#i like it too! it has so many cool aspects and things to explore but nothing was ever done with it

[thecedarchronicle]

speaking of weird areas in sso i feel the need to rant about north wildwoods/tailtop

the idea was so cool and i was so hyped when we got redwood point but then it was just??? nothing?? there's so many cool NPCS and unique gear (that i am still so sad is JWH exclusive and that they never really made more of. i wanted to have big flower baskets and mane flowers so so bad) and they dropped so fast?? and the warrior area is so empty!! like you want to convince me that this is a huge group of horses that can??? fight?? but then it's so empty. there's like two NPCS on either side of a huge open plateau and one moose. it feels like a game in alpha tests

i havent even gone back to find the stars there because it feels lowkey depressing. i don't know if that's just me though. but i wish sse would have done more with the area because it was so intriguing!!

[waywardstation]

The other day my thoughts went back to the "Train of Thoughts" AU we created here and how incredibly community driven everything was...

...and it got me thinking how this AU also could be something to be explored in the way your new reblog-story-game-thingy (do these have names btw?) go.

Like which memory-train to tackle next, banter and chatting with MG!Emmet along the way and intermissions with Ingo on the outside reacting when certain memories are unlocked. Also in General interactions with MG!Emmet and the Mind Station. There should be something of a disclaimer at first but I'd love to see a return of this AU as it is still a big favorite for me.

of course no rush on that. I just wanted to share this idea since it could be a fun thing to make at a later point and also would be on brand here since it is your (and our) potluck AU!

(I apologize that this took so long to respond to, I’ve tried to post it three times now but my internet is terrible right now and I’ve had to rewrite this every time!!)

OH I STILL LOVE TRAIN OF THOUGHT AU SO MUCH!! It was so fun getting to build that together with everyone else who brought so many cool ideas and expansions to it!!

SO THAT IS SUCH A COOL IDEA TO MAKE IT AN INTERACTIVE COMIC!!! I would have so much fun doing that and I think others would too! And it keeps the community-driven aspect of it too with letting people pick from options!

I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! It’s such a good idea just like everything else you always come up with, thank you for the suggestion friend!!! ^^

————

I understand that I have not talked about the Train of Thought AU in such a long time. I am sure there are a lot of people here now who don’t know what this AU is. So you are free to check out the respective tag for it, or read the summary below!

So, Train of Thought AU is basically an AU that takes Ingo’s amnesia and turns it into a purposely-caused safeguard to protect his mind from a mind parasite that could permanently destroy it.

So in this AU, Ingo fell to Hisui through one of Giratina’s wormholes. It was not smooth and things definitely clashed together. While going through, a part of Giratina’s essence meshed with him, becoming trapped in Ingo’s mindscape when he exited the other side of the wormhole and into Hisui.

This part of Giratina quickly developed into an entity. This part is not Giratina itself, but rather something that grew from Giratina’s characteristics. Named Remnant, this entity was mindless, did not act on a conscience, and much like a virus, has a one-track mind, one direction — to get out of this mindscape and into the real world, destroying everything on the way out if it has to.

And that is exactly what is began to do.

For reference, Ingo’s mindscape resembles Gear Station. There are many traincars inside that hold different memories, and many lines for these cars to operate on that are meant for different trains of thought. (There is a line for memories to influence dreams while he’s sleeping, there is a line for things that get stuck in his head and play over and over, like songs, there is a train yard where embarrassing memories are banished to, etc.)

Once Remnant had realized what was going on, it began destroying memory traincars in a fury to get out, damaging important memories.

In doing this, a system that was implemented realized something was inside the mindscape that was damaging it, and it made a heavy decision in the moment to protect it.

This system is referred to as a Mind Guardian. Mind Guardians are the mind’s security system basically, dedicated to protecting the mind. They manifest in the mindscape as the person the mind trusts the most — in Ingo’s case, it was Emmet.

MG Emmet made the decision to lock all the train cars (trapping Remnant inside one of them in the process) and send them all into a train yard meant for memories that should be forgotten. Emmet built a barricade by cramming so many cars together, keeping Remnant securely in a prison.

But by doing this, MG Emmet left Ingo with so little to remember, he fell into an amnesia. MG Emmet knew this would happen, and it would leave him with a severely disfunctional mindscape to oversee, but intact memories that were locked away were better than memories that were irreparably damaged.

But that meant that all of Ingo’s memories of Emmet were locked away as well. With Ingo’s consciousness unable to recall Emmet, MG Emmet lost practically everything that made him “Emmet.” Most of his appearance and speech patterns were lost to darkness, blurs, and static, and without a name to remember, he simply became the Conductor.

While Remnant was locked away, unable to escape the memory it was trapped in, there was one loophole where it could still roam the station. Whenever Ingo would fall asleep, many of the mindscape’s functions would pause or stop. Remnant could use its tendrils to wander the dark station, in search of anything it could get ahold of or take advantage of — one of those things being MG Emmet specifically.

Remnant knew MG was the one who trapped it, and all it sees MG Emmet as is an obstacle, an adversary keeping it stuck in this mindscape. It wants to hunt down and eliminate MG Emmet.

MG Emmet knows this, so whenever Ingo goes to sleep and the station goes dark, he knows he has to hide. Usually, he takes shelter in the memory car that contains Ingo’s recollection of Emmet’s joltik hoard. He finds comfort in it and it’s easy to hide under layers of joltiks.

And so, for Ingo’s entirety in Hisui, he was entirely unaware of all of this, assuming the amnesia was from a head injury or a rough trip through a rift (which, technically yes it is haha) and thought nothing of it.

However one day when Akari brings the Lake Guardians to Professor Laventon for help with further studies (and for him to get to admire them), Uxie senses Ingo, and that something is very wrong with his mind. It’s not empty, no. Rather, everything is still in there, it’s just inaccessible. Very strange!

Uxie decides, with everyone’s agreement and Ingo’s consent, to try entering his mindscape and trying to figure out what’s wrong. They attach themselves to Ingo to make a mental link, but within moments, the link is broken. Uxie tries again, only to be ejected again. Another try, another forceful rejection.

MG Emmet is the one kicking Uxie out of Ingo’s mind. He already had enough of a mess with Remnant, he is not going to let a second pokemon into the mindscape again.

So a solution comes down to Uxie connecting Akari and Irida’s minds to Ingo’s, and putting their consciousnesses into his mindscape — Ingo is most comfortable with both of them going in, as they’re the two people in Hisui who he knows and trusts best — Uxie sends them in, but has to stay connected to Ingo’s head the entire time so as not to break that connection.

(The sketches below were done before we got Ingo’s hairline reveal lol. I didn’t know what to work with so I just made something up. Also why Ingo looks so different here; I was still figuring out how I wanted to draw him.)

Akari and Irida are sent into the mindscape, and immediately begin running. MG Emmet reflexively goes to kick them out, but he has to catch them first to do so before they split up.

Initially, Akari and Irida have to be careful and keep avoiding MG Emmet, who is hunting them down every free moment he has. They almost get caught several times (See the memes below lol).

This goes on for quite a bit, until Ingo falls asleep and the station shuts down again (he still has no idea that sleeping will make things dangerous for everyone in there — all he knows is Uxie will keep them connected as long as it needs). The three of them run into Remnant as it’s now scouring the station, and MG Emmet gets hurt.

They all manage to escape, but Irida and Akari come across MG Emmet recovering in his joltik car while looking for a place to hide. They join him and do their best to help him, and this is when they finally have a chance to show him that genuinely, they’re here to help, and want to restore Ingo’s mind and get rid of Remnant, just like he does.

From this point on, MG Emmet begins to trust them and joins them, making sure they stay safe navigating the mind station. He will explain the situation in more detail, show them all of the traincars and what the different lines are meant for, show them the manifestations of people and pokemon that Ingo has come to know in Hisui (like Lady Sneasler!) as well as Ingo’s manifestation of his own damaged self-image, and help them unlock more of Ingo’s memories, slowly but surely making their way to the memory traincar that Remnant is trapped in.

MG Emmet also cannot help but torment Ingo like the brother he is — he will go out of his way to show Akari and Irida embarrassing memories of things that Ingo has said and done throughout his whole life. MG Emmet laughs at them, Akari laughs even louder. Irida is just mortified. And Ingo, to his horror, can tell they’re going through these memories when he finds he’s suddenly remembering all these embarrassing things at once.

There is so much more to this AU, this summary, as long as it is, has barely scratched the surface! There is so much more with many ideas, scenarios, and expansions that people have graciously shared, and they’re all so cool! If you find yourself interested in this AU and would like to see more where people have presented really cool ideas and expanded upon them, I highly suggest browsing through this AU’s tag -> #Train of Thought AU !

[unpickled-olive]

Realizing that, while I like Destiny lore, what I love is Seth Dickinson's writing.

The Final Shape was a lovely story and the characters' archs were all emotional and satisfying. Maybe a nostalgic tear was shed for Cayde bonding with his reformed, resurrected killer.

But the things that have kept me coming back for 9 years were missing. I thought there'd be concrete answers about the Traveler, or some more thorough insights into the Witness, or even good lore on the Dread. I was hoping for another great lore book to join the ranks of Books of Sorrow, Unveiling, Mysterious Logbook, Marasenna, Last Days of Kraken Mare, etc. Some philosophy and horror, a genesis or exegesis or thorough backstory on a yet unexamined character/species.

Sadly, I didn't find those. The Dread's origin is that the Witness made them. Do they think and feel? TBD. The Traveler's conclusion was something like "you just have to have faith <3." Fine for the characters, but not for the readers/players of a 10-year-old mystery.

There's some nice things. The Micah-10 Traveler interpretations are cool, as is her origin story. And the foreshadowing still has me excited for the Dreadnaught, a yet unseen Disciple, etc. But I think key parts of what made Destiny lore so alluring for me are diminished.

Maybe it's the layoffs at Bungie. Maybe it's new writers going in a different direction. Either way, the aspects of sci-fi/space fantasy—ancient mysteries, metaphysical warfare, _____—have taken the back seat to personal drama that frankly isn't that interesting or fleshed out.

