#identity projects also suck ass

[manicali]

Fml. I have a whole ass two week project due tomorrow. I have done a whole lot of nothing and now Im paralyzed by overwhelm. Fuckkkkk im dead.

[tiki-was-here]

The Deep x Marine Biologist Reader P1

Word Count: 1.1k

This takes place post gill breakdown . Basically hes so desperate for any sort of positive attention hed probably suck ur toes if you asked nicely. Also there’s like zero gifs of the deep cmon guys do better.

Also also CW for the deep being a teeny bit sexist at the start

The Deep sat hunched over on a plush armchair in his shitty apartment, aimlessly scrolling through his phone. He was supposed to be on standby for a mission involving some flooding in a coastal city, but as usual, the others had it covered–despite the fact that he told Ashley that all water related missions were supposed to be his only. He sighed, tapping through social media, pausing his doom scrolling to occasionally say some not so PG words under the posts of a poor family taking a beach day out. If she wanted to post her ugly ass kids then she could have at least shaved before she went out.Then, a notification caught his eye.

Specifically a DM. He didn't get much of those in general but after the situation with Starlight died had died down his number of daily messages got cut down to almost nothing.

He squinted at the username “marinebio_enthusiast”. He was ignore it when he noticed something unusual—it wasn’t hate mail. Curiosity got the better of him, and he opened the message.

“Hi! My name is [Y/N], and I’m a marine biology student at Sandalwood University. I’ve been really passionate about ocean conservation lately, and I thought it would be amazing to get your perspective on a few issues. Also, I know this might sound a little weird, but I’m a big fan of yours! I think it’s great that you care so much about the ocean and its wildlife. If you’re interested, I’d love to buy you a coffee and chat about it! I also sent an email just in case this doesn’t reach you. I really appreciate your time! :)”

The Deep reread the message twice, his eyebrows lifting. A fan? Someone who actually wanted to talk to him?(bros too lonely to care about stranger danger)

A warmth spread through his chest. It wasn’t just the praise that made him feel good—it was the way you’d worded it, like he was someone important. Like his opinion mattered. He glanced around the room, half-expecting someone to jump out and tell him it was a joke.

He typed back before he could second-guess himself.

“Hey [Y/N], thanks for reaching out!!!!! I’d love to help out and chat about marine life🪼🐠🦈. Coffee sounds great 👍👍👍. How about tomorrow at noon?”

He hesitated, then hit send. Instantly, his phone buzzed with your response.

“Wow i really didn't expect a response so soon. Thank you soooo much for this opportunity!

Noon is good for me i’ll meet you at [insert some random coffee shop name idgaf]. I'll see you then!”

The Deep couldn’t help but grin, the night spent planning possible outfits and stalking your profile.

The Deep watched the door intently, his foot tapping nervously. He would never admit it, but he’d actually gotten there twenty minutes early. He’d opted for something casual—jeans, a button-up, and a beanie to hide his identity a bit. When you finally walked in, he couldn’t help but straighten up, almost knocking his coffee off the table in the process.

He raised a hand, and when your eyes met his, you smiled so brightly he felt a bit self-conscious. You made your way over, and he stood up, almost tripping over his own feet to shake your hand.

“Wow, it’s really you,” you breathed out, eyes wide. “Thanks for meeting me!”

He cleared his throat, trying to sound confident. “Yeah, of course. I mean, I’m always happy to, uh, help with marine stuff. You know, it’s kind of my thing.”

You giggled, and his chest puffed up a little. “Yeah, I figured. I saw your speech on marine preservation from a few years ago. It’s what got me into marine biology in the first place.”

The two of you sat down, and you immediately started talking about the project you were working on—something about coral bleaching and how to promote rehabilitation efforts. The conversation flowed easily —mostly you talking about your project while he nodded along, occasionally throwing in random facts he’d Googled last night. He even made a joke about dolphins being the “mean girls” of the sea, and when you actually laughed, he felt like he’d just won the lottery.

“You know,” you said after a while, stirring your latte, “it’s really admirable how much you care about marine life. I think people forget that sometimes.”

He blinked, surprised. “Yeah, they do,” he admitted, a little softer than intended. “Most people just see me as… the fish guy.”

You gave him a sympathetic look. “Well, I think it’s great. And I really appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. You didn’t have to, but you did.”

He couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, well… it’s nice to talk to someone who gets it.”

You nodded, eyes softening. “People can be pretty harsh. But you’re doing your best. That’s what counts.”

The Deep wasn’t used to this—being treated like a person.

You glanced at your phone,checking the time. “Hey, would you mind coming with me to check out a spot? I’d love to show you what I’m talking about.”

He blinked, surprised. “Uh, sure! Yeah, let’s do it.”

He followed you out to the parking lot, still a little confused. You opened your car door and gestured for him to hop in.

“I promise it’s not far,” you said. “It’ll make way more sense if you see it in person.”

He hesitated, trying to rationalize the situation. You seemed nice enough. Plus, you’d picked a spot by the ocean, so if this turned out to be some trick, he’d have the advantage. With a shrug, he got into your car.

The drive wasn’t long, and when you pulled up, he realized you’d taken him to a little cliffside overlooking the ocean.

“Wow,” he murmured, stepping out. The ocean stretched out below, waves crashing against the rocks. He couldn’t help but feel calmer just being near the water.

“Cool, right?” you asked, leaning against the car. “This is where I do most of my research. I thought it’d be the perfect place to explain my idea.”

He glanced back at you, surprised to find you tugging your shirt over your head. His brain stalled, and he nearly choked on his own breath.

“W-what are you doing?” he stammered, eyes widening.

You shot him a playful grin,stripping the rest of your clothes so you were now just in your boxers. “I’m going in. You’re welcome to join me.”

Before he could process it, you ran to the edge of the cliff and dove gracefully into the water below. His heart leapt into his throat.

“Oh, shit—” He bolted to the edge, peering over. You’d vanished beneath the waves. Panic set in, and he didn’t think, he just dove in after you.

The water rushed around him, cool and familiar, but when he surfaced, you were nowhere to be seen. His heart pounded.

“Hey!” he called, splashing around. “Where’d you go?”

His mind raced, imagining the headlines. He couldn’t handle another scandal. But before he could dive down again, something grabbed his leg.

[rose-maidenn]

🔹️Pick a card🔹️

Who is the main gaslighter/ manipulater in your life

What are they targeting about you

Hey guys , hope yall are doing well , as the Saturn retrograde goes may it break all your foes . Take a deep breath and choose with your intuition , if you like the reading consider a reblog , feedback or booking as it really helps me kiss kiss

Pile 1 :

Who is the main gaslighter/ manipulater in your life

Social media babe you're following a con and taking relationship advice from a novice , it's led you with false notions you will need some time to break free but recognise and realise it before it's too late , also a friend, their name maybe from n or t might have long shiny hair and talk too sweet almost devilish , they're manipulating you into doing them favours I would ask you to be beware as you're gonna be feeling disintegrated , I feel something like destiny swapping is happening here like copying you a lot or your gestures as well you're too innocent love wake up please .

What are they targeting about you

You want a guide in your life so you followed the influencer but you can find better guides I'm sure and if you resonate with the friend part they're targeting your forgiving nature they think they can easily take from you what makes you unique and then you won't bat an eye is pathetic like I also get something about a black dress have they borrowed something if yes ask them to return asap.

