#i'm just so much more interested in the family dynamics and the individual characters than the actual fighting lol

[aintgonnatakethis]

current obsession: roleplay-heavy micro-management of my family tree in Total War: Medieval 2

[alllgator-blood]

Do you like ships? 👉👈

Oh god uhhhh I've made my thoughts on narilamb and leshycat known (I don't hate them, the art can be really cute/funny I just see those ships more often than any other cotl art....) and the other ships just aren't interesting to me personally. Forneus and heket have super cute art from what I've seen but that's just because I'm biased as a Large Butch Individual. I'm in this fandom for the family dynamics personally so I'm not here for romance stuff.

BUT I DO HAVE ONE SHIP. I talked about it in like april?? I think?? I didn't say who it was but I have multiple WIPs of those two and it was a huge part of my au comic that got so long I'll never end up finishing it. I'm not sure these two characters have ever even been drawn together one-on-one, let alone shipped so I'm curious to see if anyone can figure it out.

Some of the traits they both canonically share are: abnormal eye contact compared to the other characters. Powerful enough to disassemble you instantly but chill enough to hold back. The only words/phrases they can't define are probably "brevity" and "shutting the fuck up". One of em is a bishop but that much was obvious. ONE OF THEM HAS MENTIONED THE OTHER IN-GAME...

If anyone guesses it I'll try to finish some of the art I've made of them cause I never thought I'd post it

[cosmic-giraffe]

PLEASE make that post about reducing hasemura and hirojima down to just their ships im desperate to see people complain about this please i hate it so much

Ask anon, and you shall receive

First of all, I touched on this issue a few weeks ago, as you can read here, so I'll try and explain my thought process better! Secondly, this less of a complaint, and more of a study in fandom etiquette and the like.

I think people narrowing down the characters of Ken, Kazutoshi, Ojima and Hiroaki to their respective ships isn't an issue solely in the Tetro fandom, or Danganronpa as a whole. It's an issue in any media that includes queer ships, or ships in general (which is literally any media ever). As a gay person, I'll be speaking from my experience with this problem in fandom.

First of all, Hasemura. Both Ken and Kazutoshi are very interesting characters on their own, and their chemistry is undeniable. I'm a sucker for these two; for somebody as shy and socially awkward as Ken to befriend a brooding, jaded guy like Kazutoshi makes for some very fun and insightful interactions. Their contrasting lives and personalities are one of the draws for their dynamic. There was obviously something going on between the two of them, even if they never got the chance to vocalize or even understand the feelings they had. But this will-they-won't-they aspect of their dynamic isn't all that's to them.

Kazutoshi was a very depressed individual. He'd faced many hardships in his life, from losing his family at a young age to his myriad of health issues, to his mental illnesses resulting in multiple failed suicide attempts. But outside of his trauma, Kazutoshi was a very smart person. He was a forensic crime scene cleaner for God's sake, which definitely isn't an easy profession, mentally or physically. He wanted to study, he wanted to move past his hardships and flourish, he wanted to live. Just like everybody else in the killing game. But Kazutoshi was a total asshole, which I love. He didn't hold his tongue and kept people at arm's length out of fear of being hurt again.

Ken is the inverse of that. He has a supportive family, he has wealth, he has a support system in place. He might not be the loudest personality in the room, and he might stumble over his words more often than he can get a full sentence out, but Ken is a very kind and considerate individual.

For people to reduce all the intricacies and nuance of their characters and writing to their ship is doing them both a huge disservice. There's so much more to them than that. It's so much more interesting to view Kazutoshi and Ken's potential for a relationship as a small piece in the puzzle of their lives, instead of it being all-encompassing.

Going back to Kazutoshi, it is very sad to see the main takeaway from his death being "He never got to tell Ken that he loved him!" Which, yes, is undeniably tragic. In media, there's a sad trope called "Bury your gays", in which gay characters are killed off before they can ever have a happy ending.

I'm definitely not accusing Von of this, as Danganronpa has plenty of queer characters that die off (Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Ibuki, Nagito, Tenko, etc.). But for people to look over all the missed opportunities Kazutoshi will never get the chance to experience because of his brutal death in favour of making his loss about Ken again is not the best look.

Now, onto Ojima and Hiroaki, because BOY do I have thoughts about these two, mainly Hiroaki (the little shit he is, I love him so much lmao).

These two suffer the same issue as Hasemura, that being all their characterization being boiled down to their shipping potential. Which isn't unsurprising, as they're two skinny pale twinks in an anime art style, which is like crack for teenage fujoshis lmao

But on a serious note, Ojima and Nakamigawa are more similar to each other than Ken and Kazutoshi are. Both have tense relationships with their families and their reputation, both have unresolved trauma, and both of them have an interest and career in the arts.

But that's where they differ. Ojima is an illustrator, and has a very intense crunchtime to navigate under in his profession. The stress of having to create art for countless projects definitely has its toll on him, but he still retains the passion that got him into this sector in the first place. Ojima doesn't have a bombastic personality, but he is stern when he needs to be, and is definitely one of the more mature students in the killing game. His bouts of disassociation are also an integral aspect of his character, and they are intermittent and uncomfortable.

And Hiroaki is one of the most annoying students ever and I love him. He's crass, pompous, has an irritating holier-than-thou attitude to anybody he deems to be beneath him, and can't take what he dishes out. He constantly picks fights and insults people, and then acts surprised when nobody wants to be around him. But underneath all that veneer of flashy designer clothes and bad boy image, Hiroaki is a very insecure boy that needs somebody to reel him in and let him know that being open, honest, and in touch with his feelings isn't at all a bad thing to be. He's shown his more sensitive side when he thinks Ojima is dissociating, when Tsuno was upset and she sought comfort from him out of all the other students in the school, and when he helped Hama and Wada grieve the loss of Isono, Chiba and Harada.

Hiroaki has the capability to grow and become a better person, and due to recent events, he is starting to do so. I hope he stays on this path and doesn't backtrack when things get tough.

Now, onto their dynamic. Ojima and Hiroaki obviously contrast and compliment each other well. This is all thanks to Von's writing. When Hiroaki shoots his mouth off, it's almost always Ojima that reels him in. When Ojima is in one of his lapses, it's usually Hiroaki who keeps him company by simply staying in the room, drawing, while he patiently waits for him to come back. They share dorm rooms to the point they're basically one room, they share clothes, they even share beds sometimes. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and that's why they're such a good pairing.

But what irks me is when people make their personalities completely revolve around the other. Hiroaki this, Ojima that, Hiroaki this, Ojima that. No mention of their interesting dynamics with other students, like how Ojima and Wada bonded over their respective histories with trauma, nor how Hiroaki and Tsuno confide their problems in each other so as to not burden anybody else with them (I'll take any opportunity to bring up Tsuno lmao).

And this is never more prevalent with Hiroaki's coming out scene.