Maya could be an interesting antagonist, but she needed more backstory than "this simulation was evil or something" and more nuance than "the Vanguard are coercive, so I will coerce all of humanity." Why not explore what her presence means for the Vex, or the other simulations helping Praedyth escape the Vault?

The Witness trying to sway various characters was fine, but that has been covered so many times, especially in Beyond Light.

All that said, back to Seth: their absence in TFS made me realize how huge their presence in the lore was for my love of Destiny. I finally went and read their original works. What an incredible writer.

First, I read Exordia, the first/only entry into a dark mindfuck of a space opera. Its horrific in abstract ways: mysterious alien monoliths that poison reality around them. It's horrific in grounded ways, too: the alien invasion plays off of parallels with the Anfal campaign and the US involvement in Iraq. It's campy at times (with a villain who shouts "I love genocide!") but also profound. There's souls and date, but also math. There's also my favorite trope: mysterious, ancient architects.

After that, I read Baru Cormorant—all three books in a month. It's tragic and inspiring and genius. Originally I couldn't get through the first chapter because of the "fantasy" label. I've already read Earthsea and wasn't in the mood for wizards on boats. But I had the wrong impression. Understandable, because there is just no succinct way to label it.

Is it even fantasy? Honestly, I still don't know.

What it is is its own world. One that the inhabitants haven't fully mapped. One whose past is a must and whose future is uncertain. It's about hegemony. It's about purpose, obsession, and revenge. It's about revolution and community.

The colonizer culture is a kaleidoscope of different influences. Seafaring. Peri-industrial. Eugenic. It strikes me as something like 17th century Britain with a 20th century grasp of science. They don't have guns, but they do have both Greek fire and lobotomies. The story plays with different cultural views on indigenous rights, race, sexuality, and gender in ways that commentary real life while serving as interesting world building.

This story also weaves an insane amount of intellectual concepts into it. But rather than bog it down, they lift it up. The fate of the republic hinges on a myriad of different questions: is evolution Lamarckian or Darwinian? Can mathematical proofs usurp cultural hegemony? How do economics influence history? Most importantly, can you destroy the enemy from within before it destroys you?

It is not just cerebral, but tragic and heartbreaking. I saw the end of the first book coming, and yet I was devastated by the last chapter. Crushed like no ending has ever really crushed me. I didn't want it to happen.

There will likely be some time before the final book comes out, which is understandable. So much research goes into these. So many plot threads need to be woven together. So many mysteries not yet confronted.

This is all to say: if you like what I like about Destiny–thorough examinations of ancient mysteries, sci-fi takes on souls and magic, fantasy takes on science and technology, obsessive characters and vividly fucked up monsters, cancer and math as motifs, metaphors manifesting, and genius characters written by genius authors–give Seth Dickinson a chance.

[anthurak]

Okay, so here’s a Salem theory I’ve recently come up with that ties into an aspect of her character that I feel has been largely under-explored:

The fact that in many respects, Salem is all too similar to RUBY.

As I’ve stated in the past in other posts, there are some very interesting similarities that can be drawn between Ruby and Salem. To the point where I think we can consider Salem to be Ruby’s true ‘evil-counterpart’ in the story. Particularly ever since the ‘Girl in the Tower’ episode of Fairy Tales of Remnant.

The Girl in the Tower showed that Salem ALSO had a great love for stories as a child, just like Ruby. And across the show, we have shown Ruby develop a number of traits and abilities much like what we have seen from Salem.

Both have built a select group of close and loyal allies, and in recent volumes, Ruby has displayed a growing talent in manipulating her enemies to gain advantage over them just like Salem. And as of the Volume 9 epilogue and Beyond, we are seeing Ruby rallying the entire world against Salem, just like Salem once did against the gods.

Heck, Ruby likely has her own equivalent to Ozma in PENNY, as recent volumes have emphasized more and more. A great warrior in green touched by magic who is tragically taken from Ruby, only to be brought back and then taken from her again.

There are even notable similarities in their physical abilities: Ruby’s Silver Eyes seem to be a power drawn from the God of Light, just like Salem’s immortality. And as I’ve theorized in other posts, recent revelations about Ruby’s semblance might mean that Ruby could potentially be just as unkillable as Salem.

It all feels like something that could very naturally build to a classic “We are not so different, you and I…” twist and exchange between Ruby and Salem.

Ultimately, I think a/the big twist and reveal about Salem that we’re eventually going to get is that she is a fallen hero. And more specifically, that she represents a fallen RUBY.

Let’s consider for a moment that we have every reason to view Jinn as an unreliable narrator when it comes to her vision in Volume 6.

And when we start looking at Jinn’s vision with the knowledge that it is almost certainly both HEAVILY skewed in favor of the God of Light and meant to paint Salem in as UNFAVORABLE light as possible, then I think we can get a much better picture of Salem in the old world.

Again, I think that the biggest and yet most natural and logical narrative twist we could see here is a big reveal that Salem was in fact absolutely a HERO, and more specifically was essentially the RUBY of her time: She united the whole world, just like Ruby is doing. All to lead humanity against a terrible threat, just like Ruby is doing.

And Salem ultimately FAILED.

Salem was able to unite humanity and lead them against the gods, only for it to all go terribly wrong. When the gods (likely Light, given both the unreliable nature of Jinn’s narration and what we learned from the Blacksmith) wiped humanity out and left Salem alive as a ‘punishment’ for her ‘insolence’ for rising up against them.

Thus does Salem represent a dark and tragic look at a Ruby who ultimately failed. And was so completely and utterly BROKEN as a result that she has eventually become twisted into a terrible villain.

And the really cool thing is; if we start looking at Salem as essentially representing a broken, fallen Ruby who has become a villain, I think this could give us an avenue to guessing just what Salem’s REAL goals truly are.

Because what might a fallen, twisted, villainous Ruby who failed to save humanity actually WANT?

Well, what if Salem actually wants to bring Old Humanity BACK?

As in, undo the destruction wrought by the gods and REMAKE her old world. And more specifically, undo her great FAILURE.

Unfortunately, Salem also views the PRESENT humanity/faunus as nothing but regrettable collateral damage or possibly even necessary sacrifices to her plan. Or just as ‘pretenders’ who are in her way.

Thus does Salem possess what seems to be a noble goal to her, yet has led her to becoming all too similar to the gods she once stood against.

And I think we can already find a couple potential hints to this. Like how in Jinn’s vision, we see that Salem at first simply wanted to rule over the ‘present’ age of humanity, and how she was overjoyed at learning that her and Oz’s children inherited their magic.

But then Oz told her about the relics, and Salem started getting IDEAS.

What if the REAL reason that Salem is after the relics is because she sees them as a way to bring back the humanity that was lost? Her humanity.

This could even give us an answer as to what Salem intends to do about the gods:

After all, Salem wouldn’t just be resurrecting just any humanity, she’d be bringing back the humanity that she united behind her. All the loyal friends, allies and followers who followed her into battle against the gods.

What if Salem intends to finish what they started?

And as to how Salem intends to prevent a repeat of what happened last time?

Well perhaps that’s what all of Salem’s hybrid experiments are for. I mean, a combination of the powers of Light in the Silver Eyes and Dark in the Grimm? What if Salem trying to figure out how to use the Brothers’ powers AGAINST them?

All in all, I feel like Salem turning out to represent a ‘Fallen Ruby’ presents a very natural way to tie together all the parallels we’ve already seen between Ruby and Salem, while also just being a great twist.

Like it’s one thing for our big villain to have some general similarities to our main heroine. It’s a whole other deal for it to turn out that at one time, this big villain was in fact JUST LIKE our main heroine. Driven by all-too-similar heroic who sought to save the world from some seemingly all-powerful threat. And showing just how our heroine could become the very thing she is fighting so hard against.

Such a twist and reveal would hit seriously hard for Ruby and co, and really solidify Salem as Ruby’s final narrative foil and true evil-counterpart. Summer showed how Ruby’s self-destructive hero-complex could ultimately break her.

Salem shows how Ruby could become all too similar to the very thing she was fighting against.

[ninja-confession-go]

Long rant about Jay (not a hate rant quite the opposite actually)

I hate that they got rid of Jay's mechanic/inventor traits as time went on. And instead of just bringing those traits back they keep introducing characters to fill In that role.

Like Im sorry but why are 3 of the 4 gals apart of the main group into mechanics or deals with tech in someway??? Why is Wyldfyre the only gal who doesn't have an interest In tech????

Nya, Sora and Pixal all fulfill essentially the same tech role and while that's fine as they can easily fulfill different aspects, my issue is WHY NOT BRING JAY'S SKILLS BACK THEN?

They r clearly not afraid of multiple characters fulfilling similar roles so why was Jay the only one who's mechanic skills were stripped away?

Like his skills were so important in the earlier seasons he helped out so much and even got the bounty for fuckin fly?? Like his skills in machinery was also a reason why wu chose him too so to strip that away just makes no sense?

Like I'll forever be salty about this, his intelligence in machinery was so interesting to see especially when u consider the comedic kinda of character he's supposed to be. They could easily made him the mad scientist type of inventor/mechanic but they just hate fun and whimsy and would rather he be just comedic relief and nothing else I guess.

THATS ANOTHER THING

I hate how they treated Jay like he was stupid in later seasons too. They really dumbed him down instead of being the smart comedic relief he's the dumb comedic relief and I HATE it. bro literally deals with mechanics and made shit from scraps if there is one thing he ISNT, is stupid.

Like if they had just made him, let's say not emotionally intelligent i could understand. This is my own personal headcanons coming through, but i don't think he was around many other humans aside from his parents and occasional mail man growing up, and while i dont think he means to come off as a jerk, he tends to say shit without thinking it through as we have seen ALOT and that could be chalked up to him dealing more with machines than people. So If they had just focues on his lack of emotional intelligence, THAT I could understand and would have been fine with. Obviously this is more my own headcanon coming through but u get the idea

But they just made him more all around stupid and I just find that so hard to believe.

I hate how none of Jay's backstory has been explored too.

They introduced a mind shattering revelation that Jay's adopted and proceeded to do...nothing with it.

WHYYYYY???