Pile 2 :

Who is the main gaslighter/ manipulater in your life?

A religious person or an authority figure , they're so homophobic or orthodox it's making you question yourself . This person might be a teacher as well , there's so much if your potential but they're forcing you to do something that's so limiting it's almost like you wasting your own potential ik it sucks , it could also be a sibling who are projecting their burn out in their life onto you .

What are they targeting about you

They're targeting your lack of clarity in your life they think you don't know who you are so they hit you in the nail , your developmental years were spent with them so you're attached to them in a way you think they know you so much but remember you know yourself the best.

Pile 3 :

Who is the main gaslighter/ manipulater in your life ?

It's your dusty ass boyfriend or crush or situationship, they also wanna be treated like a princess and are cheap and stingy , idk why you're with them tbh look at you 😭 people would kill for you , idk it also feels as if they're belittling your values or culture like someone wants to get straight hair because they feel they'll look prettier to their bf

What are they targeting about you ?

Worst of all they're targeting your love towards them they target your lack of identity and try to fill spaces in your self discovery journey , as lonely as the journey maybe it is solely yours so if they don't understand they must go alright love.

Thank you for reading love love 💗

[ieatstarsforaliving]

The Origin (1)

Summary: How you and Hazel and the fight club started. Also Hazel's Spider-Woman. But you don't know that.

Pairing: Spider-Woman!Hazel Callahan x Classmate!Reader

Warnings: Mature language, use of (Y/N), mentions of bruises and cuts, Idk what else

Word Count: 1508

Note: It's literally my first post. It may suck. I don't care. I don't get paid for this. I hope you do enjoy though, cause there's not enough Spider-Woman Hazel Callahan fics out here. Love yall <3

“You got paired up with (Y/N) for the ‘women murdered in history’ project?” 

Hazel nodded at Josie’s question. She had just left Mr. G’s class with PJ and Josie where he had introduced a new project to create a diorama based on a famous woman who was murdered. The partners were chosen by random, and to Hazel’s horror, she was paired up with you. 

Who just happened to be Hazel’s crush for 4. fucking. years.

Hazel had many moments of crises in her 18 years of life, which included getting bitten by a radioactive spider during sophomore year at a school field trip to the science fair, getting caught by Josie and PJ’s spider-trap (Where PJ wanted to catch Spider-Woman for her youtube channel with a net, and she actually managed to?) and Hazel had to reveal her secret identity, and her mother’s recent divorce with her minor-fucking, emotionally unavailable father. 

But none of them made Hazel as frantic as being paired with you for a school project. 

“Thats fucking amazing,” PJ said in jealousy. “How come that never happens with me and Brittany? I got paired up with that one emo kid who probably wants to blow up the school.” 

Hazel groaned, leaning her head against her locker. She was already tired from last night’s fight with a local bank robbery, which led to her face scratched and bandaged up today. She couldn’t stop thinking about how she was going to impress you. 

“Okay, well, you don’t look very happy considering you’re like, obsessed with her,” Josie commented. She was well used to Hazel’s constant remarks about how pretty you looked during class or how you made eye contact with her for 2 seconds. 

“I’m fucked. I just get so nervous around her,” Hazel replied, anxiety seeping out from her voice. “I have never really had a conversation with her other than, ‘hello’. If I can’t even talk to her properly, how am I going to do a whole project with her?” 

PJ rolled her eyes. “Hazel, why are you so worried? You literally swing down tall ass buildings and beat up tall ass criminals, and you can’t even talk to a girl that you like? Didn’t your spider powers give you like, enhanced everything?” 

“I’m pretty sure the whole point of Hazel’s secret identity is for you to not talk about it out in the open, PJ.” 

“I’m just saying, if I saved the neighborhood every night wearing a red and blue spandex lady gaga suit, I’d be getting so much puss right now.” 

The two continued to bicker as Hazel sighed. PJ was right. It was just a project. It wasn’t a big deal, it was only for a week, and she was certain you were straight anyways. All she had to do was just man up and talk to—

“Hazel?” 

Hazel jumped, turning around from her locker to see you standing with an alluring smile on your face. You wanted to talk to your project partner before the start of next class, who seemed to be very stunned at the sight of you. She looked like a puppy, with her widened blue eyes and her tousled brown hair. 

Hazel blinked rapidly and clutched her notebook, barely managing to reply with a small, “Hi.” 

“I don’t know if you remember me. I’m (Y/N),” You introduced yourself, starting to offer your hand but retracting immediately because you realized that you’re a high schooler and that it’s probably lame to shake hands in this day and age. “I’m partnered up with you for Mr. G’s class—” 

“-Yeah, I know who you are. (Y/N),” Hazel said, almost too quickly, causing her friends to hold in their laughter. “Mr. G’s project. Yeah– I can work on it. All of it, if you want.” 

“No, of course not, we can work on it together,” You laughed, before recognizing all the injuries on Hazel’s face. “By the way, you’re pretty bruised up. Are you okay?” 

Hazel instantly touched her bandages, feeling a bit embarrassed at her state. 

“’m fine. I just fell.” 

You frowned, staring intensely at Hazel’s face. “I don’t think you can get these cuts from falling.” 

“Well, some of them are from falling and some of them aren’t...” Hazel trailed off as you came closer, your face filled with genuine worry. You knew Hazel wasn't exactly popular, but you didn’t know she was bullied. Hazel slowly backed away, her heart beating out of her chest as her back made contact with her locker. 

Hazel's Face started to burn up, turning to Josie for help. Josie stuttered, “This is nothing, she just– she’s part of this— this club, and—”

“A club? What kind of club fucks up her face like this?” You interrupted, your hands reaching out and brushing Hazel’s bangs out of the way, carefully examining the bandages. “Is it like a fight club?” 

“Yes!” 

“No–” 

“-More like a women’s self defense club?”

You looked at the three girls who’ve provided different answers all at the same time.

PJ spoke up first. 

“Yes, we absolutely do have this club where girls fucking beat each other up and shit for… feminism. So that we can teach girls how to protect themselves from the evil male football players.” 

“You know how to fight?” You asked, staring at PJ who barely had any muscles.

“Yes. Because, We… went… to… juvie over the summer.” 

You blinked.

“...There’s also a serious lack of female solidarity in this school,” Hazel stiffly added. 

“Right. Okay, that’s fine, I guess,” You accepted. “Could I join?” 

“Yes. Absolutely!” PJ exclaimed, her face lighting up immediately. “You could bring your friends too. You know. Specifically your cheerleader friends. Specifically Brittany and Isabel.” 

Before you could question why specifically Brittany and Isabel, the bell rang to inform the students for the start of next class. 

“Okay, here—” You took the notebook Hazel was holding and quickly scribbled your number on one of the pages. “Message me so we can talk about the project. And the club. Is that okay?” 

You handed the notebook back as Hazel nodded, in denial that you just gave her your fucking phone number. You waved before running off to your next class, feeling happy that you had made a new friend. (haha friend…)

Meanwhile, Josie was losing her mind. 

“PJ, what the fuck are you doing?” 

“This is absolutely perfect!” 

“No, it’s not, PJ— we don’t have a feminist women’s self-defense fight club. You also don’t care about feminism. Your favorite movie is Entourage.” 