It doesn't take a genius to know that being closeted is a very stressful time in a queer person's life. It's hiding a huge aspect of your life for fear of being judged by outsiders, or from being judged by yourself. That's why some people never come out of their closet, and are unable to accept and be their true selves. Which happens all too often.

Hiroaki's internalized homophobia kept him closeted for years of his life, which definitely wouldn't have helped his self-image issues. Being thrust into the public eye as the Ultimate Fashion Designer definitely wouldn't have helped, either, as now he had thousands of eyes on him. Due to this pressure, he played up his bad boy image by dating and sleeping with girls he had no attachment to, just to cover up for his own crippling insecurities and inability to accept himself.

When Hiroaki does come out of the closet for the very first time, when he finally accepts an aspect of his life he'd been repressing for years, he says it to Yanagi. Not Ojima. Yanagi. Yanagi, the guy who almost sold them all down the river during the first trial when he covered up for Sasaki (who they also both had very differing views on). Yanagi, the guy who beat the shit out of him and broke his nose, dislodged his tooth, and bruised up the face that he'd kept in immaculate condition for the public constantly watching his every move.

Out of all the people in the killing game, Hiroaki told Yanagi, and it was excellent writing for that to be the case. There was no judgement, no criticism, just acceptance, which is what Hiroaki has been seeking his entire life. But was forced to wear a costume that wasn't really him, just to avoid the pain of rejection or judgement.

And for some people to take this monumental step in Hiroaki's journey of self-acceptance and make it all about Ojima is INSANELY insulting. It's obvious that Hiroaki has feelings for Ojima, which definitely added to the mounting pressure of him being closeted, but in that moment, it was about Hiroaki and loving himself.

Now, in summary, I'm not saying shippers can't ship Hasemura or Hirojima. Quite the opposite. Be unapologetically gay!! But also keep in mind the harm they're doing when they reduce the participants down to their attraction to the other, as it is a disservice to Tetro's excellent character writing, and also perpetuates the issue that has been prevalent in fandom spaces for way too long now.

This was a very long post and I didn't realize just how much I had to say about this subject, but here we are!! Tetro has definitely wormed its way into my heart, and its characters are constantly rotating in my brain like a microwave lmaooo

[blorger]

Hi! What are your thoughts on the Weasleys as a family and each of them?

Hello friend, I have many Thoughts on the Weasleys, so many that I'm going to have to condense things a bit for the purpose of this ask. To make a long story short, I am glad that they are there for Harry as a found family of sort but, at the end of the day, I like the idea of the Weasley family more than the execution.

If you look at what the Weasleys actually do for Harry when he's still a vulnerable minor you realise that they (in this case the adults) are not actually very helpful to him. Like, when your 12 year old son shows you up in terms of caring about Harry's abuse I think it's time to look inward (I'm looking at you Arthur).

Also, as a someone who was raised in a dysfunctional environment, I can't help but raise my eyebrows whenever the Weasleys are presented as the Ideal Family. If those children were real they'd be a therapist's wet dream, just saying.

As for them individually:

Molly: I loathe Molly, she's one of my least favourite characters in all of the books. I hate how she's depicted as the Ideal Mom when in reality she's pretty shit: she blatantly plays favourites among her children; she openly favours Harry in a way that, if I was Ron, I'd resent tremendously; she's a boymom of the highest degree and her treatment of Fleur is straight up vile. On a meta level, I hate that she only seems to exist as a Mother (and, to a lesser extent, as a Wife): The only interest of hers that cannot, in some shape or form, be tied back to her family is her love of Celestina Warbeck (and that is something we are supposed to laugh at her for). 0/10

Arthur: I'm not a fan of him either. Seeing that the Weasley family is constructed like some sort of 50ies white picket fence nightmare, Arthur is by design uninvolved in his children's lives and that is super gross to me. As I mentioned before, I hate that he witnesses firsthand how Harry is treated at the Dursleys and does nothing. Speaking of Dursleys, I very much dislike the patronising way he seems to enjoy muggle culture (and muggles in general); to me, it reads very Noble Savage-y. My favourite thing about Arthur is the 10ft tall hate-boner he has for Lucius Malfoy but other than that I'm not exactly a fan. 3/10

Bill: little to no opinion, canon bill is there to be occasionally helpful (and for Harry to glowingly review). He's obviously the golden child of the family but, considering he fucked off to Egypt as soon as he was able to, he does not seem to relish in the role. 6/10

Charlie: He is honestly barely a character in canon, so I have no opinion of him. He is another example of a Weasley kid fucking off asap after Hogwarts so there's that, also I like fanon gay Charlie . 6/10

Percy: A parentified middle child who struggles to receive attention from his parents and ends up drifting away from the family? Percy is the most realistic out of all the Weasley children (in that I could conceivably see a child like him come out of a family with those dynamics) and the books hate him for it. Personally, I enjoy him and I enjoy reading stories that examine his thoughts and motivations because the narrative doesn't give two shits about him. 8/10

Fred & George: When I was reading the books as a child they were my favourite characters. Looking at them with adult eyes, I'm now incredibly turned off by their mean-spiritedness. 4/10 (they do treat Harry rather well though so kudos to them for that)

Ron: Ron is honestly one of the best-written characters in the books. As readers we see his many faults and mistakes but we also see him trying to improve and we see how genuinely he cares about Harry&Hermione. I like how, even as Ron improves thoughout the books, his core character traits remain the same. I like Ron, not only because he's a good friend, but because he's imperfect. 10/10

Ginny: Ok concept, terrible execution. Ginny is barely a person, her personality gets changed to suit the narrative and her character basically only exists in function to Harry's. Even at her best, when we're supposed to go gaga over her, she's still deeply disappointing. 1/10

xoxo

[cosmicchaos21]

FOR SOME REASON I'VE BEEN WANTING TO RAMBLE ABOUT AKUMA-KUN AND MEPHISTO III'S DYNAMIC AND WHY I ADORE IT SO MUCH... SO I'M GOING TO DO JUST THAT!!

Do note that this will likely have spoilers as I'm explaining certain aspects! If you haven't watched the show or plan to, please do not go past the GIF!

With that being said, let's get started! ✨

When coming back to rewatch this show, I couldn't help but remember how much I adored these two as a duo. We've got Ichiro, aka the next Akuma-Kun, a fairly overanalytical and intelligent boy who sometimes tends to focus more on his own interests, such as his desire for knowledge, more than helping people in need. And then we have Mephisto III, a polite and determined individual who has dedicated himself to help all his clients, both so that he and his partner can sustain themselves, but also to show his care to the losses that others experience and to protect his community.

Due to the kinds of focuses the two have when it comes to solving mysteries, a lot of disagreements tend to ensue. Mephisto wishes Akuma-Kun would be more empathetic and considerate about the emotional side of things, while the latter is more set on finding the answers to the client and his own questions and to then move on to something else that captures his attention.

However, when thinking back to their character growth and the differences in behavior as the show progresses, I like to imagine that this is part of what I would consider a metaphor, showing the development of a friendship between a neurotypical and neurodivergent individual.