It would have been so cool to explore that but no, it gets no mention or focus at all aside from that random coversation betwen Unagami and Jay in the season that absolutely should have been a Jay season but for some reason wasn't. Like why bring it up then lol

I also hate that all of Jay's conflicts tend to involve Nya. Like I know they yin/yang but cmon bro, not every conflict Jay goes through has to focus on his relationship with Nya. Let this man get SOME interesting characterization that isn't based around Nya CMON

I saw a few posts on here talking about Jay's characterization and I just had to jump In with my two cents cuz it's crazy how they brutalized him in later seasons. The Fandom tries their hardest to keep the mechanic aspect of Jay alive and I appreciate that so much cuz it's a crime they got rid(or forgot or whatever) of it later on

If u can't tell I'm a Jay fan who's mad their fav was done SO dirty LOL

.

[trillscienceofficer]

from Star Trek: Voyager the official magazine, June 1997

ROXANN DAWSON - B'Elanna Torres

by Ian Spelling

“You never really get used to it,” Roxann Dawson says of the makeup that transforms her into B'Elanna Torres on STAR TREK: VOYAGER. “I've gotten used to having it applied, but I don't think you ever really get used to it. Part of me likes it though. It certainly helps me slip into character and, of course, I'm not recognized at all out of the makeup, sometimes not even on the set.

“I remember that in the first few months we were doing the show, even people on the set had no idea who I was. I would walk right onto the stage without makeup and our own director of photography wouldn't recognize me. Over time, people have seen me out of makeup a little bit more often. So at least the cast and crew are beginning to know who I am now.”

Dawson smiles, which is a big no-no. At this very moment, she's sitting in a chair as a makeup artist glues on prosthetics and paints over assorted Klingon facial ridges. Every time Dawson stretches her facial muscles too much—which occurs when she smiles or laughs—she risks ruining the makeup artists work, and that would only mean more time in the chair. “I usually like to look the person I'm talking to in the eye,” Dawson explains. "But I can't turn my head, either. Use the mirror. I know it's a little weird, but if you look at me in the mirror as we speak, we can make eye contact.”

Clearly, Dawson has held more than a few conversations from this chair, which sits in the middle of a make-up trailer just a short walk from the VOYAGER sound-stages on the Paramount Pictures lot.

Hard as it may be to believe, three years have passed since Dawson first arrived here to play B'Elanna in the “Caretaker” pilot. “It is hard to believe, and it has been a great experience. I've been able to do almost everything as an actress portraying this character,” she enthuses. The other day, they had me rappelling for a scene we were shooting. That was so cool. It's one of the neat things about being an actor. You don't have to know how to do something and you don't really have to practice it. They just had me do it. Of course, I was protected, and a stuntwoman would have done anything that would have been too dangerous for me to do.”

Dawson notes, “We're also learning so much about this character. In ‘Blood Fever,’ we really explored many aspects that were very particular to B'Elanna, but not necessarily particular to Klingons or chief engineers in general. We're discovering that she's not just strong in the masculine sense, but that she can be sexual and feminine and interested in learning more about herself. I talked with Jeri Taylor at the beginning of the season because I wanted to see more of B'Elanna's Klingon side come out. I didn't want her to become too complacent. I wanted her irreverence to always be there. I wanted that war going on inside of her to be present and always a conflict that influenced her choices. I think the writers are making sure that's all there this sea- son.

“I don't want B'Elanna to be a goody two-shoes,” Dawson emphasizes. “I don't mind seeing her darker, uglier sides. That's important. It's part of who she is. It's good to see her at her worst. It's good to see her learn from her mistakes. That's what makes a character interesting. I love that, and I hope it continues.

“You never really get what you want as an actress, but with B'Elanna, I've really gotten a lot of what I had wished for. The writers keep surprising me,” she continues. “They keep coming up with different aspects of her for me to explore. I think to myself, ‘How did you know that was in my hidden agenda?’ That's a wonderful feeling for an actress on any show to have.”

Dawson also believes that the writers are doing justice to B'Elanna's relationships with the other characters aboard Voyager. When the series began, she was primarily presented as an outsider, even among her Maquis co-conspirators. Over time, B'Elanna has emerged as a respected member of the crew. Captain Janeway now shows the utmost confidence in her, and her friendship with Tom Paris seems to be blossoming into romance. “One thing people have to understand is that this is an ensemble show. There are nine regular characters to service every week,” Dawson notes. “I just feel really fortunate that, in such a short time, they've developed B'Elanna's specific relationships with just about everyone on the ship. except maybe Kes. We haven't had much to do together and I would love to have an episode exploring that relationship a little bit more.

"With all of the other characters, though, I have a specific relationship and a definite attitude, and each relationship and attitude is changing and growing. I love thee fact that the Doctor can tick me off so much at one moment, but al other moments there is an element of respect, when he does something that impresses me. For example, when I thought we were losing him and his memory, I suddenly realize that I need him, that he has grown me. I love that every once in a while, we see little windows of B'Elanna's past with Chakotay. Paris and I got very close in ‘Blood Fever’, but I was under the influence of something, I was in Klingon heat.

“I want the writers to keep surprising me. Sometimes I love not knowing exactly what's going to happen, and not figuring it out until I'm handed a script. I really don't know where they're going to go with the relationship between B'Elanna and Paris. I do hope they'll take their time and make it happen slowly. I hope it's original, a little different than what we've seen before. I hope they put in a great deal of friction. I'm sure B'Elanna is different from anyone Paris has ever been involved with before, and would love to see him realizing and dealing with that. I see that all happening, and it really pleases me.”

According to Dawson, she and Robert Duncan McNeill have sat down and discussed the best ways to make the B'Elanna-Paris relationship work for them, how to best add layers to the groundwork being provided by the shows writing staff. By way of example, when they received the “Blood Fever” teleplay, the two discussed the arc of the script and how they saw it as the launching pad for an ongoing relationship. They incorporated their conversations into their performances when the scenes were played out before the camera. 'It really comes down to the actors interpreting what's on the page,” Dawson says. “Robbie and I wanted to make sure that certain elements were there and, also, we didn't want to overstep any boundaries. We wanted to be certain we were doing it right. We do discuss things on that level, but we always have to keep in mind that we must by what the script says.”

Sometimes, of course, Dawson also must go by what her directors say. And the actress has been directed not only by actor/directors Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton, but also by her VOYAGER costars McNeill and Robert Picardo. McNeill helmed “Sacred Ground”, while Picardo called the shots on “Alter Ego”. “I had about 30 seconds of screen time in ‘Sacred Ground,’ but I was impressed with what Robbie did. Actually, he's going to direct another episode,” she says. “Bob was great on his show. It amazes me, because you don't always know that an actor will be able to direct. Both of these men are obviously multi-talented, because they're not only fine actors but they managed to direct well, too."

Soon enough, Dawson will find out whether or not she can add herself to the list of multi-talented VOYAGER cast members, for she is enrolled in STAR TREK's director-in-training program, which has turned out such directors as Frakes, Burton, Patrick Stewart and STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE's Avery Brooks and Rene Auberjonois. She's watching other directors in action, sitting in on editing sessions and the like, all in preparation to direct an episode sometimes next season. “There's a great education to be had here and they treat me with such grace. I'm so grateful to have the opportunity to learn this craft,” Dawson enthuses with a smile that elicits a wince from her makeup man.

“I've always wanted to direct. I've directed for theater, but it's quite different from directing for film or TV. I honestly don't know if I'll like it or be good at it. I think the time for deciding whether I'll be a good director is right now, during the learning process. So far, I really do love it. Hopefully, I'll be good at it, too. Whatever episode they give me to do, I just want to be able to bring it to life. Each episode is so different. Sometimes you're handled something that's very action-oriented, and sometimes you'll get something that's very thought-provoking. I don't know which kind of show I would be better at, but part of me says I would be better off starting with a quieter episode. I don't know if I have a particular style that I would impose anything. That was always my goal as a stage director. I'll probably stick with that idea for my first episode."

While Roxann Dawson may go on to make her mark as a director of VOYAGER, she's well aware that, even though she'll likely enjoy a long, fruitful career beyond STAR TREK, the show, her role and the fans will always be a part of her life. "I've heard that. Am I comfortable with it? I guess I'm growing more comfortable with the idea," she acknowledges.

"If this was something that didn't deserve that kind of recognition, then I would feel uncomfortable. But I think VOYAGER does deserve that kind of recognition. I'm part of something special. So, yeah, I guess I am comfortable with the idea STAR TREK being a part of my life forever. Let me put it this way: I'm as comfortable as I could be.”

Focus: Star Trek: Voyager

It has been a long time since Roxann Dawson last looked back at the episodes of STAR TREK: VOYAGER which were either focused almost entirely on B'Elanna Torres or which featured scenes of importance as they related to the character. Thus, the conversation backtracks to October 1995, when “Persistence of Vision” first aired:

“Persistence of Vision” (The crew's deeply buried desires surface; Chakotay seduces B'Elanna): “All I remember from that one was not being able to stop laughing when we were doing the love scene between Chakotay and me. Robert Beltran and I just kept cracking each other up.”

“Resistance” (The crew encounters the Mokra; Tuvok and B'Elanna are captured): “I liked working with Tim Russ. That was the first show where I saw any potential for exploring the relationship between Tuvok and B'Elanna. I realized he could help her explore some of the imbalances in the way she views her Klingon and human sides.”

“Prototype” (B'Elanna reactivates a robot, only to have it kidnap her and try to destroy Voyager) and “Dreadnought” (B'Elanna beams inside a missile to deactivate it): “I worked with Jonathan Frakes and LeVar Burton [as directors] on those two shows. They're both great guys. It's funny, in ‘Faces’ I dealt with myself a lot. In ‘Prototype’ I dealt with a robot and in ‘Dreadnought’ I dealt with a computer that had my voice. So, I was acting with myself in three B'Elanna-heavy episodes. I begged the writers to make the next one something where I interacted with a human. “Jonathan did a great job directing ‘Prototype’. ‘Dreadnought’ surprised me because so much effort went into actually developing the computer voice. That came about through hours and hours of looping. The whole show was B'Elanna and her relationship with this computer counterpart. So, it was fascinating for me to create that relationship half in performance and half in a sound studio.”

