful, very stylized, strong artwork, and lots of small character acting. I see it setting up plenty thematics and character stuff too. Impressed.

I'll say tho, it's a fair criticism towards Powder. I'm all about making people feel included and realizing their full potential, but if she screws things up every time during your missions, maybe don't bring her with you? Or at least give her a lesser role, like keeping watch.

Probably my favourite little moment from the episode tbh, got a laugh out of me. Very expressive. I like Vi.

Episode 2: Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved

Arcane keeps up the solid work with EP 2!

Episode 3: The Base Violence Necessary for Change

That was SO GOOD.

Episode 4: Happy Progress Day!

Ooh, timeskip. Jinx, huh. Wow, her guilt of having accidentally killed everyone, and the trauma from Vi "betraying" her, has messed her up so much, and Silco makes her actually feel important, as her little inventions finally succeed, for example.

It makes sense, basically, that she's the way she is now. The janky flashbacks are great, with Jinx's demonification of her past and the people in it, being literally represented in the visuals, painting over her memories, to cope with the past.

Just also taking the opportunity to gush about how good the show looks. Background art, for example, beautiful.

Episode 5: Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy

What stood out to me about Arcane's 5th episode the most was the directing! The overall storyboarding, imagery, and editing, were all significantly better in this episode (and it was already fantastic). Wonder if there's a specific reason in staff for this. Best episode so far.

I think you really notice the storyboarding right from the get-go, I thought this perspective was really cool, for example.

I like her voice a lot.

Silco got the drip.

Cool transition.

Look at that. 

As this is the same place she used to practice, this is probably a reference to that shooting practice? I'm thinking beyond the point of the scene just showing how different she is now. Would've been cool if the practice targets were like fake tree birds or something. 

Just top-notch editing for this scene, and the fact that Jinx still can't beat Vi's score, one she did years ago, when she was her age, just feeds into Jinx's insecurities even further.

Sick transition (also love the 2D effects work).

First of all, very cool with the horn built into the violin, but just a fantastic scene overall. The violin is my favourite instrument, you know, so any scene is elevated with violin music. Also, sick stage work, I'd attend that.

Very abstract presentation for the sex scene, keeping it tasteful and also allowing them to tie it into Victor fainting in some visually interesting ways.

Another sick transition from the previous scene.

I wasn't sure if Jinx and Silco's relationship was paternal or romantic, and I think it was intentionally ambiguous but to what purpose other than to keep us guessing I don't know, but I know now that it's paternal. Baptism-like scene here, to get rid of "Powder."

I think these are the band members for Imagine Dragons? If so, that is very cool. Also, playing the opening in an episode is always awesome.

Look at how the camera turns 90 degrees here as she throws Vi to the ground, that's so cool.

Lots of character and story goodies too, it's just fairly straight-forward so I don't have too much to comment on that, but it's all fantastic, and it's a bummer I only really have time for the series on Sundays (as I'm watching with my Dad) cause I'm loving it.

Episode 6: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down

Oh God, I'm gonna cry.

Episode 7: The Boy Savior

Holy shit

Episode 8: Oil and Water

This show is so good. I'm consistently impressed by how every single character is given relevance and focus, always contributing to the bigger picture. EP 8 managed to do so much for all of them.

Vi and Caitlyn goodness, Viktor finally outrunning the boat, some continuingly appreciated Medarda characterization, haunting hallucination scene with Jinx, Jayce having to make increasingly more difficult choices, Heimerdinger still being active, etc.

The fight scene had me giddy as fuck, and for some reason made me tear up a bit (cause it's just that awesome I guess lol), and it ofc being intentionally set up as really fucking cool so they could bring us right back down to face the actual real life consequences too.

Episode 9: The Monster You Created

Wow. What a finale. The whole dinner set-piece was such a brilliant idea for the climax that when I first realized it was happening I cursed myself for not realizing how perfect this would be. Honestly tho, this episode did the most for Silco imo.

“Don’t cry. You’re perfect.” 

There's so much to unpack here. Of course, on an obvious level, Silco chose his daughter over his dream. He is the only one that completely sees Jinx, all of her, and loves her unconditionally, and accepts her for everything.

Vi, of course, loves Powder too, but it's not "open and unconditional" in the same way as it is with Silco. She screams at Jinx to remember her past, in order to force Powder to reawaken, but that just makes her paranoia and hallucinations worse.

Silco shoots at Vi, not just so Powder won't awaken and he can get what he wants, but also because he knows that this hurts Jinx and genuinely empathizes with her, with that pain, and realizes Vi is hurting her, by doing this, and by being at all, and he intends to protect her.