I believe I, and various others who first watched the show, may have believed that Akuma-Kun showed traits of autism, or at least some form of neurodivergency, and these were even implied to be true through several discussions in the community and through a Google search. His apparent "lack of empathy," according to Mephisto III, the hyperfixations he has on the red nails and hotcakes, and his difficulty with social interactions and understanding social cues are some considerable examples. (Note: I am aware that these characteristics could possibly be considered stereotypical in terms of representing people with autism. This is simply behavior that has been observed by others, myself included, but I am also aware that there are many parts to the autism spectrum and that these characteristics do not always/are not the only ones that indicate an individual has autism.)

Upon first meeting Akuma-Kun and learning that he would be the one who he would provide assistance to, Mephisto III's reaction was none other than distaste. Just by observing the other's behavior, he found his mannerisms "odd" and deemed his behavior as "disrespectful," which, when unaware of the reason, are reactions that a number of people (but not everyone, of course) may have when first encountering someone who inherits neurodivergent traits. He was unwilling to work with him, yet, due to familial descent, needed to dedicate himself to the task regardless.

At first, the two of them didn't get along, yet worked together only for the job. There was a lot of disagreement between them (such as with how friendship works in "Envy") and it made it hard to cooperate or even socialize with one another with the many differences they have in how they perceive the world around them, as Akuma-Kun would focus on getting the mystery solved and determining the proof, while Mephisto would try to understand everyone's point of view, both to learn the motives of the murder and/or possession, but also to show empathy for everyone involved and to prove that the reasons behind everyone's behavior aren't illegitimate.

However, as the season progressed, especially after Strophaia came into play, Mephisto III and Akuma-Kun soon learned to understand each other's differences and to be in each other's shoes. The half-blood began to display trust and care towards Akuma-Kun's safety and well-being, which subconsciously encouraged the other to do the same, and proposed various ideas to relax or spend time with each other outside of mysteries (such as with inviting him to check out the new Hotcake café in "Celebration"). On the other hand, thanks to Mephisto III's various instances of insisting having more respect and empathy for those that cared about him, Akuma-Kun developed stronger emotional connections with the few relationships that he had. This shown through him being more considerate of Mephisto III's well-being (e.g retreating from the demon in "True Intentions" and feeling genuine sadness after ending his life as a favor in "Sacrifice"), implying Shingo's hotcakes are his favorites, and implying that he cared for the state of Mio's family after calling out her father for leaving without considering the emotional burden that he would once again leave.

Although the different mindsets are still present, and arguments still ensue from time to time, there is a stronger bond shared between the two boys as they learn more about each other's antics. To me, this almost resembles how their trust for each other is strengthened, as Mephisto III begins to accept Akuma-Kun for his unique form of perception (that is derived from his neurodivergency), while the latter takes the time to understand and appreciate the concern and care that his friends and family have displayed towards him. Both gain something valuable out of the friendship they build, and this ends up playing a major role in the two working together, along with Shingo and a few of the 12 Apostles, to save the Invisible School, recover Solomon's Flute, and seal away Strophaia.

While I did go into a lot of detail, there is no need to agree with me entirely, or at all. With the way the show presents the development of Mephisto III and Akuma-Kun's relationship from business partners to actual friends, I just found that I could compare it with a bond growing between a neurodivergent individual who does not always understand others (and, sometimes, his own self), and a neurotypical individual who has never experienced a friendship with someone that perceives many situations and emotions more differently than he does. It's not a concept I have seen often, if at all, in the few anime shows I have watched, or in the animations I've seen as a whole, so it was interesting to be able to envision a main character dynamic this way. But, of course, you all may see it a different way, or see both as neurodivergent, etc, and that's okay too!

I would be surprised if anyone got up to this point, as this is genuinely one of the longest rants I have ever written on any show. If you did find yourself interested and did like what I have to share, then thanks for reading through my break down! Feel free to let me know what you think through the reblogs or comments, or if you would be interested in hearing me ramble about something else related to this anime!

See you all for now! Take care! 💫

[iceyrukia]

I unironically think Tite Kubo is a misogynist for making Or1hime and Ich1go end up together.

And I'm not just saying this because ichiruki is my OTP but it's because the fact that this man knows how to write romance and ichiruki's bond is top notch even when you compare it to actual shoujo pairings - he could have written ich1hime into something that developed slowly over time that maybe could have at least made sense and delved into something organic, but till the very end they felt like awkward acquaintances. The gap in closeness between Ich1ruki ('more than friends less than lovers') vs the cannon Ich1hime ship bond is quite frankly jarring like there is seriously no competition. Now renj1ruk1a, while I'm not enthusiastic about, at least had something to it but again, comparing Ich1go's and Ruk1a's relationships with other people aside from the one that they have with each other, Ich1go's and Or1hime's relationship is hands down one of the most lackluster in the show. Heck, Ich1go even had a more dynamic relationship with Ury*u, Chad and even T4tsuki for god's sake.

I really think that the only reason Ich1hime ended up together is because Ich1go is the male hero lead and the "appropriate" love interest in Kubo's head was a woman who fit the "ideal" woman to start a family with and that's where Or1hime fits the bill. She's the typical ideal shy and submissive Japanese girl ( not to mention the ridiculous breast size) who is motherly and completely smitten and devoted with the male lead and I guess Kubo thought that was peak heterosexual romance as opposed to the duo with the sun and moon symbolism and moving 'she stopped the rain' 'i wonder if i can keep up with the speed of the world without you' poetry.

Also, you would think that male authors who put so much work into their male leads would develop the romantic bonds and individual character of whatever female love interest they plan to pair up the precious male hero but NOPE - they often don't do that and it's where you can clearly see men's misogyny and how little women matter to them.

And when you have a story where you can actually see the male author write such a beautiful deep relationship between two opposite sex characters without bullshit gender roles and then go ahead and make one pairing (involving one of the main characters) that fits patriarchal gender roles cannon ??!!! - in the same fucking story where you can directly compare them - it's the misogyny I'm afraid.

[crusherthedoctor]

💛 💚

💛: What is a popular ship you just can’t get behind, and why?

Sonamy, predictably. Three decades worth of official material, fanfics, fanart, a month dedicated to it on this site, and I still feel nothing towards it, and in fact have been actively turned off by it for multiple reasons. Including: little consistency among fans over how it would function and thus making it hard to imagine the "true" dynamic, fans often neglecting Sonic's needs and seeing him as little more than a trophy that Amy has earned, official teasing in stuff like Boom and Prime requiring dodgy characterization in order to back it up...

Outside of Sonamy, as hinted at earlier, with me tending to be more interested in rarer Sonic ships, you could say that very few popular examples do it for me, with Sonaze being the only mainstream exception that comes to mind. Sonadow? Meh. Shadamy? Meh. Silvaze? Meh. Is it an oversaturation response? Is it because a lot of the time, they tend to use their pre-established popularity as a shortcut for not having to put effort into their actual chemistry together? Who knows.