“The Thaw” (A clown [Michael McKean] holds Harry Kim and B'Elanna hostage while Janeway tries to free them): “I didn't have a whole lot to do in that. but I thought it was a brilliant episode. It had a lot to say and certain moments were just chilling, especially the death of Fear. Michael McKean was just great.”

“The Swarm” (The Doctor's system overloads and B'Elanna tries to help him recover his programming): “That was a great opportunity to work with Bob Picardo and to explore B'Elanna's relationship with the Doctor. I liked the fact that, to B'Elanna, he had always been just a computer, and in this episode she got to see he had this... humanity.”

“Remember” (B'Elanna has bad dreams; Dawson plays two roles): “I loved having the opportunity to do that show. It was a brilliant script. I loved being able to play the two characters, and how Karenna's [sic] life influenced B'Elanna's. I felt the show had something to say. Bruce Davidson [who played Jareth, Karenna's father] was extraordinary. I've always wanted to work with him. I had known of him since I lived in New York City, and he was just brilliant.”

“Blood Fever” (B'Elanna experiences Klingon heat; she and Paris begin their relationship): “That was an extraordinary experience. It demanded a kind of courage I didn't know I had. I took risks there, and I'm glad I did. I hope people think those risks paid off.”

“Darkling” (The Doctor goes bad): That was our Jekyll and Hyde epsiode with the Doctor turning a little evil. Bob Picardo and I had some fun together when he was in his Mr. Hyde mode. He paralyzed me and he was threatening to kill me and Bob was speaking in a sleazy, very sexual way. It was so disgusting, but I think it came across very funny.”

Though Torres doesn't feature heavily in the next few episodes shot, efforts have been made to develop one aspect of her character. “What's happening is that they've been furthering the B'Elanna/Paris relationship in subsequent episodes. In ‘Displaced’ we have the B-storyline. We did a lot of head-butting in that one. And we did one show where, for the first time, I worked only one day. But the whole day was B'Elanna/Paris stuff.

[molly-ghuleh]

Honeysuckle - Mountain x gn!reader

Mountain's rut is coming up soon, and the only thing he can think about is you.

~*~

Contains: smut, MDNI!! ghoul heat cycles, masturbation, breeding, oral (both receiving), penetration, knotting, soft Mountain uwu, pining

Notes: Reader is intended to be gender neutral, so I tried to use non-specific anatomy as best I could. Enjoy!~ AO3 link

It’s hot. Too hot, and Mountain can’t sleep. He always gets like this just before his rut–as if his body is saying, in case you didn’t have the whole week blocked off on the calendar already, it’s happening soon–and more often than not, he ends up jerking himself off anyway.

Dew and Swiss call it his ‘pre-rut nut’. 

He feels all the aspects of a rut. His body burns, his dick is sore, and his tail whips around faster than usual, but he doesn’t have that animalistic urge to breed anything that walks yet. 

Yet. 

Hence, pre-rut nut. 

Mountain sighs and throws the thin blanket off his body. The cool air from the window flows over his bare chest, raising goosebumps in its wake. His nipples pebble slightly at the sensation and he shudders. He can live with hard nipples. 

His aching cock, though, is a different story. 

When he’s this close to his rut, he has to jerk off every night. During the day he can assuage his urges, distracted by his duties. But at night when he has nothing else to do, the full force of his unholy urges hit him like a tidal wave, a near-orgasm in and of itself. In the days before his rut he edges himself all day without even realizing it. Usually it’s his pants constricting around his crotch just right, or he sees a perfect ass filling out a pair of pants that makes his dick twitch, but lately… Lately, the only thoughts making his dick twitch have been of you.

Oh, Lucifer, he’d made his way down to the gardens this morning and had been greeted with an eyeful of your ass as you bent down. The sight nearly made him trip over his own tail. He just wanted to grab your hips and– 

His cock jumps in his boxers and he groans. He slips his legs out of the material but keeps them close, so he can clean himself up after he blows his load to the thought of you. 

Mountain knows it’s wrong of him to think of you this way, but sweet Satan, he can’t help it. Not when your scent is the most tantalizing thing he’s ever smelled. Whenever he’s around you, your essence wraps around him and inside him, tugging at his heart as if you know it beats only for you. Just the smell of you, so strong and enticing beneath your perfume, is enough to bring him to his knees, and it has. The first time he’d smelled your scent after a day working in the gardens together, he’d pinned one of his pillows between his knees and rutted down into it like a rabid dog. 

He briefly considers doing that now, but he decides against it. He’d ruined his pillow so thoroughly that he had to throw it out. 

Mountain wants to ruin you instead. 

He brushes his hand down his neck, over his collarbone, and down to circle one of his sensitive nipples. Oh, he just knows you’d treat him so well. Your hands, so small and soft compared to his, would explore every inch of his skin as you exposed it. Your hands would accidentally brush his nipples as you unbuttoned his shirt, but when you heard how his breath hitches at the touch, you’d do it on purpose. Maybe you’d even tilt your head down to take one of them into your pink lips and pull just to see how he’d react. Ah, the sweet little sound you’d make when Mountain’s hips grind up into yours…

Mountain palms his length, only applying a light pressure. No fingers yet, no–in his mind you’re still wearing clothes. He can’t slide himself inside you before he’s made you cum at least once. He knows his size is daunting. He’s been humbled in the past by potential partners who’d gotten one look at his hard cock and fled for the hills. But you would see it as a challenge. He can practically hear you purring into his ear, Come on Mounty, how many inches do you think I can take before I beg you to stop?

Mounty, Mounty, Mounty…

You’re the only one who calls him Mounty. Satan, it makes his knees weak. He wants to know how it sounds in his ear, against his neck, in his mouth. He wants to know how it sounds muffled around his cock. He wants to know how it sounds when he drags it out of you, the last syllable spilling from your lips in a pathetic little whine. He just knows you’d take him so well, all the way to the hilt, and past it when he’d knot you– That thought makes a low growl erupt from his chest. He finally, finally takes himself into his hand, giving himself a few slow, firm strokes. He can’t decide if he wants to imagine it’s your own hand, your lips, or your dripping hole wrapped around him, but his mind lands on your mouth. You’d insist on trying to take him as far as you can down your throat. That’s another challenge you’d pose–how long you can keep him in your mouth until your jaw starts to ache. If you can even fit him. 

But Mountain would only let you touch him after he gives you pleasure first. He wonders how you would taste at the first lick. A little salty, maybe? After your first orgasm, you’d be sweeter, slicker, and because he knows you would be so good for him he’d give you another one. He’d make you scream for him, beg him with incoherent little pleas of your nickname for him. Oh, he can almost hear you in his mind. Oh sweet Satan, Mounty, please… 

Only then would he let you test your little theory. Such a sweet thing for him, crying and drooling around his thick cock and telling him you can take more. 

Mountain grips at the sheets underneath his naked body as his hand slides languidly up and down. He knows he needs sleep, but the visions of you are too delicious to rush. No, you deserve to be revered. Worshiped like the unholy being you are. He prays to you, kneels at your altar, communes with your divinity through his lascivious fantasies of your body under his. He wants to make love to you. He wants to take you so, so slowly at first, stretching your muscles around his dick when he enters you for the first time. He wants you to feel every thick, prodding inch of him inside you. He wants to watch your body arch under him when his tip drags against the spot on your inner walls that will, eventually, make you scream his name. He wants to swallow your moans and whines of discomfort with his lips and shush you and tell you that it’s alright, the stinging stretch will go away in a few seconds. He wants to lean down to your ear and whisper that he loves you, and he wants you to say it back. 

Lucifer, he hasn’t even kissed you yet. 

Mountain would wait until you say you’re ready for him to move, and then he’d pull out nearly all the way just to angle his hips upward and push back in. He imagines the way you’d gasp in surprise that the uncomfortable stretch has turned into pleasure. You’d wrap your arms around him, tugging at the hair on the base of his skull the way you know he likes. Your fingers would brush against the base of his horns by accident. He’d shudder at the contact, rutting his hips into you harder than he meant to, and then you’d do it again on purpose. 

His free hand absently raises to his head to touch his horns the way he imagines you would. The hand wrapped around his leaking cock begins to stroke faster, harder. “Oh f-fuck, petal, that’s so good…” 

His own words echoing in his room make him blush. Mountain knows you like it when he calls you petal. You haven’t explicitly told him so, but he notices the way your eyelids flutter and your mouth quirks up whenever he says it. Once, he’d groaned with soreness from kneeling in the gardens all day and said, you’re killing me, petal. It had sounded more lewd than he’d meant. He had to pretend that he couldn’t smell your arousal suddenly flaring up in you after he’d said it, but oh, you smelled delicious then. He’d had to excuse himself for a few minutes just to rub one out to your lingering scent before he came in his pants. 

Mountain knows you like him, too. Your scent has started to change over the last few months, after you’d started working in the garden with him. You smell sweeter now. Sweeter means your heart pounds a little faster, a little harder whenever you see him. 

The endorphins your body releases at the sight of him make you smell like honeysuckle. 

He grips the base of his horn tighter and pulls. He can picture you riding him like your life depends on it, holding onto his horns for stability and because you’d know he likes that. Your lovely hips would feel so plush and warm in hands when he digs his fingers in to drag you up and down his length. You wouldn’t have to do the work, no... Mountain would take care of you. He’s the biggest, strongest ghoul, but also the most gentle. He’d lift you like you weighed nothing and guide you back down onto his cock without you having to put an ounce of effort in. He’d treat you so well, petal. So well. 

He fists his cock faster now. He can tell he’s going to cum soon, but fuck, he doesn’t want it to be over so soon. Not when his mind is conjuring such sweet pictures of you. 

The ghoul wonders how you’d sound when you get close. Are you loud? Would you get louder? Would you start to beg him to make you cum, or would you go silent? Would you whine out his name for him? His full name or the nickname you gave him? Could you cum from just his cock, or do you need him to help you? Do you need his hands? Oh, sweet thing, you can have his hands. 