“Okay, first of all, shut up, and second, we can just make the club now, obviously. Come on– I just created the perfect opportunity for all of us to talk to Brittany, Isabel, and (Y/N)!” 

“Hazel, please tell PJ that she’s insane,” Josie turned to Hazel. 

Hazel grinned and said; 

“She gave me her number.” 

Josie groaned. “Congratulations! But we have a bigger problem now. We don’t know how to defend ourselves!” 

“Self-defense is common sense. You try to punch me in the face. I stop it from happening. Whatever, I don’t care, it’s easy,” PJ shrugged, holding a MMA fighter stance and started throwing air punches. 

“Yeah, maybe for Hazel, who literally has the… spider tingles? Hazel tingles?”

“Please do not start calling it Hazel tingles.” 

“And let’s not forget, you literally have superhuman strength,” Josie cautioned. “If we do this— very big if, we just run the biggest risk of exposing you and your spider identity. One wrong punch and you’ll send a girl to the hospital.”  

PJ turned to Hazel and grabbed her by the shoulders. 

“Hazel, listen to me. We teach a bunch of girls how to defend themselves against the evil high school fuckboys. They are grateful to us. Adrenaline is flowing— next thing you know, Isabel, Brittany, and (Y/N) are kissing us on the mouths!” 

Hazel paused. “I don’t know. Like Josie said, it’s a huge risk. The last thing I’d want to do is put (Y/N) in danger.”

A sardonic smile played on PJ’s lips. She tapped on Hazel’s notebook.

“Hazel, she gave you her number.”

Hazel stood, her mind racing once again. PJ’s idea of starting a self-defense club was dangerous, she knew that. She would be gaining attention all while showing off her fighting skills, which is what she had been hiding for years. Josie’s warning echoed in her mind. But then she remembered the way you had looked at her, with darling concern in your eyes when you asked about her injuries. She hadn’t had anyone worry for her like that in a while. 

Hazel took a deep breath.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Josie cried.

“She said okay! It's an okay! We’re doing this!” PJ screamed, grabbing Hazel’s hand and pulling her towards the school’s office to create the club. “We’re going to lose our virginities this year! This is the year!”

“Okay, but who’s going to be crazy enough to even advise this club?” Josie yelled after them, but the two were long gone.

Next Chapter: The Fucking Fight Club

[snakeautistic]

I love finding characters I can relate (/project onto) within media. There’s something so comforting about seeing yourself on screen. I end up headcanoning most of them to be in-line with my identities (lesbian, wasian, autistic) because they are literally me in my head!!

Anyway here’s a long ass list of my favorite characters and why I head canon them as autistic for fun!! If you have any others you’d like to add I’d love to hear them. (And please note this is just my interpretation, and highly based on my experience with autism. I’m not saying they’re definitely autistic or that all the traits I listed are the dsm-5 criteria or something.)

Princess Bubblgeum from adventure time:

This girl is peak evil scientist autistic. Her intense need for control, the way she carefully observes the citizens she created, an outsider to them, not quite like them… god it’s so perfect. I read her as being somewhat low empathy as well, it’s hard for her to change her perspective to that of others. Plus the fact her brother neddy is a pretty obvious metaphor for higher supports needs autism. I think they of represent how autism runs in the family and appears in all sorts of different ways in different people. They’re sort of two different representations of the spectrum.

Marcy wu from amphibia

I mean this one is just obvious. The biggest nerd of all time. So obsessed with her RPG special interest that she literally sucks her and her friends into a fantasy world. She’s clumsy (just like me fr), very smart but super socially awkward, a little oblivious and naive. She’s terrified of change, especially if it means abandoning the few social bonds she’s been able to make. I honestly find it hard to believe this wasn’t intentional.

Entrapta from she-ra

Another pretty overt example. I do have some issues with how she was portrayed in the show- (keeping her on a leash was weird.) but overall I really love her. She understands her tech, not people, and it can cause her to come into conflict with other characters. Their treatment of her makes me sad at times, but it’s realistic. I also love some of her other quirks, her love of tiny food, her exitable demeanor, ect.

Pearl from Steven Universe

Peridot is the more obvious example of an autistic character in SU, and while I agree she’s coded that way, I personally resonate more with Pearl. She is not very socially aware, and bothered by disruptions to her routine/ broader life changes. She doesn’t like to break rules (despite being a literal rebel lol.) I find it interesting how she seems to have the poorest understanding of life on earth out of the gems, despite having lived here for thousands of years. She is graceful, but has an almost sort of awkward gangly-ness to her that I relate to. Her neuroticism is also very similar to how my anxiety disorder presents.

Pearl has a tendency to infodump, without realizing those around her are uninterested. Even her relationship with Rose struck a chord with me. The hopeless devotion to her, the way she followed along at her side. It’s how many of my friendships have been. Obvious it’s not exactly the same considering Pearl having originally been her servant, but while not being an explicitly autistic trait, that sort of clingy, starstruck relationship is something autistic people are prone to developing. She does little hand stims at times too that I love to see.

Poison Ivy (specifically the version in the Harley Quinn animated show)

I’m surprised I haven’t seen more people mention poison Ivy. Fiercely intelligent and deeply introverted, she isolates herself from all people, and only connects with and understands her plants. (Which her deep affinity for can definitely be read as a special interest.) She very overtly has trouble forming relationships with others.

She’s blunt, socially awkward and a loner, has something of a flat effect and a monotone voice. Those around her initially read her as cold and impersonable.Her struggle with social anxiety as well as intense fear of failure/ low self esteem is also very relatable to me. She also often struggles to express/understand her feelings and emotions. Her radical political ideas and the fact that she’s literally an ecoterrorist paints her as having a very strong sense of justice and a somewhat black and white worldview. (Me)

Finally, her relationship with Harley just SCREAMS neurodivergent solidarity. Harley Quinn is (I think canonically) adhd, and they’re both outsiders in the world that found each other and just… get each other. She’s Ivy’s closest and only friend and amazing girlfriend and god it’s all so perfect.

They remind me a lot of the relationship I have with my best friend with adhd except theirs is gayer.

[quetzalpapalotl]

Anyway, headcanons for how I think TGCF characters would be like in bed

Hualian: putting them together because they would only have sex with each other and we have a canon answer to this already. Xie Lian gets flustered easily but goes along with Hua Cheng who is insanely good. They are definitively having the best sex of everyone bc they're hualian.

Feng Xin: I like to hc him as ace and after that one time he never tried again. If he has sex, he kinda needs to be told what to do but is good at following orders.

Mu Qing: Would not have sex, but if he had sex he would suck at communicating if he did.

Shi Qingxuan: Can be careless but is enthusiastic and genuinely invested in both of you to having a good time, which is always nice.

He Xuan: His skills are good but the experience you get is entirely dependant on what clone/identity he's using. I'm not sure he would have sex as himself since he's still mourning his fiance, would probably be really cold.

Pei Ming: Let's be real, he is extremely good. Too bad for his personality but unfortunately some women are into that macho attitude. I don't think he could live down leaving a woman unsatisfied.

Ling Wen: I don't know when she would find the time to get laid, but she's too tired. Like, she will put in the effort bc it isn't like her to half-ass a job, but her heart isn't in it. The sex is probably a way to get better sleep tbh.