Whispangle is particularly tragic, because in an alternate timeline, I think I could have enjoyed it. With what Tangle and Whisper were apparently set up to be as individuals, I think it could have been cute and perhaps even comforting in the right hands. But of course, like Starline's self-destructive simping for Eggman, the comic had other ideas, and so we're left with rampant flanderization and conjoined twins who ended up being more toxic together than the writers probably realised, not helped by them also having Lanolin the Sally alongside them.

Shame.

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favourite character?

I've already explained why Eggman being less evil than other Sonic villains is James Somerton levels of delusional, but it goes beyond that.

"Eggman is a family man" Nope, robots he built don't count. Excluding temporary allies and certain simps, he is very much a lone wolf compared to someone like Bowser, with even his thoughts on the late Gerald largely stemming from a selfish lens of the latter's genius making himself look good by association. Given his ego, he also probably wouldn't be interested in having a heir to his throne, because it's HIS empire, and ONLY his: he would just find a means to immortality instead.

"Eggman can't plan" If that were true, 95% of the game plots would never have happened. Using this to handwave shitty writing in a comic whose premise leaped off of Forces, a game where Eggman is constantly planning, is Mr. Fantastic levels of reaching. The intro cutscene for Unleashed, a moment that I'm pretty sure fans fondly reminisce over to this day, had a setup that specifically relied on the idea that Eggman can plan. If you're going to claim he can't plan because he makes some mistakes and ultimately loses to his nemesis, then you might as well claim that all video game villains can't plan... including other villains in this very franchise.

"Eggman is cowardly" My man is so hands-on that he's the sole boss of half the games. He also made a beeline towards the Time Eater mere seconds after it appeared in front of him without warning.

"Eggman is physically inept" He punched a wall of ice.

[tigreblvnc]

BLUE LOCK OPTION* MATCHUP EXCHANGE — part ii. *Pick the character of your choice!

Your match is...

— Itoshi Sae

✦ I had three characters to choose from, and out of the three, there was one who seemed like the obvious choice for you.

✦ I'm obviously talking about our national treasure of Japan.

✦ (Even though he doesn't like that nickname)

✦ In fact, I find that you two share some interesting similarities that would make for great conversations.

✦ Conversations that don't revolve around soccer, I mean.

✦ A rarity for our elder Itoshi.

✦ I'm thinking, of course, about the fact that you're both the oldest siblings in your families.

✦ You've both been handed a responsibility from birth that you didn't choose.

✦ And possibly, you've been blamed for it.

✦ In reality, it wasn't always your fault.

✦ Well, not entirely.

✦ But you both know what it's like when people put pressure on you with the classic line "You're the oldest, set the example."

✦ This is a topic you could have discussed, which in itself is extraordinary because I can't see Sae talking about Rin with just anyone. I mean, other than to say that his little brother is a burden.

✦ Since you’ve experienced the same family situation, the subject would be approached more deeply.

✦ I like to think that you’d be the only one who knows the real reasons why Sae distanced himself from Rin because I know there has to be one.

✦ Like you, Sae isn’t interested in small talk at all. In fact, I think it’s fair to say that he doesn't care about people; talking doesn’t interest him. Especially not just to talk. What he wants is to perform, be the best, and pass to the best striker in the world.

✦ "Not easily influenced by what's considered the norm (I don't like conformity much) and by extension social media" Well, I think he couldn’t care less either, and it really makes him sigh in boredom when he sees his face on billboards.

✦ To me, Sae doesn't care about compliments or admiration from people weaker than him, or people who don't know anything about soccer. He sets the bar so high that it's safe to say he's in a league of his own.

✦ Actually, I see two potential romantic dynamics for him: either someone very extroverted, like Shidou, or someone who’s on the same wavelength. Meaning, even if you don't share his passion for soccer, you have a similar general mindset. Basically, you're not annoying.

✦ He's clearly a lone wolf who needs to maintain his individuality. I think you'd be good at that, giving him his freedom. He, of course, lets you have yours. But I like to think that a meaningful relationship with Sae is one where he’s the one who comes looking for the other person more often than the other way around. He needs to desire the other person intensely for it to work.

✦ So, someone who sets the bar as high as he does.

✦ Someone chasing after him holds no interest in his eyes; it’s more of a nuisance than anything else. He doesn’t want that.

✦ (His brother, typically)

✦ (Ouch)

✦ "Fun fact: I wasn't going to download Instagram ever but the college I'm at forced me to." Hahahahaha, I don’t know why, but I think it’s EXACTLY the same for Sae!! I can't imagine what he'd do on social media, you know? So, his manager probably created an account behind his back for his public image, but it’s likely that it’s not even Sae who replies to messages there.

✦ That said, maybe he uses it to communicate with a few rare private contacts that matter to him.

✦ (Shidou. Though I’m not sure we can call him a "private contact who matters" in Sae’s eyes)

✦ (In this case, it’s mostly Shidou spamming messages, with Sae not sending any)

✦ That makes me think that you’re one of the lucky ones whom Sae actually picks up the phone for when you call.

✦ (Yes, that’s a reliable sign of love)

✦ (Especially coming from Sae)

✦ (To me, he’s definitely the guy who responds quickly to messages when he genuinely cares about the person)

✦ (Otherwise, it’s the perpetual "Seen")

✦ (Damn. Rin probably has a one-sided conversation going in his messages for months)

✦ "I tend to categorize people in my head as "weird (people I can get along with)" or "normal (people I have to mask around)"." I think Sae couldn't care less about how the public perceives his words, and he doesn't adapt his speech to suit the person in front of him. This brutally honest attitude probably resonated with you. You don't need to mask around him.

✦ For some reason, I imagine your first meeting happening on a plane, while Sae is traveling, and his seat is next to yours.

✦ Eight hours side by side, interested?

✦ Even though, honestly, he probably didn't say much in the first few hours.

✦ Oh, joy, Taxi Driver was playing on the in-seat screens...

✦ You know that movie with De Niro? It's his favorite.

✦ Discussing the character's psychology was your way in.

✦ He doesn’t know much about pop culture outside of soccer. So, I like to think that the movie was the starting point for many other topics that interest him, but he would never have explored them on his own. If it weren't for the eight-hour flight.

✦ You told him about those thriller books you read. It's a bit in the same vein as Scorsese's filmography, so it clicked with Sae.

✦ Proof: he was watching you talk the whole time. Watching someone is a sign of interest.

✦ Body language doesn’t lie.

✦ "looking at sunrises and sunsets" I quote our Egoist Bible: "He spends his holidays looking at the sea."

✦ Sae’s love language? Watching the scenery with someone. In complete silence.

✦ It’s about letting someone into his bubble. Allowing someone to enjoy the same view as him.

✦ He used to do it with Rin, and I like to think it’s a childhood memory that’s deeply ingrained in him, despite everything that’s happened since.

✦ "Blue and black are my most worn colors." Honestly, I see him in colors like magenta and white; you two make a nice color palette together. He’s always dressed with style and loves clothes that cost a fortune, so he’s pleased to stand beside someone who takes care of their appearance, like you.