Silco accepts Jinx, mental issues and all, doesn't even blame her for killing him, and tells her that she doesn't need to change, which seals Jinx's decision to stay as Jinx. After all, she's already perfect.

The best part tho, is that Silco's love isn't just open and unconditional, it's still rooted in selfishness as well. He genuinely loves her as a daughter, and empathizes with her, as he sees himself in her, but she also embodies what he loves about the undercity.

Silco chose both Zaun AND Jinx. He doesn't want a Zaun that has to deal with Piltover, he knows that won't work out. He loves the chaos in the undercity, that brings out the monsters within the people, I mean, under his rule, the undercity got worse, and intentionally so.

By choosing Jinx, he not only chooses his daughter (and still allows her to choose who she should be), but he chooses the idea of Zaun that he wants to preserve, that chaos, that city that forces people to rise and grow powerful through conflict, which Jinx embodies and fulfills.

This really ties into why Silco chose to take Jinx in which should seem a bit out of character but in combination with empathizing with her being betrayed as he once was, he also sees Zaun as he envisions it within her and how she embodies that idea more than anyone else.

It just, it would've been so easy to fall into the trap of making him get attached to this child for no real strong reason, but Jinx explicitly ties into his fundamental principles of being, so his actions stay totally in character and only richen him further.

Of course, I'm not trying to glorify Jinx's and Silco's relationship at all. It may have been open and loving, but that isn't enough to properly raise a child. 

Man, that you're perfect scene tho, I've rewatched it multiple times, and I tear up every time lol. Of course, this episode did wonders for the other characters as well, with that wonderful callback as Jayce stops Viktor from suicide this time, for example. Just fantastic all around. Very excited to see what season 2 has in store.

Overall Thoughts:

Arcane was so good I genuinely can't come up with a single flaw or anything I would've changed lol. Wonderfully written story just elevated tenfold by some of the best presentation ever. Silco is an all-time favourite antagonist but top-notch cast overall. Unmatched insert songs.

[turnupswritessometimes]

💞💌💥🕯️Of course, you don't have to do all of them, just whichever you're interested in answering ^_^

Oh, of course I'll do all of them - I love talking about my own writing lmao!

💞what's the most important part of a story for you?

The relationship between characters. I feel like fanfiction really gives you a space to get into all the nooks and crannies of a character's relationships, in a way that the source material rarely has time to do. But then, even when I'm writing AUs (so starting these characters from point A, instead of somewhere in the middle), I like for characters to have a solid foundation with each other, and definitely somewhere to go.

(Dialogue was a close contender here - but I think that's what I enjoy writing the most. And it's one of the main tools in showing a relationship; what's said, but also what's unsaid.)

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

Something I'm tinkering with for Fullmetal Alchemist is Roy Mustang and Ed Elric using a certain rumour about Ed being Mustang's illegitimate child for a mission. (And really getting into their relationship. It's set just after the 520 cens promise so lots to talk about!)

💥find your least kudos'd fic - say something wonderful about it.

My actual least kudos'd fic is my latest SidLink one - 'Just for This Moment,' but as that only went up a week or so ago, I don't think that's fair to choose for this. So my second least kudos'd fic is 'Hidden Depths,' about the boys from Tokyo Mew Mew. I'm assuming it got a low kudos score because it's a smaller fandom, and an extremely rare pair within that fandom.

It's a fic I really like! I love using the aquarium and the creatures in it as a tool to bring two characters into finding middle ground/talking in metaphors about themselves. I love Ryou's conflicting emotions and his denial to admit to himself how he really feels.

This bookmark is my favourite: "'he hates him because they're love rivals' actually he hates him bc he's bi and crushing hard and a tsundere."

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

Currently, I'm finding 'The One With the Mermaid' extremely hard to write. I didn't approach it any differently than I usually would, but something's just not got me hooked like usual. I think it's that second part of the question - the story's evolved differently than I thought, and I'm not sure how to get it back.

Otherwise, my SoRiku fic 'Worth Running To' took me to some exciting places. I vaguely knew I was adapting the plot of the first Kingdom Hearts (vaguely!!), but I didn't account for how many other characters - Kingdom Hearts and Disney - would get caught up in the plot. The finale felt very big and dramatic for what I usually write, but I remember really enjoying that. The biggest surprise about that one was sparking off a side story about the Seasalt trio, in a Georgian boarding school. (Very fun, but very niche, lol)

I think that's it! Thanks so so much for the ask!! <3 <3