Shi Wudu: He strikes me as a selfish lover and the kind of person who thinks that just the fact that he is having sex with you should be enough.

Jun Wu: He is good and knows how to figure what you like, but if he's having sex with you is certainly part of some ploy so um, good luck.

Lang Qianqiu: As per revised, would not have sex. If he had sex, he would fluster and try really really hard to please you and it's kinda cute.

Quan Yizhen: Lacks finesse and is too rough. You may need to tie him but he would probably be okay with it if you asked. Really you just need to communicate clearly and directly and is fine, you can be assured that he will tell you if he doesn't like anything.

Yin Yu: Adequate.

Qi Rong: ...no

Jian Lan: I mean, it is her job. I would assume he has picked many skills in 800 years.

Xuan Ji: Not sure she would sleep with anyone on account of being obsessed with Pei Ming, but if you managed to get her into bed, she still wouldn't shut up about her ex. I honestly think she was a pillow princess when she was with Pei Ming.

Mei Nianqing: He would not have sex. If by some miracle he had sex, he would find every excuse to nag at you, also is probably projecting the Wuyong Crown Prince onto you.

Yushi Huang: By the time it's over, you have fallen in love with Yushi Huang, but it just didn't mean that much to her.

[badpanini]

absolutely NOBODY asked for this, but i happened across this clip of jackson publick as the monarch doing pentecost’s monologue from pacific rim and i blacked out and wrote down my ramblings about a crossover. this series is so good for a pacific rim au because there are SO many iconic duos and variety in character relationships:

okay so obviously hank and dean drift compatible, from the beginning to the very end. would be especially compelling for a hank + dean copilot situation with their season 6 onwards selves.

dermott and hank could also pilot a jaeger together but they wouldn’t be as good as if hank and dean did i think, because hank and dean balance each other out more while dermott and hank are sort of enablers of each others behavior and therefore not as aligned.

rusty and jj would be drift compatible in theory but they would fight and bicker and be HORRIBLE at piloting a jaeger because rusty would want to take control and fuck everything up but jj would like actually know what he was doing. and they would fight. so they have the neural link but they just suck at copiloting. also they could make their own jaeger, with jj taking over most of the project because he actually gets shit done while entrusting rusty to do some things for it (perhaps the shielding systems like palaemon) but he sucks at it and then it fails mid battle and they bicker more. they would probably name it some stupid shit like V.A.L.O.R. (venture aegis lethal offense robot) (yes i came up with that on the spot).

pete and billy drift compatible ooobbbbviously. could be some interesting “getting into each others brains/memories” shit there if you consider a link before billy remembered how he lost his hand.

THE MONARCH AND DR MRS OF COOOURSE. they would be so good at piloting a jaeger they would kick ass. the monarch would like have his own jaeger made specifically for himself and he would have a bunch of stupid shit built into it (e.g. ACID MAGNET!). dr mrs would be the level logical ‘chessplayer’ type pilot while the monarch has the energy and impulsivity for the actual combat.

21 and 24 would tooootally be drift compatible but 24 would NOT want to be a jaeger pilot he would be like “duuude im not doing this we’re gonna die” and 21 would be like “dude are you kidding?!! we are SO doing this!! this is fucking awesome i’ve DREAMED of doing something like this!!” and he would be over enthusiastic and clumsy with piloting, partially because 24 isnt feeling it at first but after going for a test run he would totally start loving it. they wouldn’t be great but they’d end up successful in combat in an unintentional way.

to coincide with the events of the season 3 finale, they could have a “raleigh and yancy” moment that makes 21 averse from piloting for a while. he would blame himself for what happened and vow to train hardcore before ever stepping foot in a jaeger again.

the monarch, dr mrs, and 21 would 100% triple pilot (like crimson typhoon) and KICK CRAZY ASSSSS!!!!!! 21 would make them name it some shit like vice royal and it would have deployable wings that slice and stun projectiles and arm daggers like 21’s (and like striker eureka!). it would be that mustard yellow with the visor area of the head resembling bug eyes and the accents would be black and that horrifically bright magenta color.

during the blue morpho arc, the monarch and 21 could pilot a rogue unknown jaeger (like obsidian fury) and “vigilante” around while trying to keep their identity intact.

watch and ward would copilot a guild standard enforcer type jaeger, all black and uniformly made, with red accents and hella tech shit.

brock would be the only person to pilot a jaeger by himself without any repercussions on his health. unfortunately, it does take a lot out of him to do so in terms of exhaustion so he can only pilot in small bursts- but he beats the fuck DOWN for those short deployments. all of the OSI’s top agents are ‘trained’ to be drift compatible with each other but for the most part they just sit in the chair and make sure brock stays stable because he’s usually all they need to secure a situation.

let us not forget THE TRIAD!!!! they would definitely have a triple pilot thing as well, and orpheus would INSIST that they could pilot a “mech” - (i’m thinking, a golem-like husk made of rock/earth?) - all though MAGIC only, and it would take a lot of focus. orpheus would take the helm in terms of magic and actually powering the “jaeger” and making it move, al would be in control of magic projectiles and jefferson would do all the melee combat.

the concept of red mantle and dragoon copiloting is very funny to me so they can be a part of this too.

PLEASE feel free to add, to disagree, to suggest, ANYTHING!!! i may or may not doodle some of these ..

and if you read this far.. i love you, thank you.. we are kindred spirits

[peach-fiz]

I actually didn't even bother watching the second season of Loki because of the cheap marketing and inconsistent storytelling.

It just felt like the plot was lifted off somewhere it would have made sense, and a character with a similar ego was replaced with Loki and goes through an arc that might have made sense for a blank slate character, but not someone who already has a backstory.

Loki doesn't even feel like Loki after three episodes in S1. The whole point of having a show like that just seems to be about the TVA and Sylvie.

Also the whole genderfluid thing. They 'confirmed' it in the promo and had a line in the script that went completely against anything they just said.

I knew at once that the writers, directors and other parts of production were really just pulling it in different directions and it would probably sound like a jazz trumpeter and a metal guitarist trying to improvise after knowing each other for 15 minutes.

I've been meaning to watch it just so I can have educated opinions on all of it but it's just,, so hard to get into. I definitely agree the marketing was cheap, they did with the 80s McDonald's like they did DB Cooper!Loki and made it centric to the advertising because McDonalds was also getting something out of it which is kinda ass seeing as realistically Loki Laufeyson would burn 6 of them down before he ate in one 😭

I personally don't like either of the major ships in the show but the forced Sylki shit in season 1 really got to me. Like not only did she completely replace him as the main character in HIS show, she's also a variant of him who he wants to make out with and overall it just reads as lazy writing and it's extremely disappointing that Mike Waldron has been put in charge of Multiverse of Madness and The Kang Dynasty since, due to the popularity of the Loki TV show. I was talking to my boyfriend about this last night but it kinda reminds me of the complaints people had ab the last Indiana Jones movie but opposite? Like everyone complained his best friend's daughter was gonna replace him bc she's a Mary Sue and she rlly isnt, she's more reminiscent of Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark she just doesn't wanna fuck him. But the difference is Indy is a character who's majorly blank for little boys to project themselves onto. Which is great!! It works for those kind of movies, but they're not character development centric like the individual mcu movies tend to be. Loki is characterized in a way that he's drowning in identity issues and family problems and he experiences growth in every installment whether it be positive or negative. It doesn't make sense to take the formula of an Indidna Jones movie where he meets up with a woman who's typically a love interest and has her own issues that are only slightly touched on because that's not the focus, and they go do the plot.