✦ Did I mention that he occasionally returns to Japan with the fake excuse of renewing his passport, when he just wants to see you again?

✦ Of course, he never gives a date or time.

✦ But he always knows where to find you. He knows your habits.

✦ In the end, he pays attention to details when it matters to him.

✦ Because one autumn morning, your phone buzzes in your pocket.

✦ "12 PM at the usual restaurant."

✦ "I've already made the reservation."

© TIGREBLVNC 2024 | INTERESTED IN A MATCHUP EXCHANGE? CHECK THIS.

[tansyuduri]

Merlin Loregasm Rewatch S1E2

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my rewatch of Merlin focusing on the lore. I am a giant nerd so pretty excited about this. Time for VALIANT!

So this brings up heraldry in the series. We see Arthur using Camelot heradlry, and other knights doing the same but during tourneys, we see Lots of different other patterned shields. So either people usually use the shield of their overlord in battle but their own in tourneys Or no knights of Camelot besides Arthur appear in tourneys. (I think Lancelot will make this a bit clearer when we get to it.) Either way either this is Valient's family crest, or he serves someone with a family crest. Either way it makes sense for why he murders this dude. As the shield is KINDA a dead giveaway to his identity. (And we know he is a knight or at least is acting as one and pulls it off better then Merlin's later first attempt at identity theft.) They obviously do not require patents of nobility at tourneys because Gwen, Arthur and Merlin pull off a fictional Knight later just fine.

I think he is likely a knight because ARMOR IS EXPENSIVE Y'ALL.

He also says he is from the Western Illes. Because the island of Mora And Ealdor this is the first place we hear about besides Camalot. Does he mean Ireland? I think he means Ireland? ALSO! are you used to my messed up grammar and punctuation yet? I have an LD in both. This is why I always need Betas for my fics despite creative writing being my thing. (I mean besides just wanting them to be better.) (This is an example of autistic oversharing. You are welcome! BACK TO MERLIN!)

So we only see this kinda sparing with Merlin in armor and holding a sword and shield once. (Usually he just holds a target for arthur) However, Merlin does get better with a sword somewhat as the series progresses so I think it likly continues. (Though perhaps a bit more nicely) It's interesting because Arthur has his pick of people to spar with, we see that later. Yet he says "Most Servants collapse after the first blow" So who is he sparing with? Has he been given manservants he didn't like before and just used this to make them quit? ANYHOO this was not as much lore so will not often comment on character dynamics but yesh.

Okay so I will spare you the talk of different armor parts. BUT this is really interesting compared to mentions of "Camalot forged steel"

See many Castles would have their own blacksmith and the one in the villager would be more for horseshoes, nails, and the like. Because armor and weapon making was A BIG DEAL

This implies Gwen's father was a HIGHLY SKILLED blacksmith who likely served the knights of Camalot. (He can't have been the only one because when he dies there is a period of time before Elyan comes and in Gwen's words Gets the forge running again.) But for a regular blacksmith to serve as an armor and weapon maker is a BIG DEAL that kinda knowledge was highly specialized! And yet Uther killed him easily.

OKAY time to nerd out a bit! This is quartering, an advanced heraldic tradition in which an individual for some reason or another wanted to show MORE than one coat of arms they were entitled to. You guys should look all this up, its fascinating! But onward!

Okay yeah remember what I said about Gwens family likely descending back to the Roman times? It's still possible but if Arab knight equivalents can get to Camelot then her family could totally have come from northern Africa for other reasons. Also I like the dude in Mauve having an Anglo-Saxon Helm and the due behind him having one from the 1100s I love Merlin's stew of things from all over history.

Okay this is perhaps just Uther being an ass. Because I'm sorry if you are not the king of Mercia I refuse to belive you are the king of Ireland. (Albion is not united yet.)

Perhaps its mostly knights of Camalot here with some exeptions? I mean if we are creative with the dude CLEARLY of the middle east we can say somehow became a noble of camalot. It would explain a few things. Did Valiant come from Ireland (Sorry I mean The Western Illes) originally then somehow for reasons we will not question also moved to Camalot? (Unlikely as Uther asks him to stay later.) There are also very few people here so likley perliminary tournaments were held? I mean we do see in Lancelot people come from all over to try to be knights of Camalot. so THEORETICLY Uther might be being honest here?

Okay this guys helm is the same as the Arab dude we saw before I think he just took his outher coat off. BUT And some of this gear is very European. So Camalot somehow has an Arab noble family that fights in ancestral gear when they can OR he got repairs along the long journey to Camalot in local styles. Take your pick!)

(You know because I can't be normal and just say they throw this in for visual appeal.)

Something to note! This would normally be the job for a Squire. A Squire was also usually the step before knighthood but in the Merlin world they do not seem to exist!

[gcldfanged]

NAME?: King_Kkeungi, Kkeungi, or Soda- If you've been around for the past 700 years...

PRONOUNS?: He/Him mainly, still trying to get used to They/Them over time. I identify as AFAB Transmasculine, but also very GNC.

MOST ACTIVE MUSES?: Jae (you are here!), also a shitload of others because I am literally insane.

EXPERIENCE/HOW MANY YEARS? Uhh, like back when AOL was still fucking dial-up. Shove that into your calculator, proceed to jaw-drop, and demand 'why would anyone put themselves through that, though'.

FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT?: In order of what I write the most: Angst, Smut, Fluff.

Angst is my bread and butter- We do love the bitter hardships, because a lot of personal growth and the potential for self-reflection.

Smut is usually me having no fucking clue what I'm doing, other than trying NOT to sound totally BORING for my poor writing partner.

Fluff is something that I normally get bored by, but I'm starting to appreciate more moments of Fluff and Domestic/Slice of Life content thanks to Oni?

I think the reason why the 'Second Chances' AU hits so differently is because our muses both didn't really experience a 'normal' upbringing nor childhood, so they're super motivated to allow this poor clone to just BE A CHILD and ENJOY LIFE and DEVELOP HIS OWN PERSONALITY. So, all of these seemingly minor and 'every day' occurrences and family-centered events aren't even things that Sephiroth and Jae-hyo have experienced in the past, like ever. And it's so far from perfect- They have no idea what they're doing, they both are better at killing people and being walking weapons than being like, emotionally attuned to a fearful child in a completely foreign environment. They're learning a ton of practical things, but they're also learning more about each other as individuals on an emotional level, which is really important development for them.

Anyway- Any of these three thread types can work for me, but obviously I am super into plotting and long-term exploration of our inter-muse dynamics!

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES?: It honestly depends on how my muse responds to my partner's replies- But I tend to go overboard and focus way too much on introspection that my poor mutuals can't even respond to in-character... so I'm trying to work on that!

PET PEEVES?:

Being a jerk about tagging- It takes like 2 seconds? Even if I DON'T think my mutuals might be triggered, I still tag heavy subjects out of common courtesy. I don't need some random internet troll telling me I'm a 'widdle babey who can't handle real fucking life!11' just because they hate mentally ill people and are lazy. I have survived so much 'real life' shit that they would struggle handling like an adult?