He meant to tell you. He wanted to tell you how he feels about you, and then show you, and show you again. But he wants your first time together to be slow, passionate. He wants the only thing on his mind to be you. When he’s in his rut, he can only focus on his primal need to breed, and he doesn’t want that for you. Not yet. Would you like it, though? Mountain imagines what you would sound like begging him to breed you and his knot begins to swell at the base of his dick. He wants to explode inside of you, over and over, until your belly is swollen with his seed. One of his loads will take, right? It must, after he’s fucked his cum into you more times than you can count. His thick knot will keep it inside you until it takes. 

Pre-rut nut, his ass. 

Mountain moans your name like a prayer. He’s sure the other ghouls can hear him call out for you, but he doesn’t care. “Yes, petal, take my knot. I—fuck—I know you can take it all, sweet thing. You’re so good for me, taking my knot so well—”

He imagines you crying out for him, cumming on his cock so hard like he knows you can. He’s not finished yet. Not yet. Just a little longer, please—

You would bring his head down to yours and kiss him so tenderly while he thrusts into you like a man dying. You’d whisper in his ear that he feels so good, fucks you so well, and that you want him to cum inside you. Inside, Mounty, you’d plead, gasping and moaning from his cock still dragging over your walls. He obliges. 

Mountain cums with a loud groan. His hips buck up into his hand and spurts of his viable seed—wasted when it’s not buried deep inside you—land on his stomach and chest. The shocks of pleasure roll through his limbs, making his toes curl and his back arch off the mattress. He wishes he had your body to hold onto when he cums. You would anchor him to the world, even though you were the one to send him to space with pleasure in the first place. Briefly, Mountain squeezes his knot with his hand to imagine what it would feel like stuck inside you, but it’s bittersweet. The rest of his dick is exposed to the cool air of his room. No, it wouldn’t feel like this. You’d hold him inside like a warm, soft cocoon. 

He opens his eyes and the illusion fades. He’s alone in the ghoul dens without you, with drying jizz on his stomach and a rut that came two days early. 

He wants to hold you. 

He wants you close to him, to soothe his aching muscles in between the long periods of fucking you. He wants to massage you too, because he knows he’s big and you’ll be sore for days after his rut ends. Next year, he thinks ruefully. Next cycle, after he properly confesses to you, and then properly makes love to you, many times. He wants to make sure you know he adores you before fucking you like some feral beast. 

Mountain sighs and cleans himself up with his discarded boxers. He doesn’t bother putting another pair on.

[ramlightly]

if you ever do get around to writing and posting the kink character analysis ramble you mentioned in the tags of the "lapis tops" post i would be very interested in reading it and hopefully other people agree with me

Lol I did get a couple of asks for this! Lets see if I can keep this from getting too long.

Okay so- there is a doylist and watsonian aspect to writing kink for characters, right?

Basil and Dandelion have a sub/dom relationship with kinks like humiliation, voyeurism, and bondage. A lot of this is based around Basil''s complicated relationship with sex and catholicism and his own desires to be submissive. Or Dandelion's preference for being on top and being in charge during sex. That's the Watsonian layer.

But then there is my own desires out of their relationship, where I'm playing with hierophilia and a corruption kink and monster-fucking, these not things the characters would be aware of. This is the Doylist layer and are the foundations is what their relationship is actually built on. Basil/Dandelion came together pretty naturally in that regard. I am their god and I want them to fuck like this

In fact, a lot of the characters I make for Temptations are originally because I wanted to explore a different dynamics and relationships. Ginger was for fem-dom. Thistle was because I wanted a bigger lady and a character that acted a third to Basil/Dandelion's dynamic that wasn't romantic. Hollyhock because vampires are hot. They all grew from those originally seeds, but only because I planted them there first.

There are the character's preferences and my preferences for the characters. A a certain point , the actual characterization begins to get in the way. You can't do the same dynamic of Basil/Dandelion with Malady/Lapis. You just cant. Even when originally I that was I was planning for.

Look at Lapis and Basil: they're both bottoms with masochistic tendencies but they have such different characters especially with their feelings about sex. Lapis is sly, clever, and very very careful when it comes to other people. He isn't interested in being humiliated or being treated as an object, he's far too distrusting. There's just been too many relationships where he got hurt from and he likes having control too much. He's the one who holds the reigns during sex, even with Malady. Especially with Malady. They're both into that.

In fact, Lapis and Malady's attitude towards sex is so much more casual compared Basil's and Dandelions. There is a power dynamic, because all relationships are, but they don't have any angst towards fucking. It's fun, they like each other a lot, so they have sex. I was originally planning on them having multiple partners like Basil/Dandelion do, but, honestly those two are stuck at the hip.

It's what I mean about characterization ultimately trumping my intentions. Malady definitely has developed beyond my original concepts for him (he's such a simp now lol, he was supposed to be cool!!!). But it's better to just let character become what they need to be rather try to hamstring them. It's more fun that way, imo.

I'm sparing everyone from going on another tangent, so I'll end it here lol. I hope that was... interesting? At least it's a peak into how I think about characters.

[thegnomelord]

I already know what I wanna have tattooed and I'm hoping it doesn't go near any of my scars because I have sensitive skin especially in the scarred areas. It's supposed to be a tattoo dedicated to my father

Yeah I figured, it's just my asks tend to get kinda long because I vomit words where they don't belong (in someone's ask box instead of the many drafts I'm supposed to be posting)

Oh yeah that makes sense. I just remembered you mentioning how Hound was often put in a sort of ring to fight others and if he lost the winners got to do whatever they wanted to him, so I imagined like maybe someone SA'd Hound or whatnot and Makarov saw and thought it was a good idea (sorry if that was too like...unhinged ig?) cuz it would be a power imbalance thing.

Anyways, I'd like to join the cult but I think I'll stay out of the tank, I don't like water

- 🪒

Ooh that's cool! I always love it when ppl have like sentimental tattoos because all of mine will probably end up being bc I felt like it lol.

Lol do I know the feeling about that :D word vomit in my inbox is fine dude!

Nah like, SA definitely did happen to Hound, especially at the start when it was about breaking down his spirit and because he was so weak he couldn't fight back properly. I was just hesitant to say it out right bc I was still trying to figure out if I wanted to explore that topic in my writing and a bit worried if I could write it in a way that didn't sexualize or glorify rape.

After Hound broke was when the sexual aspect of their power dynamic began, before that Makarov didn't touch him mainly because he considered Hound so below him that it was disgusting for him.

Funny enough Hound getting thrown into the fight ring as Hound is worse than when it happened when he was a sergeant, bc Makarov has conditioned him to only crave his touch and anyone else touching him feels like acid on his skin. So atop the ache of displeasing Makarov enough to throw him into the pit, he's (in hound's mind) further disobeying Makarov by being so weak that others can touch him.

Also please don't join the cult, they're trying to awaken Cthulhu my fucking ex and I'd rather not see the fucker again

[wispscribbles]

hi i just discovered your beautiful art so i obviously needed to scroll down your whole blog to catch up on everything you posted haha

i just wanted to say that i got way too emotional after reading that post of yours regarding mw3 and your mental health… on one hand i’m so sorry that you felt that way, but on the other i feel it with my whole heart

ghoap content especially for me helped me these past few months with my mental health in ways i would never have expected, it was my solace and inspiration, i started working out too and got back into drawing, got a lot better at it as well!

but unfortunately i get way too fixated on fictional stuff and there comes a time that my brain switches up and connects the things i liked and comforted me with things that make me extremely uncomfortable and stressed out, especially if i fall down a fandom rabbit hole that i would never have searched up, beacuse i know myself, i know my limits and triggers but i feel like i’m not a part of the fandom if i don’t like and interact with every single headcanon, art and ship

these past days i was really down because of that, and the things i read (why did i do that???) and now when i think of ghoap i think of that stuff and im scared that i alienated myself from the one thing that made me happy

but discovering your art and with that your post reminded me that im not alone in these feelings, even if it’s not the same exactly, and i wanted to thank you, for sharing your thoughts that time i guess haha <33

((sorry for rambling))

Long reply under 'keep reading' !! CW: talk of triggers and MCD

Always feel free to ramble my way!!! How nice you could find some comfort in my art and ghoap stuff. Especially in my mw3 post. I've been considering deleting it a few times, but hearing it maybe helped to read in some way makes me happy I left it up.

I get where you're coming from - I very much use these fictional characters as a safe space, but ppl view them very differently. There's room for it all, "don't like, don't interact" is very much a policy I agree with. It's important to mute words and be aware of your own triggers as you browse stuff in this fandom, because there's such a wide variety of stuff out there. You do NOT have to interact and agree with every thought people have on this ship, that's impossible and super stressful. There's plenty of stuff and headcanons I don't vibe with. There are no 'requirements' that you have to meet in order to enjoy fiction.

It's part of why I enjoy ghoap - that their dynamic resonates and has sparked so much creativity and outlets for so many - but it also means there's gonna be a lot of stuff u don't necessarily agree with or feel comfortable with. For example, a lot of folks use the MCD in mw3 as a way to explore grief, which I think is really cool, but on a bad day that could potentially get my brain in a bad headspace, so I only check out that art and those fics when I feel okay. There's also a bunch of stuff I'd never want to interact with, and that’s fine !!

I'm personally quite vanilla and a sucker for exploring the softer, more domestic aspects of these characters. It's what brings me joy. I know there are parts of this fandom who don’t vibe with what I make at all, and would call it untrue to the characters. Some creators enjoy exploring the more violent or toxic sides to the source material. That's just how it is, we all need different things from fiction. As long as we're capable of chilling in our respective sandboxes, then all's good.

But if you're like me, and enjoy the softer things, then definitely be aware and careful while exploring this ship and fandom. I've seen takes on these characters that are so far removed from how I view them, that they're basically the complete opposite, and it can leave a very bad taste, especially if you're the type to hinge your safe space on fiction.

Just... be mindful of yourself and your potential triggers, be respectful and don't interact with things that make you uncomfortable to the point of feeling unsafe. Shape your own online experience to your best ability.

Hope you're doing okay and still find joy in ghoap <3

[torialefay]

Moon in Sagittarius 🚩🚩

toxic-ish!minho x fem!reader angst; (based on astrology) 🔞

✨ synopsis: your boyfriend minho doesn’t do well with being told no. he is objectively toxic, but eventually becomes less terrible.