Sylvie is not an Indy Girl, they straight up are trying to replace Loki with Sylvie. And you can tell the character wasn't supposed to have as much importance as she does in the show bc the character was worked on more after the actress they chose was buddies with a producer ( and this is no hate to the actress I'm sure she's delightful everything I've seen her in in terms of interviews has been lovely ).

I also absolutely agree they should've just made a tva mini series to introduce the tva rather than bringing back a dead character who soon will not make much sense anyway because Tom Hiddleston is getting older (and also he deserves to branch out in his career).

The genderfluid thing was a cash grab and it sucks ass, they just want money for acknowledging things already canon in the comics, same with confirming him as bisexual.

My boyfriend is actually writing a fic on ao3 called Find Me that's rlly good if you want Loki content that isn't related to the show.

(YES this is shameless promotion sshhhhshshsh) but fr the loki TV show makes me more confident in my screenwriting bc t h a t got put on disney plus. I'm also working on a Loki show rewrite in my spare time!!

[sapphire-weapon]

so idk if you answered this before but if they ever remake 6, what would u like to see changed, reconstructed, improved and all that for both story and gameplay and characters?

I'm pretty sure that re6 is mostly loved by aleons and some other folk that enjoy the game for what it is but majorly it sucks imo and i also hope that Ampo directs it, if he can stomach that game lol

well the top reason why no one at capcom wants to take on the project is because RE6 is so interconnected that you can't just change one or two things here and there, because anything you change will affect the entire rest of the game.

and as i think about it, i realize that i'm running into that problem, too.

one of RE6's problems is one of identity. each campaign is supposed to have a distinct style (chris's is a shooter, leon's is more classic RE, and sherry's is a brawler), but it doesn't do that very well because every campaign was built off of the same general gameplay framework. and it was built that way because because the campaigns overlap, so you can't change things like having enemy behavior be unique to each campaign, because then you'd run into a problem where only half of the team in the overlapping sections is viable. and you can't just take out the overlapping sections, because it fundamentally alters the conceit of the game. the core of RE6's gameplay is great, but it's shit in execution, and i don't know how to fix that.

and the story's an even bigger mess. presumably, you'd want RE6make to be a direct sequel to RE4make the way that RE4make was a direct sequel to RE2make. but you would have to radically alter the narrative to do that, because RE6's story doesn't work with the new dynamic between leon and ada. there's no reason for remake leon to be so blindly trusting of remake ada, and without that, chris will just fucking kill her ass and call it a day. so what do you do? do you remove chris's beef with ada? well, you can't, because then the carla subplot breaks down. do you key leon in on the story with carla early? well, hirabayashi has already said that he's not going to fuck up the dynamic of ada always being more in the know than leon is, so you can't do that.

so what do you do?

i don't have the answers. i don't honestly know.

i've said in the past that RE6make should beef up the story between leon and sherry and turn leon's beef with simmons into a question of fatherhood, but like. that doesn't fix the carla problem. if anything, it makes it worse.

so i don't know. i really don't know.

as happy as i am that the remakes retconned aeon, it does kind of write them into a corner with RE6make. RE6 won't work with remake leon and remake ada not trusting or even really liking each other. so you either just make RE6make incongruous with the developments in RE4make -- which i don't think hirabayashi is willing to do -- or you make radical changes to the story and shift carla solely into ada's campaign and make leon and chris fight about jake or something.

i dunno, man.

[candiid-caniine]

gender euphoria

[cw: this is NOT a detrans/misgendering kink post, but tries to subvert some of those tropes, so please treat it with caution!]

sissy kink blogs DNI

outside the bedroom, i demand respect. i own my pronouns, talk openly about genderqueerness, and flaunt androgyny.

but inside the bedroom...my relationship with gender changes. i'm transsexual in the sense that power dynamics in my sexual relationships directly influence my gender(s). what do i mean by this? i mean i want you to treat my non-conformity as a blank slate on which to project your preferred gender.

i am an "it," first and foremost. but i can be a "she," a "they," or a "he" if so inclined. i can be your butch, your femme, your fag, your twink, your femboy, whatever you want me to be.

and i'll resist. that's part of the fun of it: in day-to-day life, i'm most comfortable as an occasionally femme-leaning androgyne. that makes it fun to push back, easy to feel vulnerable, uncomfortable, and a little self-conscious (though not dysphoric) in a different presentation.

i take any pronouns, after all. so butches who love femmes, goad me into skirts, lacy lingerie, makeup, stockings, heels. watch me falter and cling to your side when we go out, feeling like i'm being stared at, unaccustomed to the kind of attention high-femmes usually get. make me show off my cleavage. call me "she" exclusively without switching. call me a good girl, call me a princess, make me suck your cock like a good little wife. force me to grow my hair out for you, yes, the undercut, too, and watch me get fussy and flustered at the unwelcome sensory input of it touching my neck. get me long acrylics, watch me fumble at everything requiring the use of my fingers; step in to help, coo over your clumsy girl - it's basically like mitting a puppy, isn't it?

if you prefer masc partners, get me a binder. watch me squirm at the compression. get me on a workout regimen to bulk up, even; spend a lot of time proving to me that no matter how fit i get, you'll always overpower me. no more cutesy hair clips, no more high-waisted jeans, or skirts, or femme-ish jewelry: make me your boyfriend. coach me into talking in a lower register. order T for me off the dark web, admire my stubble and my bottom growth. if you top, fuck me in the ass exclusively. if you bottom, get me the strap that best reflects your preferences. i'd even get top surgery, as long as you're paying~

or mix the two. make me your femboy. get me a packer, but also dresses. nitpick me over the right mix of boy-as-girly, watch me get more and more desperate to please your expectations, until at last i'm just surrendering my wardrobe to you, losing confidence in my ability to dress "properly." call me a good boy, your pretty little prince. i'm even okay with the gentle kind of goading, the presentation-shaming, calling me soft, saying i'm not dressing like a real man, if that's what you want.

or just lean in fully to the genderless thing that i want to be in the bedroom, but make it be all the time. what does an "it/its" look like? when your gender is pet, how do you present in public? well, that's up to you. maybe it's the most revealing clothes you can find, or simply the most embarrassing: underwear and pants that are a bit too small, riding up my ass and cunt constantly. shirts with slogans like "young, dumb, and full of cum" or "clown school graduate." anything that makes other people think i'm ditzy, impressionable, and silly, or don't know my own wardrobe sizes. collars, 24/7, are, of course, mandatory. maybe cuffs, too.

the whole time, watch me be unsure as my androgyny is picked apart, more and more of my core gender identity bent to your whims. watch me automatically start to seek your approval on any piece of clothing or jewelry i own. i'll start letting you speak to the hairdresser at salons, giving up any autonomy i have over my own hairstyle. you could take me to a piercer or a plastic surgeon or a tattoo artist, tell them what you want me to look like, and i'll sign the consent forms. treat my lack of gendered presentation as a clean slate, free for you to write your mark all over. make me your creature. as if i wasn't already.