Rules pages that are rude and worded super aggressively. Chill out. We've all had bad experiences, I don't turn around and decide to be a literal asshole to complete strangers who are simply interested in my writing.

Vagueing and Passive-Aggressive behavior. You don't like smut? Blacklist the tag for people's NSFW content. Making a post in public and outright shaming people who are supposed to be your friends just because you personally aren't comfortable with sexual topics is way out of line. Also, we've all been browbeaten into ONLY posting smut on Sunday for ya'll, what more do you want to enforce on other people's blogs?

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE?: All of my muses have some facet of their personalities that I generally base off of my personal experiences, but also I try to build each muse up with a strong sense of realism and do a ton of scholarly research in areas that I feel I am NOT well versed in.

Jae is probably the most... emotionally personal muse I have simply because I am actively exploring very serious and heavy themes with him that I myself have survived/been a victim of, in the past. It's a safe way for me to kind of explore said events in a more objective and rational fashion, rather than rehashing specific memories that can be extremely upsetting and makes trying to be kinder to myself incredibly difficult.

He is not a self-insert, though (not that I personally see anything wrong with self-inserts in fics or 'fan-geared content', but I also do not think it's a good nor healthy idea to roleplay yourself in an RPC). He's a character that was first birthed out of spite towards someone on my dashboard (via my Genesis blog) who was complaining about 'overpowered OCs' and claiming that there are 'too many SOLDIER OCs' and that the 'few Turk OCs are all lame yakuza wannabees and they suck'. Like, what fucking game did you play, fool? I swear to God, being exposed to all these cold-ass, rancid fucking takes from the general fandom side of the community has really soured my experience in the RPC as a whole.

TIME TO WRITE?: Morning is usually better for me, right after my medication kicks in. But it's also dependent on who I am talking to and how excited we both are for the threads/plotting.

TAGGED BY: @stupidiinspades/ @endlcssdreamiing / @endlcssdesiire TAGGING: @nightiingaled, @sadistpet, @inspiirefear, @wayan9an, @bukkuobujiendo, @serandipity, @agloryofuniicorns, @ilbound, @tredispade, @annjiru

[junglejam]

Just some thoughts while working on 'the space between all things'.

I went into the (vague) planning phase of the fic deciding that I wanted to make Lizzie a central part of the story, as she is an integral part of Josie's life (both in this fic but also, as we all know, in canon) and because I think the twins' individual and combined dynamic with Hope is so interesting. Mostly I wanted to explore a version of the twins dynamic that is strained in a way only family is, where you can have such an unconditional love yet live heartbreaking worlds apart form each other.

Anyways, I went into the fic with that kind of mindset, but I didn't realize how much Lizzie would actually appear and also how much I would like writing about her in particular. I mean I already adored Lizzie before and she's one of my favourite characters in Legacies (and tbh tvdu in general), so it isn't difficult to like writing about her in that sense. She's actually the funniest character in my fic I think, other than Penelope maybe (Or at least I'm trying to make her witty and funny, though I'm not irl, so don't know if it's working lol).

But I'm actually struggling not to let her bleed too much into every page in both Josie's POV and Hope's POV (yes I'm writing a few POV chapters for Hope<3) since it is a hosie story before all. But while writing it I realized that Hope and Josie wouldn't even be in this predicament they're in, if not for Lizzie being in their lives and it just would not make sense at all and then this story would not be happening in the first case. This shows in my writing too since I include Lizzie in all of Josie and Hope's POVs, whether in passing or that she's physically in the scene, but if I erased those scenes - even the ones where Lizzie is just being Lizzie adding to the fun of the story more than the plot - it would feel empty somehow? Like Lizzie is just such a central part of their lives and erasing those scenes of her would be wrong? (heavy deja vu from everyone forgetting Hope in season 2)

And this just made me realize that I actually need to make Lizzie play an even more central role than I anticipated in this specific fic, and actually add instead of erase scenes. Josie wouldn't be Josie without Lizzie and Lizzie wouldn't be Lizzie without Josie and that is the cause of both love and pain in their relationship and that is beautiful.

And I say that it is I that need to make Lizzie play a bigger role, but in my mind it's Lizzie demanding to be the main character herself, and that makes me love writing as cliche as it sounds XD Because these characters seriously feel so alive to me and I love them so much.

Not sure what my point was, but to end this: I just think it's really wonderful how writing and reading fanfiction gives one a whole new appreciation of characters, one that probably couldn't be achieved just from canon. So I'm just so happy that authors share their stories with strangers on the internet, because it makes fandom better and readers like myself will always appreciate it and on that note we should all remember to let the authors out there know that<3

[valorxdrive]

[anon] give more controversial opinions :| [/anon]

FIRST OF ALL.

Yes, I do as a matter of fact.

And y'know these are interesting to explore! I'ma keep it relegated to KH brands of topics, and not let broader ones be an easy escape. So with that said!

Relationships within KH have been bastardized by the fansphere. (And to some degree canon as well.)

Now this is one that I've felt for a long while with the tonal shift of the internet. Where concepts outside of the loved and accepted were more or less hammered out. I want to actually take a moment to note how the idea of 'Found Family' and nailing the 'Caretaker' of a respective trio has done egregious harm in a series that can explore people walking their respective paths of life. The more popularized variation of events is usually 'The responsible' and 'The bundle that can't save their lives from a toaster'.

For two good examples of this, I'd like to bring Riku and Aqua respectively to the table. Aqua in particular and how she has been doomed pretty much to the 'Momqua' trope that I hate with my heart and soul.

This narrative of where she's some glorified babysitter has been heavily popularized. To where she's stern as an ironing board, beyond watchful, basically infantilizing the cast of characters where she can learn just as much from. Given this is a series where people from multiple walks, ventures and perceptions from what they've gained run prevalent, I say it runs really disrespectful overall. Being in the position to 'Look over' Terra and Ven as the Keyblade master of her group, a lot of this I'm certain leaned from her being the 'girl' of said group, thus the 'Mom friend.'

Perspectives of Riku falls to this except not as much of an extreme. From how I've seen fan perception, a lot of his status as a 'Guardian' translates to him being far removed. How he's the distant (and brooding) soul gridlocked into strictly 'protecting', being a source of wisdom, and in this case having that lens stuck to where this is all he's about. These characters aren't being given their shots to actually breathe and and dabble into their concepts of humanity that'd be cool to explore.

This also leads into the angle that I believe that over the course of KH's lifespan, the idea of 'Trios' have done a lot more harm than good. These locked sects help propagate a dynamic of where it's the 'Looked after' and the 'Guardian'. A series where valuable insight and crossing mismatchups can actually be pretty beneficial for a cast that empowers themselves on self-discovery.

Basically, you can boil this down to both misconceptions and overall missed potential.