✨ word count: ~2k

✨ 2nd part in my Minho as Your Boyfriend Astrology Series (check my masterlist for full series)! together, let’s take a look into minho’s natal chart to see what type of boyfriend he would be!

✨ i will give a brief synopsis of what each chart placement means throughout the series (for all my non-astrology friends out there <3) and how that would affect lee know in a relationship

✨ author’s notes:

(1) i do brief compatibility readings w/ skz members! if interested, send your natal chart to my inbox, as well as which member you’d like me to read for OR if i think there is one member best suited to you <3 (i am verrrrry much behind on these, but feel free to send them. may take a few weeks)

(2) the aspects in this reading are based solely on my opinions and interpretations! nothing about a person is set in stone simply because of astrology. please don’t use anything i say as canon :)

✨warnings: toxic minho, slightly suggestive at the end

Moon in Sagittarius:

• The Moon is the ruler of emotions. It is also who you could feel yourself to be, if all was stripped from you. Many people relate it to the “psyche” or the unconscious. It represents the parts of ourselves that are most fundamental, that we may not even understand. It also reflects our “baseline” energy that we radiate while sitting quietly, being content with our own company. It is the part of ourselves that we really want to be SEEN and understood, even if we do not see or understand it ourselves.

• Sagittarius is the mutable fire sign. They are passionate people who are deeply intrigued by the world around them. They are known for needing a sense of freedom and individuality. They do not like to be tied down. In the same regard, they value exploration, adventure, and meeting new people. They see others as unique individuals and can likely meet them wherever they are at emotionally. Sagittarius people are quick thinkers, witty, and fun-loving.

• Long story short: Moon in Sagittarius people can often have light-hearted, often shifting emotions. They do not like to feel like they are pinned down to any one place. They do not like being told what to do. They will, however, bring a fun element to any time of relationship- platonic or romantic. They are fiercely loyal and passionate about those they love. They do not always feel comfortable with their emotions, so they tend to be flighty and try to run away from this. This is not a great coping mechanism and can lead to a lot of problems in expressing themselves emotionally and what they need from someone else.

As your boyfriend:

• Minho takes you on the most fun, most elaborate dates ever. He’d always find cool new things to do. And of course, he’d want to take his favorite person with him.

• He loves going home with you to meet your parents and learn more about where you grew up. He may have a nature that doesn’t come across this way, but he would inherently love getting to understand you better and see new places.

• He wants to travel with you!!! He will take you literally anywhere you want to go. And when you do, it’s just your own little world. Just the two of you.

• You have the most intellectual conversations ever. He has a lot of abstract ideas about life, and he isn’t afraid to talk to you about them. He likes to know the way you think about it too.

• You have a core group of friends that you hang out with as a couple. It’s not too big of a group, but getting together with them and having a night to cut loose is super important to him. And he loves the fact that he gets to do it with you.

• Friday night, you started to get excited as you heard the keys jingle in the lock of your shared apartment with Minho.

• Today had been a really tough week at work, and all you wanted to do was have a nice relaxing weekend with your boyfriend to decompress.

• Well, if we’re being honest, you felt like you’d crumble away to nothing if you didn’t get it. The stress was that bad.

• “Hi jagi,” Minho greeted you as he came through the hallway to the living room where you were sitting.

• “Hey honey! Please come sit with me. I need to rant about my day,” you pouted.

• He pulled a wide smirk across his face. “Well now you sound like me,” he teased.

• He walked over to the couch and plopped down next to you, letting his hand rest on your thigh.

• “Okay, what’s going on?” he asked.

• “So you know how I told you about the girl I went to high school with who just started at work? The one that’s a bitch?”

• Minho laughed. “You think everyone you work with is a bitch.”

• “You do too,” you stared at him.

• “I do not! Jisung is alright,” he smirked again, knowing that one would get an eye roll out of you… And it did.

• “Anywayssss, that girl. I’m already overwhelmed with stuff I have to get done to meet my deadline at the end of this month, and then she strolls up asking if I can help her with all of her shit too. Knowing damn well how busy I am. I see her over there laughing her ass off on the phone all day long. If she’d stop, then maybe she’d get something done. And THEN, after I told her I couldn’t because I had a bunch to work through as well, apparently she went to one of the main managers and complained that I wasn’t a good co-worker. Saying that apparently I should ‘give her a hand since she’s new’… I mean who goes to a manager with that shit and doesn’t even do a damn thing all day? All she does is gossip and talk shit. So NOW, I have a meeting with our manager Monday morning to talk about it, AND she’s spreading this all around that ‘I’m so horrible to her.’ Like genuinely, the only thing keeping me sane right now was knowing that I was coming home to you.”

• “Aww honey, I’m sorry.” Minho took your hand in his and brought it up to his mouth to plant a kiss on the back of it. “I can cook or we can order some food in and have a good night together. Whatever you want to do tonight. Just let me know what you want.”

• “I don’t want you to have to cook. I really just want you here with me. Maybe we could order some take out and then do a movie? I’m just super drained. Maybe tomorrow we could do something more fun.”

• “Tomorrow? I have plans with the boys. Felix, Jeongin, and I planned a camping trip for the weekend. It sounded like fun. But whatever you want to do tonight, we’ll do.”

• You shot up off the back of the seat. Surely you heard him wrong.

• “You’re doing what tomorrow?”

• “Going camping with Felix and I.N…”

• “Well, it would have been nice if you’d talked to me about that sooner… Or, I don’t know, maybe have just asked?”

• “Asked what? Asked if it was okay?” Minho scoffed.

• “Well, yeah?” you replied, furrowing your brows in confusion and frustration. The fuck is he being like this?

• “Sorry, I didn’t know I needed to ask for your permission to hang out with my friends,” he said sarcastically.

• “It’s not ‘asking for my permission.’ I’m just asking you to check in with me first- to talk about it...- is that so awful?”

• “I mean I would say that telling me that I either am allowed or aren’t allowed to see my friends is pretty awful. I’m an adult, y/n. You’re not my fucking parent.”

• Your blood was boiling at this point. The last thing you wanted to do was to “parent” him. But goddamn, wouldn’t it be nice for him to just see if maybe you needed him for the weekend? Or maybe if there was something he forgot was going on? Or to just let you KNOW about it? Jesus fucking Christ, here we go again.

• “I’m not trying to ‘parent’ you. I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I’m just asking that you COMMUNICATE with me what you want to do so that I know in advance. This is the second time this month alone that you've done this… And to be honest, I really don’t want you going.”

• “Here it is,” Minho rolled his eyes with an annoyed smile. “You always do this. The second I mention wanting to spend time with the boys, you’re suddenly all disapproving,” he let out a strained, sarcastic chuckle before clearing his throat. “I’m sorry if you ‘don’t want me going’, but you don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do.”

• Minho let out a deep breath before putting his hands on his knees and using the pressure to pull himself to standing. “I’m going tomorrow. Let me know I guess if you want to spend time with me tonight.” He looked down at you before walking away to the bedroom.

• And then, the house went quiet. For a long time.

• At that point, you’d decided to just give up. Your boyfriend was a conceited asshole and there was nothing you could do about it. You were upset, but you knew that crying wouldn’t help. After all of this shit, you just wanted to sleep.

• Problem: Minho was in the bedroom. You were too exhausted to fight anymore, now not even hungry to think about dinner. Instead, you just balled yourself up on the couch and went to sleep with a resentful heart.

• An hour later, Minho came creeping out of the bedroom to find you lying peacefully on the couch. He bent down next to you.

• “Jagi,” he whispered, brushing his hand along your shoulder.

• “Jagi,” he said again, a bit louder this time. You stirred a little bit.

• “Honey, please wake up. I need to talk to you,” he said as he saw your eyes slowly open, a confused look coming over your face.

• You took your time to sit upright. Another conversation about his little "boy’s trip" was the last thing you wanted right now.

• “What is it?” you mumbled grumpily.

• “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier.”

• You didn’t say anything back. I mean, what could you say? It was the truth.

• “And I’m going to work on that. To work on talking to you about things better, I mean. Maybe I can have a hard time doing that sometimes.” He never would admit when he was wrong. But this was a start.

• You just looked at him, trying to give him a facial expression for him to go on. You weren’t satisfied yet.

• “And I decided I’m going to stay home with you instead. You need me more than the boys do.”

• “Okay, you don’t have to do that, Min. You can still go, but I just needed you to understand where I was coming from.”

• “And I do understand now. That’s why I’m staying with you. I made up my mind. That’s what I want to do,” he said with a proud smile.

• You let out a soft chuckle. “You’re always gonna do whatever you wanna do, huh?” you joked. You finally flashed him a smile. The first smile you’d had all night.

• He just looked at you with a grin, giving a little bit of side eye. “If that’s true, then what if I wanna do you?”

• You tried to tease him by pushing him away, giggling a little in the process.

• “You better cut it out,” he said, pulling himself back to you until he was hovering right in front of your face. “I get to do whatever I want, remember?” He smiled as he inched his lips closer, but stopped himself right before letting them touch yours. “I made my mind up. I’m gonna do you. Whatever I say goes, Jagi.”

———————————————————————

✨ author’s note: moon in sag has a lot of wonderful aspects as well, i just chose to write on the more angsty side of things :)

✨ if you enjoyed, please consider liking, commenting, and/or re-blogging <3

[vesuvianhermitcrabs]

Could I request a hc for an Mc with wings?