[foreststarflaime]

9 and 21 for Genesis?

Oo ty pumpkin! These were fun <3 and oops these always end up being longer than I intend but you did choose my fav lol

9- What’s your favourite headcanon(s) for this character?

I love the sickly victorian child Genesis hc! I think it adds a little bit of that bittersweet flavor to his childhood in Banora that makes all the good parts even sweeter and more treasured, and it makes him getting degradation hit that much harder if he thought he’d finally escaped that part of his life. I also think it does make sense with him being the least stable of the three in the Jenova Project.

And also. Ofc. I am obsessed with the transmasc Genesis hc. It is canon in my heart. I just think it fits all his main themes so so well with the constant identity ‘am I what the world made me or can I be myself’ conflict! And I feel like it gives even more motivation behind the choices he makes, particularly with comparing himself to Sephiroth. Also I love projecting on him

And also bonus, not exactly for Genesis, but I was just thinking earlier today that if I ever have the occasion in a fic to mention his parents by name, I’d name them Peleus and Thetis Rhapsodos for the Achilles thematic reference! If anyone else wants to use that too feel free but drop me the fic after so I can read it 👀

21- Wild card! Talk about anything to do with this character! Anything at all!

Well while we’re on the topic of trans Genesis. I will take this time to rant about my constant dilemma.

So I love his wing, right, I think it fits his dramatic ass so well. I think flying would be so so fun, and I want him to enjoy life, and I think he’d enjoy the freedom—I know Angeal at one point says something about liking the feeling of it.

But then I had the thought that he probably feels some kind of dysphoria towards it. And as a gender dysphoria haver myself damn that sucks I would also resent its existence and probably want to chop it off somehow. Especially if he already went through the whole trans dysphoria stuff in the past and thought he was free of it.

So now whenever I imagine a fix-it with him in my mind I am eternally flip flopping between whether I should have him eventually accept and like the wing or not

[lilgayforg]

Fuck Project 2025 Essay

Soooo, I'm writing this essay on how Project 2025 sucks ass and it is homophobic, racist, transphobic, classist, ableist, and just terrible among other things. So if I could get some tips on how to reach more peeps with my essay once its done i would love to see ideas/feedback.

I'm going to paste the rough draft so far under here so you get a feel for what im going for plus give me feedback if you want :)

thanks!

btw- this is formatted as a message to conservatives especially ones i know personally so i'm trying to be a bit nice at the beginning. and things that are asterisked (*) are notes to me to write more lol

TW: homophobia, transphobia, bigotry

Why You Shouldn't Support Republicans in the 2024 Election

Now, I try to be an open person. I like to hear other people’s perspectives and if I disagree, I accept it as their opinion and move on. I have quite a few conservative family members and I love them and respect them. I understand if we have different points of views on gun rights, taxes, etc. Yet, there is a line. It’s when it becomes a human rights issue when I’m more judgmental of people’s opinions. If you have strong, negative opinions about things like gender, sexuality, sexual assault, race, equality, and censoring topics, then we are going to have issues. This is when I begin seeing those people less as conservatives and republicans and more as bigots. And unfortunately, there is an overlap. I want non-bigots to be able to vote for the policies they want in this country without it also taking people’s rights away. However, that is getting increasingly difficult. This is where Project 2025 comes in. Project 2025 is a “Presidential Transition Project” funded by conservative organizations that is looking to “rescue the country from the grip of the radical Left” (Project 2025 Website). They have created a website and 920 page step-by-step outline of how they are going to change this country. Initially, it doesn’t sound too bad. They outline some of their main goals:

“1. Restore the family as the centerpiece of American life and protect our children.

2. Dismantle the administrative state and return self-governance to the American people.

3. Defend our nation’s sovereignty, borders, and bounty against global threats.

4. Secure our God-given individual rights to live freely—what our Constitution calls ‘the Blessings of Liberty.’”

First of all, they want to protect children and restore families. That does not sound too bad, right? Well, we have different definitions of such. First, they talk about how we need to get children fathers because 40-70% of children do not have a father in their life. They do not provide a solution to fix this so I’ll move on. Then they move on to the goal to “delete terms” such as sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, gender equality, diversity, equity, inclusion, abortion, reproductive health, reproductive rights, and “any other term used to deprive Americans of their First Amendment rights” (pdf). Let’s tackle these topics one at a time.

First, sexuality or sexual orientation. I’m not going to super into the details, but sexuality exists. In fact, heterosexuality is one, so if these conservatives are implying that sexual orientation does not exist then they must not be heterosexual and have no preference. Pettiness aside, homosexuality has existed and still exists and it has for many, many years. There is evidence of it since the Greeks and Romans and also in animals like penguins, lions, dolphins, monkeys, and ducks. I recommend just looking up homosexual animals, there is quite a list! So maybe you do recognize that sexuality or gay animals exist, but you are against all of those liberals that are trying to force it onto the children. As a person that proudly is part of the LGBTQ+ community and also as a person that went to public school, this is not what is happening, and this applies to gender and gender identity as well. LGBTQ people just want to live their lives being their true selves without worrying about people openly hating them or stopping them from loving who they love or being who they are. When LGBTQ topics are brought up in school (and frankly it is not often), it is to educate people that children may have two parents of the same gender or a classmate that may be changing their name or pronouns. It is not telling tom-boy girls that they are boys or saying that being gay is better. It is just simply educating them on how some people may be different and that’s why they may do certain things. And if that “turns” your child gay or trans, it is only because they were given awareness that those things exist in other people and they are not broken, weird, or different. If your kid is gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, or whatever- they will figure it out eventually, and before they do, they are going to go through a cycle of mental anguish, self-hatred, and confusion if they do not know about these topics or have a bad connotation attached to it. So, please, if you love your children, save them from the pain they may endure inside and possibly save their life.

The Trevor Project found that “LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers” and that “The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health found that 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth”. Again, if you care about your children, it doesn’t hurt to educate them to possibly save their life or their classmates’ life. The cons of a child’s death outweighs the conservatives’ pro of eradicating the words sexuality and gender.

Now you may be thinking to yourself a few different things after reading this. 1. This would never happen, it is all empty promises. (*don't say gay, panic response)

2. Nobody I know is LGBTQ+ so I don’t care / they’ll figure it out. (*straight lady killed) 3. Well, once they graduate they will be okay and they can do whatever they want. And those are valid thoughts, but you’re unfortunately wrong.

*talk about going further than children with marriage equality, and rights to hurt these people- “gay panic response” and that one straight lady that was killed for pride flag

So if any of this resonated with you at all, please consider not voting republican or do significant research to make sure the people you are supporting are against Project 2025.

[stardustizuku]

I have to ask out of curiosity, on the TVTropes wiki page, the Miraculous Ladybug page says that the show is a Magical Girl/Superhero genre hybrid of sorts. If you believe that is the case, since I believe it might be just speculation, would that change or impact what the rules can be established or removed in either of these genres?

The reason why I made the essay with Magical Girls at its focus - was simply because I’m more well versed in Magical Girl stories than super heroes. As well as the fact that it hurt me deeply as a fan of that genre.

But let it be known. Miraculous Ladybug suck ass as a Superhero story too.