For example, take the 'Sea Salt Trio' and a firm look at all they've went through. In particular, how there is a LOT that Axel has to actively answer for (on top of still slinging Saix along.) Can you picture this as the grounds where Roxas and Xion would want to easily forgive and forget? Could things be made better? Possibly, but aspects like this wind up being overshadowed by the previously stated dynamics.

Companions, as individuals crossing the other, I believe a lot more light finds itself well deserving of being perceived.

As for that bit that relates to Canon, this is mainly because despite having 'Trio' set ups, this is underutilized when it comes to the mainstay cast from console games as their journeys are often split apart. Group dynamics have been given a lot more polish/shine in the KHUX and Dark Road set ups.

@tenebrave

[mangosaurus]

imagine if they killed brooklyn just to make kenji and ben an item

i know ben and kenji are a fan favorite but with all due respect this woulddddd not be a great move on the part of the writers. i feel like it'd really cheapen any potential relationship between them, because ben would just look like kenji's second choice to brooklynn (since she'd have to die before kenji ever canonically considered ben in a romantic light). i think what bothers me more, though, is that killing off brooklynn to get ben and kenji together would just play into this weirdly pervasive idea in fandom that women are at best expendable accessories to the narrative, and at worst, direct obstacles to the male character's "true" love interest (another man in this case).

i'm not saying that a romantic relationship could never work between ben and kenji, but ... it just wouldn't land well under these specific circumstances. i'd need brookenji to have at least broken up before brooklynn died if they wanted to make ben and kenji a thing. and if i'm being frank, i'm more interested in how a brookenji breakup would affect kenji's feelings surrounding brooklynn's death (and maybe even impact their reunion, if brooklynn's death does end up being a fakeout) than what that would mean for kenji's future love life.

with all that being said, i very much doubt the writers would go down that route (killing off brooklynn for shipping's sake)! i have a lot of faith in them and their abilities to deliver a good story. ships aside, what camp cretaceous has always excelled at in my opinion is the found family dynamic, and the individual bonds that exist within that unit. i'm sure that'll only carry on into chaos theory, and i'm SO excited to see how the campers relationships will continue to change and grow

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I really adore reading your different opinions and discussions about the Twist Cast, world, theories, and so on. Which is also why i wanted to ask you: If you could rate the 7 Dorms (+ Ramshackle dorm) based on environment, characters, interior design, etc. how would you rate them from a scale from 1 to 10...?

I'm curious to know. :)))

Well and this is probably the scientist in me speaking 💦 those are a lot of different factors to consider in one score, and not all of them are equally weighed. Each dorm is very different; we don’t even get the same number of characters for each; the higher number of characters in Heartslabyul, for example, could either bring down or bring up the whole score). It wouldn’t be a clean or a fair game.

Instead of giving “overall” numerical scores, I’m just going to break them up into multiple categories, each list arranged from “favorite” to “least favorite.

By Environment:

Octavinelle — I’ve always wondered what it’s like under the sea… It’d be so tranquil just through Octavinelle’s big glass walls and watching the sea creatures drift by. So therapeutic! (And free, too 😂)

Heartslabyul/Pomefiore — Both feature gardens! I can get lost in them, smelling the roses along the way. Pomefiore is more traditionally pretty (ballrooms, grand decorations, etc), whereas Heartslabyul focuses on whimsy and wonder (more clutter, windy halls, etc). I appreciate both aesthetically!

Ramshackle — Nothing that standout, but also nothing too bad about it. Might be depressing to look out of a window and immediately spot a dead tree and a graveyard though. Also keep in mind that Ramshackle is located the farthest from the main buildings on campus, but I don’t mind this because walking a while helps me properly wake up. The isolation is also nice for an introvert like me.

Diasomnia — Everything looks dark and dead. Constantly worried about being poked by thorns.

Ignihyde — Does outside even exist to these nerds?/j Same issue as Diasomnia but worse somehow; too gloomy and dead looking. Looks creepier because of the tech glowing/casting some light in the darkness.

Scarabia + Savanaclaw — IT’S TOO HOT I’LL DIE OF HEAT STROKE

By Characters:

*Note: takes both individual characters + group dynamics into account*

Octavinelle — The most cohesive as a group, but each Octa boy also stands on their own as a strong and interesting character in my eyes. Helps that J word also belongs here 💕 Watching their schemes unfold is always a treat.

Scarabia — Jamil and Kalim are a comedic yet complicated combination; seeing them puts a smile on my face whether it’s because Jamil is suffering or because Kalim is being oblivious. Usually both.

Savanaclaw — The only one I’m meh on is Jack 😭 Best part of Savanaclaw is definitely when Leona steps up and everyone else backs up his leadership.

Ignihyde — Love Ortho, don’t love Idia (except for those few moments when he’s relatable), so it evens out. Appreciate how much Ortho cares for his brother and encourages him to try new things! Big fan of their wholesome brotherly dynamic, it’s basically one of the few times I can stand Idia.

Pomefiore — Of the group, I only like Rook. I don’t really care for their group dynamic.

Heartslabyul — No particularly strong feelings about anyone here. They’re alright.

Diasomnia — The only character I like of this group is Sebek, and even then the love is somewhat conditional (because as soon as he starts harassing people about Malleus, that love plummets). Silver and Lilia are okayish, but I dislike Malleus so that brings this dorm way down. I think Diasomnia is strongest from the found family angle.

Ramshackle — … What characters? (Yuu doesn’t count; they’re purposefully written as a blank slate and I would rather read about an already established character than an intentionally bland one. The ghosts also don’t count because there’s nothing to distinguish their personalities from one another; they don’t event get names 😭) Grim is a little meowmeow on his own…though I do really love the ghosts being Yuu and Grim’s found family.

By Interior Design:

Octavinelle/Pomefiore — Classic and fancy ✨

Heartslabyul — I’m a sucker for the Alice in Wonderland aesthetic.

Scarabia — Looks huge and fun to explore; probably full of interesting things to gawk at because of the wealth that has been poured into the dorm.

Ramshackle — Cozy, nothing offensive about it.

Diasomnia — Feels like I walked into a haunted castle. Doesn’t look very welcoming or inviting. Might get jumpscared at the next corner.

Ignihyde — Too inorganic and stiff because of all the tech and blue screens floating around. I’d probably get a migraine from just being in Ignihyde.

Savanaclaw — Outdoorsy energy. Would constantly be concerned about sun burn and bug bites (because of how “open” the dorm’s design is). Rope bridges would make me feel nauseous. Just overall not a fun time.

*Bonus* — By Uniform(s):

Noble Bell College :>

Octavinelle — Simple but effective. Also just love me a crisp suit 😩 and cummerbunds (since they accentuate the waist)…

Pomefiore — The colors as flowy fabric are so pretty together… It’s also interesting how they incorporated a kimono-like design into a very European styled/inspired dorm. It works surprisingly well! Adore the intricate fabrics in their sleeves; the complex apple pattern on the red, the sheer black material, etc.