The Arcana M6 When MC Has Wings

Sorry this took me SO DAMN LONG to write <33 Also for the hc I kind of just assumed they were the generic bird wings

Nadia

thinks you're like an angel. to her, you have the same allure as a romanticism art piece

tends to find herself reaching out to stroke one of your wings when nervous or put in a troubling position

runs her hands through the feathers and gently removes any debris or loose plumage

will get a pretty garment commissioned to adorn them

speaking of garments, you are going to receive so many backless clothes (blouses, suits, dresses, vests, coats, etc.)

the wings make it a little difficult to spoon though (she is subjected to eternally being the snuggled instead of the snuggler. as long as it's you, she supposes)

Asra

it was a nightmare trying to help you renavigate living with huge bird wings

it was hard enough teaching you to be a human being again. teaching you to not whack things off shelves with your wings when you live in a tiny space and literal flying? forget it

they still managed to persevere because they love and care about you

he is the expert in human feather care because of how long he looked after you, your plumage is almost always soft and shiny

he loves the sound of your feathers rustling, it's a sign that you're present and with him

if you'll let them, they'll paint and thread tinsel through your wings. one of their favourite ways to spend the evening is turning you into a walking piece of art

snuggles you to no end, he lives for soft bird wing hugs

buys you baubles and such to hang on your wings while he's travelling

you're so whimsical creechur it literally explodes him

Julian

he is excruciatingly torn

on one hand, your anatomy is fascinating and he wants to sketch and feel and explore every inch of your wings (from a scientific point of view, of course....)

on the other hand he is a hopeless romantic wimp and he will inevitably get lost in the romance of having a winged partner

"oh, MC, sweep me off my feet and fly me away–"

he's only half joking but if you actually did do that he would probably cling to you like a fridge magnet in fear

randomly asks you the most unhinged bird related questions imaginable (eg. "if you had a child would it hatch out of an egg?")

Muriel

when he first met you he still didn't trust you

...but you reminded him of the chickens and he was defrosting quicker than he would have liked to

you noticed he always avoided touching your wings though

birds' wings are small and delicate, and you also seemed small and delicate to him so does that mean you're (small+delicate)²? he was freaking out a little

you'll need to reassure him

when he reaches a certain point of comfortability with you, he sometimes runs his hands through the feathers (he is so gentle)

if you want, you can wrap your wings around him randomly just to watch him malfunction

not sure if he should be giving eggs to you

Portia

she used to feel really unspecial next to you. you're magic, you're beautiful/handsome, and you have wings? this is ridiculous

nowadays she feels special because she has you and she knows she's one of a kind (self-love woo)

however she still wants you to fly her around vesuvia

unlike Julian she actually doesn't shit herself when you actually do fly around carrying her

she's small enough so that you can completely envelop her in your wings and she adores it

helps you with wing care and wash days if you ever need it, buys literal gallons of bird safe soaps for you

Lucio

alright what the shit

he wants wings?? is the wing distribution system broken or something????? where did they come from?????????

for him, the appeal of wings mainly comes from the fact they look cool. he's not overly keen on the whole flying or general upkeep aspect of being a winghaver

having a partner with wings works too, he supposes

morga said something about them "being too heavy if you needed to be agile while fighting", but you think she approves?? (she likes birds)

"mc... I hope this isn't too personal, but was one of your parents a bird?" (he doesn't actually care if it's too personal he still expects an answer)

[institute-of-dolls]

what are dolls? and the institute? i’m interested but i don’t understand what’s going on !!

Hello! Sorry for the long reply, its been a hectic few weeks and I put a lot of time to thinking about how to explain.

So the first thing i think its that *what* are dolls? And this is were things immediatly get complicated but ill start by trying to define the main concept of a doll.

I defined it as "an entity created or recreated to serve a purpose or role, often by a dollmaker, who defines them and cares for them"

When I asked one of my Dolls for its answer it gave me this: "Doll: Any being that defines itself by simplicity of thought, yet untempered by the "feral" aspects of an animal. Most keep themselves through dedication to an "owner", "creator", or a single task or goal."

Defining dollhood and doll spaces is harder then just that though, because dollhood means a different things to many people. For some dollhood is a form of identity or way of exploring identity. A way of exploring the self and personhood through a lense of control and self determination. Of exploring the impact trauma and upbringing has on the sense of self. It Can be a way of exploring dynamics and forms of relationship, often through a lenses that de-focuses gender, and focuses on the exchange of self. For others its a way of exploring species and the definition of humanity, often attached to the alterhumanity/otherkin community. For others its a way of exploring expression, aesthetics and how you display yourself to others. For others its a form of creativity and expression. A way of expressing themselves through writing, art and creation. In exploring themes of humanity and the self, discussing trauma and de-personalization. Of creation and recreation, of hope and family. And sometimes its just about cool mechs in fucked up situations, and thats wonderful too. You can look at the Empty Spaces community, but ill touch on that later. See again for others dolls and creativity is about literal dolls, there is a decent sized scene of people who buy, sell, trade and customize dolls. From toy dolls to antiques, from just fixing them up to completely redesigning them from the ground up. Ill try to find some examples of some people to share sometimes because they do great things. And I think finally, for others its about community. whether that be the before mentioned Empty Spaces, a shared community of writers and artists that created a space to write about shared themes and emotions, a place where they can be with people who want to explore the same pain and themes together and give each-other a place of belonging. Or the even early mentioned doll otherkin, creating a space to explore identity and person-hood, trauma and the de-personalization that comes with it. Of exploring the self in a place of like-minded people who can understand each-other. Or so many other aspects of community, from kink and dynamics, to hope and family, from person-hood and authority and care to unperson-hood and service and devotion. For many its about the people that accept them and the lives they build together.

As for The Institute? Well it mostly is just a fun creative name and theme for my blog. Just a unique expression of doll exploration themed around a scientific institute who's tasked with the research and discovery of dolls and how best to treat, manage, and care for them. When I started the blog the doll community on tumblr wasn't all that large or active, it existed, but its strongest presence was on other platforms. There a lot of dolls in dollspaces, but less creators and caretakers, and even less "organizations", so its manage to stick out as a theme even as the community here has grown, and gratefully it has grown a lot. Its much less lonely now then it was when started. And the themes become less of just a theme as well! Me- The Director, and my staff, the Dollmaker and the Engineer, are all genuinely quiet devoted to studying dolls, as defined by people who identify as much, the communities around them, and were deeply invested in learning the best ways to help them, care for them, and manage them. so there you, not so shortly, have it. Dollhood is a form of self identification, but also a form of self expression, creativity, and community. And The Institute is a fictional organization dedicated to the science and discovery of dollhood, used as a theme for a blog, run by people actually invested in learning about and connecting the communities of doll-hood and the identity of those in it, and how to care for them.

[christiansorrell]

TTRPG Read-Through: Patchwork World

Here is a read-through I did last year (originally posted on Twitter) of one of the most unique PbtA games I've ever read: Patchwork World by Aaron King! - Christian

Credits up first. I know a lot of these folks and they are really cool! Excited to dig into this. I've heard good things, and it's been a while since I've read or played any Powered by the Apocalypse.

This is a cool, strong set up for me. I really like settings that ask characters to face a changing world and either take up change themselves or work to restore the old way of things. It's a headspace I find myself in a lot IRL these days so it's fun to explore.

I'm interested to see how the no stats, no playbooks angle of this game works, considering playbooks are typically such a staple of PbtA games.

Standard three-tired success, mixed success, fail forward resolution for rolls here and questions on the moves determine your bonus to the roll. Easy peasy. +2 is the max bonus.

Other types of rolls are described here. Interested to see how they come into play. I also love clocks and use them in pretty much every game I run so it's nice to see those laid out here too.

We just love a lil guy, don't we folks?

A good chunk of the opening here is spent on laying out a lot of solid foundations of roleplaying generally. It feels like a book (so far) that would work for entirely new players. It doesn't feel essential for me, but I never mind a game that supports varied experience levels.

Character creation is wide open, especially since there aren't playbooks and the text stresses that character creation is very much worldbuilding because of this. Fate-like concepts and tags are in here too which are things I generally enjoy. I like the Drawback mechanic.

Moves are in the playback I set in the other room so I'm gonna go grab those. You get two chosen moves and everyone has access to a number of default moves. You've got three other life/XP things to keep track of too. I'm especially interested in Hex.

There are a lot of moves! They seem quite varied and often very weird, fitting well with the titular patchwork world. You can have a duck's slick soul to dodge more easily or a magical space suit or speak to birds or be good at cartography. Overwhelming, but in an exciting way.

You also choose a community as a party. While PCs all have their original homelands (before the end of the old worlds), you know have a community that gets its own little sheet. This is a cool reshaping of the Gangs from Blades. I also like how the community can change over time.

Coming back to a PbtA game after months of more OSR-minded stuff, I think a lot of what these games contain are things that experienced players would say you could just do in any game at any time that it makes sense in the story, but I do find value in stating what's possible.

Esp since many players come to games with artificial limits on their options (whether that's from video games, more traditional RPGs, etc.). I just think good GMing here requires making sure that the players don't limit themselves just to the bevy of explicit options either.

GM moves (mostly to guide the response to failed rolls). I really think the community aspect of this set up is one of the biggest appeals to me so far. That and the wild list of moves, which I'm sure makes for amazing parties of characters.

I always feel like it's never something I should be in my own writing (for some probably unnecessary reason), but I enjoy the first-person, casual writing style throughout the book. Makes for a very chill read.

Good to see this game employs the Branson Reese style of NPC naming.

Stress acts as a single catch-all health and challenge rating for NPCs. Ideally, I'd hope this would help lead to the PCs approaching encounters with more than just violence.

Sections like this are what I'm referring to when I say this book feels very friendly to new players. It's got little anecdotes and thoughts like this throughout.

Look, it's been a while since I've seen A Christmas Story but... it didn't have ghosts in it right?

There's a sample adventure in the back (which I'll skip for this read-through) plus loads of random tables. Some wonderfully bizarre stuff in the characters and faction tables. Really gives you a good idea for how gonzo you can go with the setting.

Love these two in particular

Optional rules include hard mode (which I just think is kind of funny to see in PbtA, but could be cool if you lean heavy into the post-apoc setting) and some optional moves. I like that some moves focus on romance, something I enjoy IRL but never think to focus on in games.

I was wondering why this was the sixth edition!

That's all for the book itself. Going back to the packet to dig into the things I missed. Some expected bits in here but always one or two unique options I really enjoy. Leaking hex is cool (and could have some troubling cascade effects in certain situations).

I definitely wish, at least in sitting down to read like this, that the contents of the player packet was also in the book itself. I think PbtA has this tendency of leading to loads of pages on the table, but it can make them very easy to pick up and play or to learn as you play.

That element is definitely here, but I think the vast number of wide-ranging moves and the excitement that would drum up in my player group would more than makeup for that initial overwhelming feel of "whoa, that's a lot of papers out on the table".