For mostly the same reasons as I stated in the Magical Girl Analysis because…

Well, Magical Girls ARE superheroes.

Like, sexism has sort of wrapped peoples’ idea of what Magical Girls are but despite all the frills and cuteness - these are girls that fight evil on a daily with super powers and secret identities.

You see, Japan and the USA have very different ways of marketing their animated show for children. Japan has a very gendered demographic, you have Shoujo and you have Shounen. They’re aimed for different audiences. While boys have stuff like Kamen Raiden and Super Seitan, girls have Pretty Cure. They serve the exact same purpose they’re just - gendered differently.

The USA has…also! Gender. Just. One.

It’s supposed a nebulous “kids” with mass appeal, aka unisex of sorts…? But no, really it’s just boys. And maybe girls to get them to buy toys.

When it comes to superheroes in particular, that’s the main difference.

It’s not a Magical Girl with Superhero thing, but American Superhero for girls with Japanese Superhero for girls.

The real issue MLB has when it tries to shoehorn in the Superhero theme is that…it sorta sucks?

Like, if it’s lagging behind Magical Girl adjacent takes in the western hemisphere, it’s outright losing in the SuperHero department.

While Anime has been sort of mainstream for the last 20 or so years (maybe less), which leads to maybe 15 years worth of Magical Girl takes in western cartoons…

There’s almost a century worth of Superheroes before MLB.

Everything that could have been done by MLB was done by superhero stories at least in the 1970’s.

Even the idea of “girls superhero” is something seen before. Like, we have the powerpuff girls, we have wordgirl, we have Kim Possible, DC superhero girls, totally spies…

It’s not a new concept. In fact, superheroes are such a common concept that blockbuster movies are running out of ideas. So they’re throwing everything they can at the board to see what sticks, creating something so Goddamned convoluted no one has the brain energy left to keep up with it.

Sounds familiar?

It’s obvious that the creative team took heavy inspiration from magical girls to make their superhero story. In their head, and at surface level, this makes sense.

BUT as I’ve stated above, there’s a cultural difference between Magical Girls and Superheroes each baked into the identity of each genre.

This is the rough equivalent of trying to mix English Mythology with Japanese Mythology, knowing only about yokai and fairies in regards to each…if you know nothing it sorta makes sense but if you KNOW

Then it’s total BS

Which by the way, American and Japanaese superheroes mixed in, with Chinese culture as powers made by a French guy who knows next to nothing about any of these cultures…

Do you get why I keep calling Thomas’ weird attitudes towards his project a “fetishization”? It’s because it is.

To summarize, even if you take this show as more of a Superhero story, it still sucks. My points would (for the most part) still stand. With the added caviar that it’s not only shameful for its lack of interest in its own genre - but the fact that every single person and their mother would see the story as 100x more uninspired. Because at least 5 other comics from 70s would have done smth similar with either powers or identities.

The only redeeming quality it had was it target towards little girls and doing so by borrowing the Magical girl aesthetic.

Which it fucking spat on and I’m still pissed about it.

In regards, and trying to answer your question - it’s complicated.

This would essentially be a massive cultural exchange challenge.

For example, the reason why superheroes in the USA have powers given to them as failed experiments and radioactive waste, while Japan has magic or aliens… is very much tied to their history and cultural identity.

The values that each have reflect on their superheroes too - American Superheroes may value individualism more than Japanese superheroes do.

And again, there’s the whole gendered thing. Superheroes stories in the USA tend to lean more gender neutral for mass appeal, Japanese superheroes are very heavily coded as in what they’re meant for. (Cough the reason why there’s so much queer subtext in magical girl stories cough)

So, asking the question “what rules should it make so that it’s a hybrid between these two genres”, while a valid one, I’m not sure I can be the one to answer it.

Because it depends. On what the creator saw, what they wanted, what they intended to say by mixing these two.

This is not something you ask AFTER you’ve your show. These are the questions you ask BEFORE it.

To properly create a hybrid, you ought to have a vision. And take parts of each to create what you wanted to say.

MLB borrows (or should I say steal?) aesthetics and surface level aspects of both genres. It broke as many American superhero rules as it did magical girl ones.

In specific, The Alger Ego and Theme stands as something it fucked over in BOTH. But it also failed superheroes. In what way, I really wouldn’t be able to tell.

I’m not a fan of superheroes. I don’t know why people like them, I don’t know why they watch them. I have a mild understanding of them but trying to tell you in the same depth as I did in the Magical Girl Essay what exactly they did wrong…would be an impossible task to me.

But if Thomas thinks that we, the magical girl fans, are mean to him…oh boy. Wait till he tells a Marvel Stan he thinks he’s made the best superhero story ever.

I would pay money for that

[crowroboros]

stares at you stares at you stares at you

opinions on carl from echo vn Echo vn?

stares at YOU

Carl Hendricks. Where do I begin with him?

Simply put, he's great. I think everyone in the main cast is very compelling as characters, and Carl is no exception. I don't even think his route is bad or the weakest. In my opinion, it's on par with the rest. It just suffers from being the first done and thus comes off as disjointed and disconnected from all the others when looking at the VN as a whole (though I do wish his relationship with Flynn was present in his route. Especially how close they are. But again, first written, not everything was figured out I suppose.)

His struggles with anxiety and self-worth are some of the more grounded and relatable aspects of the vn and it's nice to see such things depicted in a way that isn't either complete ass or written off as a joke. Howly approached it in a more realistic way than most I'd say. His anxiety is taken seriously, and I appreciate that as someone with some anxiety issues of my own. The interview scene shortly before the hysteria was rough, and the way Carl describes what happened really highlights how anxiety can affect the way we perceive the people around us.

Do I think Carl was nervous and a bit awkward during the interview? Hell yeah. I know I would be as well. But do I really think that the interviewer was able to immediately tip off to the fact that Carl wouldn't be into it? Do I think that the interviewer was just thinking "man what an absolute fuck up this guy is. jobless"? No. But damn, I completely understand how Carl's mind was able to fill in any blanks to make those assumptions. When you see yourself as a fuck up, as worthless, you begin to read into what every slight tone change or off look can mean. You end up projecting those thoughts onto others and end up believing that they see you the same way. It sucks. And I really like that Chase still had his back and tried to comfort him after the fact without talking down to him.

I also like that who he is isn't defined by his anxiety both by the characters within the vn and from a meta perspective. Carl is an artist, he's goofy, laid-back, and likes to play games. And his friends see all of that, to them he isn't just "the one with intense anxiety" but is instead he's "Carl Hendricks". It's a common pitfall many make when writing characters who struggle from one thing or another where the writers hyper-focus on that one aspect and forget to flesh out the character beyond that.

I also think his relationship with his family name and his parents is interesting. I see a lot of opinions online about him being the typical spoiled rich kid and that his anxiety shouldn't be as bad as it is with the money he has. And while sure, money can make affording help easier it alone doesn't solve his issues. That's something that takes work. A lot of work. Furthermore, even though the Hendricks family is rich due to their ice-cream business and status as the founding family of Echo, we still need to take into consideration that he lives in Echo. The town itself is struggling and that immediately puts a divide between him and the rest of the population. We see it in Route 65 where Karen (the bus driver) refers to him as "pomp and yachty-blooded", to which Carl is described to then get a sort of distant look on his face. He's socially isolated because of his identity, something that isn't helped by the fact that it's pretty obvious that there is a pretty serious disconnect between Carl and his family legacy. That's even part of his route's conflict, dealing with the fallout of James and John's relationship. We also know that his parents tried forcing him into a business degree when he first went to college with Chase, something that quickly fell apart. To me, it's clear that Carl is under a lot of pressure and stress to walk the path that his family has laid out for him, and that he doesn't receive much support in his own interests and goals in life. This most certainly wouldn't have helped with his anxiety and self-esteem, feeling as if you're meant to live up to a legacy you have no interest in reaching.