Diasomnia — I have no clue how this uniform works (like, putting it on), but I will agree that it looks cool and intimidating. The hats are slightly silly, but they work well with the whole look.

Scarabia — Looks easy to move in! Love the gold accessories as well. I don’t like the garish flame pattern on their hotpants or the sandals.

Heartslabyul — Why are you wearing sneakers and plain white T-shirts. I thought the dorm uniform was supposed to be formal wear 😭

Ignihyde — Weirdly blocky and geometrical. Nothing that eye-catching to look at.

Savanaclaw — The biker-cowboy aesthetic is just NOT it, sis…

RSA

Ramshackle — … What dorm uniform? Grim’s striped bow? Cuz I’ll agree that it’s cute, but we have nothing else to go off of since Ramshackle isn’t formally recognized as a dorm.

[vriskaserketdaily]

i see u like vrisjade .. would you be willing to explain what u think their dynamic would be . i want to like it but ive never been able to wrap my head around what they would be like

theyre not my otp i just draw them for clout

my understanding is that the appeal lies in a bit of wishful thinking. "what if vriska learned to be nicer?" and "what if jade went a little apeshit?" i do think they would work well as kismeses (or, more likely, one-sided blackrom crushes because jade has other things going on and can't be bothered to spend her whole life obsessing over the girl who gave her narcolepsy as a kid), but pretty much all the stuff you'll find for them is redrom vriska rehabilitation fluff (which is CUTE and WHOLESOME and FUN, and i ENJOY DRAWING IT, but . . . i like it when vriska is kinda balls to the wall insane instead of all niceys).

SO! that being said, i do think their dynamic would be really interesting even in a non-shipping context because they DO definitely need to clear the air re: the whole narcolepsy and viciously insulting your teen grandpa within 5 minutes of officially meeting him thing. i stand by what i said in this post about their dynamic, noting furthermore that vriska does mention and talk about jade a lot in the comic despite never having a canonical conversation with her (it's implied; she is in jade's trollslum on pesterchum after all), so . . . vriska definitely thinks about jade more than jade thinks about vriska, and probably projects a whole lot onto jade as a sort of kanaya-aradia amalgamation proxy. she totally fumbled those two, but SURELY she can stick the landing on this smart and silly genius who CLEARLY needs a good blackrom bucketing to loosen up. right???????? human romance isn't that complicated and it's not like her dating pool is super wide what with the rest of the humans either locked in monogamous relationships (with trolls, narrowing vriska's competition further) or being "in families" with jade.

it would be really funny for them to end up in a quasi-auspisticeship (likely candidates for the third wheel being karkat, john, and regrettably kanaya im so sorry bbg) or for vriska to have an aneurysm upon finding out about human polyamory and the simple fact that jade has more positive and developed dynamics with Many other characters before she even thinks of vriska.

tl;dr i'm the wrong person to ask if you want to be sold on vrisjade i just think they're neat individually and dont mind drawing them together

[felonytaxevasion]

Glad you enjoyed pact!

I'd love to know your thoughts on the magic system and diabolism in general, also what did you think of Black Lambs Blood?

Also if you actually want wildbow long windedness in his supernatural setting, then I can say thats Pale's biggest weakness, so if you are okay with that I can heartily recommend it

Diablerism/Black Lambs Blood was my favorite part of the Pact magic system by a long shot actually. I wouldn't say there were any parts of the magic that I didn't like or enjoy to some extent but the best part of Pact for me was the character work and I feel like diablerie was the most realized supporting metaphor for the relationships between those characters.

For example, and I promise arent critiques so much as comparisons to illustrate just how good the diablerie is, the DuChamps enchantress magic system is pretty solid. They manipulate connections and in the process the connections within the family lose the authenticity within their relationships with each other and only end up being connected through magic and false promises. Pretty well realized metaphor for how focusing on a family's position rather than the family unit itself will weaken the unit to disrepair. Mara for all of the side eye worthy racial politics of her character, also has a fairly realized metaphor about family dynamics. The parent draining the life of the child to prolong her own youth only to ultimately fail to realize any new goals as youth was never a requirement necessary for change in the first place.

I will say where pact starts to lose me is the other Jacobs Bell Powers. Mags works to an extent. The representation of how violent trauma affects a person who then carries that violence forward and inflicts it on others. My main critique with that is that Pact is such a family focused story I wish we got to see more of Mags and her dads and how the metaphorical violent trauma separated her from her family. Padraic being the one to sever the connection rather than Maggie's specific individual practice hobbled the thematic resonance of goblins for me, personally. I also won't lie, I'm fairly confident that there IS a strong metaphor within the Behaims chronomancy. However, said metaphor went completely over my head. Chronomancy was a super cool magic and I loved reading about it and the Behaim family dynamic was also interesting, but since I couldn't see the correlation between the two it weakened both elements impact on me as a reader.

So with all that said. On the other hand: Diablerie. Honestly incredible work in terms of landing a metaphor. There's a lot with passing on karmic burden as the cycle of abuse that's great. What really hits for me though is the idea of Permanent Damage. Society really supports the idea of family as the strongest most unbreakable bond in the world. So writing a family then explicitly filling it with the power of completely unfixable never able to be undone damage is really good. Pact doesn't play around with the idea that the Thorburns could ever completely fix their family to have a normal or entirely healthy relationship ever again. Rose Sr broke them in a way that can't be fixed. There's no amount of family therapy or Wanting to be a family that can undo what's been done.

I think part of the reason Black Lambs Blood is such a good side story about diablerie is because it also centers a family unit and how a demon can destroy it.

What I really love about dark urban fantasy compared to standard fantasy is that there's no escapism present. Like I love escapism but I love magic as a storytelling tool to tell human stories about inhuman characters. Which is very much the core of pact and why it works for me.

In terms of Pale though. Eeehhhh? I'm going back and forth on it because like you brought up, length in and of itself is not something that bothers me. However, how that length is used IS pretty critical. Worm and Pact both like to put the protagonist in an unwinnable situation where Taylor/Blake try several strategies that fail before either finding the solution or suffering a great loss. I think this style can bother people because the failures, especially in large numbers, aren't necessarily adding new character development or plot elements to the narrative and they would much rather just skip to the loss/solution. But personally I love when things get drawn out in this way because it helps hammer home the emotional feeling of victory or tragedy. The reason I'm apprehensive about Pale though is that I do not think that Ward used it's length well and that's when I started to get bored. Victoria would have very long fight sequences where she wouldn't need to find new creative solutions so much as continue through waves and waves of goons before she could reach the final boss and either win using the same strategy she did in the beginning, or lose using the same strategy. And like the things I like about Worm and Pact this definitely CAN work for people, it makes her victories via punching very hard feel earned. For me though it just felt like a slog and I've heard from some friends that Pale can fall in to this category in its latter half as well. Also frankly, the idea of pulling the magic outside of a family narrative and into a Magic School sounds like the least interesting possible choice to me. So while I'm sure it's more interesting than I'm imagining it is a steep barrier to entry for me.