Overall, it's the most I've wanted to play a game in this style in a while. I like that the base setup for the world is very much up to the players to determine via the characters they make. I like that PCs here will probably feel unlike any other folks have played before.

The community aspect feels like where I'd want to center my story around, as a player. Seeing that shift and change over time feels like it would be very rewarding and would help lean into the "the old world is dead, what do we want the new world to look like?" theme I enjoy.

Because Aaron King is cool and recently hit a lot of Twitter followers, Patchwork Worlds is now Pay-what-you-want over on Itch.

I'm not sure if physical copies are readily available. For full disclosure (guess I should have said this up front), I got this copy for free from Aaron! Not for the purposes of this thread or anything, just for fun a while back.

Thanks for reading more ramblings from me! If you like to do that sort of thing, check out my newsletter - Missives from the MeatCastle. It's got writings on my work, cool stuff I've run across the web in the last month, and exclusive rpg stuff! https://meatcastle.substack.com

[kyouka-supremacy]

Yeah, Teruko was the one that made me realize the sexisim that existed in BSD when I first binged it. Or, more accurate, what TYPE we're dealing with. The female characters can exist and have their own moments, but they can never outshine the male characters and Asagiri can also allow himself to forget them if he needs to. When I read Stormbringer, one of the things that stood out to me is the fact that no female character has any prominent role until like, 200+ pages in, and what role Kouyou got was so minimal she might as well not have shown up at all. Yosano has a huge important backstory that doesn't become relevant until SEASON 4 while most of her male companions have had theirs explored way before her. It's disappointing, but I genuinely find Teruko intolerable and find her to be the worst written character in the entire series. It's not her fault, but her behaviour around Fukuchi and her ability was just horrid to me. Her ending here just enhances all the issues that already existed in her character for me. She's the only female character in this series I can't stand and that SUCKS because I want to love them all, but Asagiri is making that mighty difficult when he pulls stuff like this :/

(´；ω；｀)

The almost complete lack of female characters is personally my greatest disincentive to reading Stormbringer (together with the lack of ss/kk. Discredit where it's due).

Teruko's role this whole doa arc has been.. Saddening? I feel all the hd have a lot of untapped potential; but whereas with Fukuchi and Tachihara and even Jouno it's like, you know what's their deal, there's so little we know about Teruko and Tetchou's motivations and backstory. And even when both had their occasional times to shine - I like Teruko's scenes in the Sky Casino arc! A lot! I think they make for a very cool character! -, there's the whole deal with Teruko in the airport arc which is just :/// Like, she's just there to move the plot forward. She was very pretty in chapter 105 and made me feel like she had some further insight in the whole picture, like she had taken a stand and had a motive, but in the end it was never elaborated on, and I'm very sorry for that. Way worse, she was exclusively delegated to the role of numbly moving the plot forward, which is just wholly unfortunate. Why did she let Atsushi go just like that, like, really?? Oftentimes women's role in this franchise is truly meaningless. I don't really care for what side she was going to take in the end, I just wish she was just handled more sensibility, more respectfully. But alas. Hoping she'll get some spotlight in the future, because I really like her.

I like Teruko! Like, I genuinely get where you're coming from, and your reasons for not liking her are very valid. To me it's more about straight-up ignoring some stuff I don't like (REALLY can't vibe with the Fukuchi worshipping, I find it quite gross to be honest) and emphasizing the aspects I do like. I like how she's unapologetically mean - honestly, not many female characters get to do that. She gets to be a villain -, but I also like how it's compensated with a very strong moral code and genuine intent to protect citizens. I love lots of her scenes in the Sky Casino arc: her interactions with Tachihara are funny and vaguely wholesome, her determination and resourcefulness to win over Sigma is so cool, and her reluctance to hurt citizens, and the scene where she stopped an aircraft with her bare hands!!!! Honestly, banger after banger after banger, looking back at it that's probably why I held such high expectations for her character. Despite personally wholly disagreeing with bsd's morale, even Teruko's enouncement of her Hobbesian principles is enjoyable for me, because it's quite rare to see a woman preach such realist, cynical worldviews; if anything, it's refreshing. I think her ability is super cool and original, I love it tons!! I really like her character design, too. I like how she's of the highest grade compared to all other hd members minus Fukuchi and I like how she can be childish and keep them in line at the same time. I like how more mature and savvy she looked in her latest airport arc appearances, how she looked tired of war on par with Fukuchi. I wish she was given more screentime and importance and agency, and I wish the mess of the last chapter didn't happen, but I like her personality.

On her ability, I think it's pretty cool, and neutrally problematic by its own; but I do agree that between Teruko having child appearances and being obsessed with a grown-up man, the whole Mori deal, Aya proposing to Kunikida in chapter 40, the chapter 107.5 page that left everyone perplexed and was only later on clarified by the anime, (and, regretfully, even how the Kyouka / Atsushi dynamics are framed in some of the earlier chapters), it creates a very distasteful pattern.

I really like Yosano's backstory (really. I've said it a lot of times before, but I think chapters 65-66 are the best written chapters in the whole manga.), but it's not like just because of two small chapters that center around a woman after 15 volumes of male spotlight bsd suddenly stops being sexist lol. And that's something I've already said before, but: Yosano's chapters are beautiful! But they don't really help empower female characters in this franchise. Yosano completely lacks agency in the story, which is FINE for the story on its own, yet in the context it simply does nothing but reinforce the fact that women can't be masters of their fate.

I also strongly agree with the fact that female characters are accurately written as to never outshine their male counterparts. As someone else has pointed out before, both Kyouka and Higuchi have respectively saved Atsushi and Akutagawa's lives (in Kyouka's case, multiple times), so why is it that Atsushi and Akutagawa don't serve them the same respect and admiration that they hold for them? The double standard is really blatant once you start seeing it.

I've written more on bsd's sexism here, if you'd like to check it out. Even though it's very important to read things critically and acknowledge franchises' faults, I still can't help but feel bad for spreading negativity (╥﹏╥) Here's to hoping the bsd writing of female characters will improve in the future!!

[livannasalinger]

DP x DC prompt 2

I like the idea that JLD starts hearing rumors about the new King of Infinit Realms and then Batman decides to investigate. Usually stories are written with Batman having discovered Amity and then meeting Danny, but what if the focus of the story is a little earlier? The idea is:

Okay, according to wikipedia, the JLD members are: John Constantine, Detective Chimp, Doctor Fate , Ragman, Etrigan and Zatanna. Wonder Woman is also included in some fics and I think it's cool to include her here. Well then, it would be nice if the story started from the perspective of these members, each one (or at least some of them) having supernatural encounters that go in a different direction than expected (a mission, an artifact that starts to work differently, a realization that something in the universe has changed). Each member reports these changes in a conversation that started casually and then they decide to investigate more, it would be great to explore different encounters they have with creatures or beings more connected to the other side, and these beings talking, but not talking - maybe presenting riddles, maybe not talking on purpose, refusing to comment - I particularly like it when the character Lucifer, from the series, appears. He can clarify the facts, or he can refuse to give a straight answer (I imagine he and Danny can actually get along very well). Anyway, after many ghostly and surreal encounters, as well as finding several pieces of art and legends about the mysterious Phantom (maybe Diana will also get in the middle of this, discovering files in themyscira about Phantom being connected to Kronos aka grandfather clockwork), the group finally discovers that there has been a significant power shift, that Pariah Dark is no more etc. Not only that, they  discover the GIW and the Anti-Ecto Acts exist. And in the midst of it all they discover that there's still a whole universe of things they don't know (infinit realms and such).

Meanwhile, on the other hand, it would be awesome if, like stan lee in the avengers movies, Danny actually had multiple appearances (a boy asking for coffee in the background, someone they asked for directions in a certain city). Danny would already be moving towards being the king (crowned, but still learning and effectively being a prince, more than a ruler). Or the idea that he's basically the host of the realms is pretty cool too, less of a ruler, but more about being the one who maintains the balance between life and death. This would all be part 1, which would see JLD coming to the realization that there's a part of the world they didn't know about and now they have to bring it to JL.

In part two you could focus on other aspects, such as: - Division JLD and JL: not on purpose, but members like Superman and Batman, among others, have their problems when interacting with the supernatural. Batman for example: he's not stupid, but his tendency to investigate and have a contingency plan for everything and everyone can be especially problematic when dealing with the supernatural, as there are rules and boundaries you can't cross if you don't know how to deal with them and the consequences. So, difficult conversations trying to explain the situation in the right context and perhaps a greater understanding from JL members of how unprepared they are to properly deal with this type of problem maybe?. - Follows after the fact above the investigation itself, with a mixture of JL and JLD, each with their contacts and specialties, finally arriving at Amity park and the Fentons. - And finally we come to the classics DP fics: the Fentons as Mad scientists, neglectful parents and etc and the plot twist of the moment: Danny and Jazz Fenton are “missing”, with the city as part of a conspiracy that helped take the children out of the Fenton family and out of reach of the GIW, and citizens of Amity distrustful or aggressive towards the JL (Danny and Jazz ran away and they are now Nightingale , it would be great if they were in Gotham this whole time hauhau) . It could even expand the lore about the Nightingales, they could be a family relatively known within the right circles as the psychopomp. The idea here is that they don't find out who Danny is at first, that there are layers of mystery until they find the answer. That Danny, even though he's young, has enough time to learn and when he has to face it and talk to JL and JLD, he would do it as an equal.

possible part 3 - In parallel, the adventures of Danny, jazz and company running away to gotham, learning things outside the small world that is Amity Park, Danny talking with Lady Gotham and helping her to take care of the supernatural part of the city, since that is not the specialty of Batfam, even with Metas like Duke. The batfam feeling that the city is different someway. Maybe Danny meeting several of the waynes/ vigilants, bonding with some of them and etc. Not forgetting Jazz and her work in Arkham and Sam and Tucker and Ellie somehow included. (maybe even Dan).

tips - fics and stories that inspired me in this idea:

You and me and our best friend makes three by Elizabehta_Beilschmidt

Humans and Ghosts and Different Kind of Hero by RedGhost1010

and

Goncharov