I could talk about this vn all day, Carl included, so I might expand on this when I get home later cause I REALLY want to talk about his dynamic with the rest of the group (especially Flynn). But in short; Carl is great. Both as a character and as a person. If I was somehow ripped from this reality and plopped within the plot of Echo, I think Carl is probably one of the characters I'd be both the most willing to talk to and one of the characters I'd get along with the best. Proud member of the Carl Defense Squad.

[manonamora-if]

i dont know if u feel up for it to answer but like... how do u handle negative comments and ratings and just people being negative about ur stuff? bc i have someone just being rude in comments or like notes and game folders on itch and its making me want to just delete everything and never show anyone anything anymore. or even have an acocunt on itch either.

Hi Anon,

I'm sorry you've been dealing with this, and that it took me so long to answer. I've been thinking about this for a while honestly. I've been writing a bunch of drafts for this one, because my answer seems to change with the day or my mood. Some of my stuff have had some strange interactions lately that's made me question whether I should stay on itch myself. I mean, I don't think I'll ever leave... there are too many fun jams I want to participate and, you know, to force people to play my weird stuff. But I've been more anxious about new stuff or updates I share recently.

I don't blame you for wanting an out. Some users will poison one's experience of a platform, that even opening the site would give them anxiety. It doesn't take much to have events or projects soured. Often, just a few rude words is enough to make accounts disappear without a word. And many platform don't have good safety nets (blocking, moderation, reports) to temper or avoid these situations. Many will have half-ass solutions that, at the end of the day, still allows interactions from blocked users. It's easy to wonder if all of this is worth it...

Anyway, the very boring and short answer to your question: it depends.

The probably as boring and long one is a bit of a ramble:

It depends on the day, or the mood I have. It's easier to deal with comments when I'm confident and things are going find; but I'd feel more hurt or have a harder time dealing with them when I'm a bit more morose (I think most people feel this way). I'll disregard any (even barely) negative points some days, only to take it into consideration a few days later. <- this especially during jam/comps time, just need time to digest criticism of any kind.

It also depends on the content of the comment, their tone, and intent of the commenter. Not all negative comments are on the same level. I've had negative comments in the past where the commenter was genuine, and really gave my stuff a shot, bringing interesting points or important concerns. And though it hurt a bit, because being told you made a mistake sucks, those helped me grow. But those are the good kinds of comments...

On the other hand, I try to disregard the trolls, and the abusive comments (towards my work or me), the ones where the engagement was clearly not done in good faith... you know, the ones who will literally tell me I've made the world worse by uploading my games on itch. Doesn't mean that it doesn't affect me at all*. Some of them really hurt or made me angry and frustrated, some have lingered for hours or days in my mind, a few made me close to delete stuff as well. Words are not just empty things without meaning... *I've had to block a few people both here and other places recently because of it, they had become so insistent on wanting to engage with me while bashing most of my work, my values or the few aspects of my identity that I've shared online.

It would be easy to say I just don't give them the time of day or any of my energy, or that I pretend they don't exist, because, if I do, then the trolls win. But that would be lying. Obviously.

Screaming to the void/a pillow or ranting to friends have helped get rid of my anger and frustration. I've laughed with others about some comments I got (usually the bad faith ones, some of them are funny in how sad/bad they were). I think what worked best for me was just turn off the computer and go outside for a bit. Or turned off the internet and play silly games on my phone. Or picked up a book. Or watch a movie. Essentially, any activity that would distract me from it and force me to take a break. And when none of this worked, because some trolls are just that insistent, blocking/deleting stuff*. *unfortunately, it's not always possible, see second paragraph again.

It does suck that you're kinda forced to grow a thicker skin to enjoy or even exist in those spaces, and I wish those would be friendlier... but I don't think social platforms/the internet is going in that direction anytime soon.

Maybe not super helpful to your decision, but borogove.io hosts IF games (without ratings or comments, though people can download the files), so does the IFDB through the IFArchive (but there are ratings/reviews there, also can be downloadable). I've seen other peeps host their stuff on neocities (no ratings/comments). None of those platforms are like itch, in the positives or the negative. Or just be old school, and email stuff.

[kyuummie]

*cutely asks you about las nevadas era cquackity*

I am really interested and I think I missed a lore stream or two (I'm still tryna piece it all together)

tumblr FREAKING ATE MY DRAFT AGAIN IM SOOOOO PISSED OFF i should stop using the app for it to answer these.

But hehe yes i didnt think someone would actually outright ask me about las nevadas era cquackity but here we are. here is a extremely brief introduction to him/his motives. lmk if i should go more into detail on something specific/i missed a part that needs explaining.

first we need to establish WHY he even made las nevadas in the first place;;; which would be his need for power and more importantly a safe place for himself and the people closest to him. as you know in the manberg era he would be undermined, brushed off and stripped of his humanity/political power.

so, he recruits people (foolish sam charlie fundy purpled) by projecting his insecurities of being acknowledged and lack of power mentioned before, passing on the trauma and his pessimistic views on the world

lots of shit happens but here are the most important points that are from his pov specifically:

1- karl, losing his memory as a price for time travel, completely erases any good memories of quackity in his mind and basically destroys the chance of the three fiancees to get back together after quackity believing that they just didnt care for them. they made a nation without him while he built one for them all alone!

2- recruitment and loss of charlie. quackity as he does with everyone tries to project his pessimism onto other people, charlie being a PRIME example (his lessons for charlie) charlie always challenged quackitys beliefs whether he knew it or not. so even if it was working, charlie already knows much more than quackity from watching the server for years. for the first time in so long quackitys personal beliefs are being questioned, specifically for the first time after his spiral to a pessimistic and negative identity starting from pogtopia/manberg. quackity makes the “mistake” of trusting someone again, which led to the temporary downfall of his country (yes he reconstructed the country yes i refuse to believe it went down with the nuclear bomb as the whole dsmp finale the finale sucks freaking ass) . i think this might be a literal metaphor to charlie destroying and reconstructing his belief system but anyways. this is a core part of quackitys character development, but mind you we dont see it in a very direct sense and a lot of it is hypothetical.

3- cdreams prison escape. its self explanatory but it once again put his loved ones in danger. months of applying physical/psychological torture is an extremely violent show of his need of power over people/how he claims revenge from the “violence over words” thing he developped from his time as a vice president/presidential candidate. Q also loses a life indirectly from him too, being killed by charlie. pretty big stuff.

basically:

traumatized and pent up guy repeats history by constructing a country to build a safe haven for himself and his loved ones, to reaffirm status and confidence and to pass on his insecurities by projection. slime guy comes, he is forced to rethink what he believes in while trying to borderline manipulate him due to his naive nature. country is destroyed because history repeats itself 💣