#idk his is probably mostly me projecting but like. his arc. is so funny to me

[astronomodome]

anyway I think zedaph’s like. plotline. character arc whatever is so funny to me. This man shows up to hermitcraft after being in a singleplayer world for 100 episodes and the first thing he does is turn around and build a hole in the ground and not talk to hardly anyone. And the second thing he does is trap the door. Excellent. So then he spends a season or two being a genius and inventing new mental illnesses for his viewers to have and etc etc. Dresses up for Halloween as the embodiment of death and goes up to people and asks them to die. Like. Normal things. He builds another hole in the ground and builds a complicated redstone device that can tell the time for him so he doesn’t have to go outside. And of course he traps the door again. Then in season eight he decides you know what I’m going to start regularly interacting with people other than my two (2) close friends. And you know how I’m going to do it. I’m going to put them in a box and psychologically evaluate them. Awesome. Wonderful. We love to see it. You know what that is? Growth. And so now we’re at season nine and he’s pretty regularly teaming up with the others and being silly and everything. And you know like trying to spy on them without them noticing and normal stuff like that. But at the end of the day he still lives in a hole

[susie-dreemurr]

Willow, Luz and Hunter for the character asks

(Edit: fuck it read more time)

Willow Park

1) First impression:

(Episode 3?) She seems a bit like the stereotypical sweet bullied best friend, but that’s okay. She’s nice and has some mischievous moments. Not much to say about her.

2) Impression now:

She’s still not a favorite, but I like her more now. I enjoy the parts where the girl subverts some of the tropes she was assigned (being allowed to being angry at her bully, not immediately forgiving, still a gremlin) and how just because Willow got more self-confidence, it doesn’t mean the teen won’t struggle with negative thoughts after getting put down for being “half a witch” for so long.

3) Favorite moment:

The monster in her mind being revealed to be Inner Willow after it was pushed into the water. Plus, the iconic: “I remember what you did, too. I can’t say we’re friends, but…it’s a start.”

4) Idea for a story:

We’ve seen Willow’s complicated feelings on Amity, now it’s time to explore what she and Skara got going on. Although I remember S1E17 hinting that Skara would be nicer to her and didn’t hate her, unlike Boscha, it’s still a bit weird to see one of Willow’s former bullies in her team when they’ve had zero on-screen development. Especially because, unlike with Amity, they don’t have any history to build on.

In other words. Fanfics of Willow & Skara friendship slow burn when.

5) Unpopular opinion:

Willow should have gotten more screen time, yes, but I think the girl’s current time explores her enough. She’s one of those characters who already feel complete since season one. (With that said, gimme some a Willow POV reason to ship Huntlow, bc if this is gonna happen, I need mutual content—)

You can argue that the girl hasn’t completed her arc yet, but, while that’s fair, I think the fact that we’re being shown that she’s in a better state than she ever was in her life, plus that she will keep growing, makes up for it.

6) Favorite relationship:

Willow and Amity. It’s not even a competition. Understand Willow, my best friend…

7) Favorite head cannon:

She’s somewhere in the AroAce spectrum! Maybe she can have crushes still, but they’ll be either very small and short, or they’re less “blushing, can’t function, etc” and more her normal attitude them + a mushy feeling in her chest and the desire to cuddle. Thought people were exaggerating about how intense their romantic urges were until Luminity happened. I’m not projecting.

Gus Porter

1) First impression:

Funny little man. Definitely not neurotypical. That’s it.

2) Impression now:

Labyrinth Runners changed me as a person, so listen. His whole character is about autism and the ND experience. His struggle of feeling guilty for not being able to read people as well as the others around him, therefore leading into being taken advantage of, mostly for his smarts, is a mood. Still a funny little man, but now is a character I love. This explains it better than I possibly could, but the point is: He Gets It!

3) Favorite moment:

His last on-screen Illusion Nightmare, when Hunter goes into the sphere to snap him out of his mind. Specifically the “I let myself get tricked…again” part because the slightly creepy and symbolic visual is my kind of shit. Aside of that, probably the whole scene where he calms Hunter down from a panic attack and then gives his speech.

4) Idea for a story:

Something exploring his post-King’s Tide feelings, because…imagine having to deal with being a 12 year old unable to go home to your only family member, who’s current status is unknown, going to your dream location in the worst way possible, and. As if that wasn’t enough, having to stay silent about his knowledge of Belos’s backstory, including the creation of grimwalkers, which his friend is. I am but a humble angst enjoyer and I need my crumbs.

5) Unpopular opinion:

Okay idk tbh. Although he was criminally underdeveloped in season one, TTGLR and LR came in clutch, so I don’t mind his lack of exploration as much as other fans. My main complaint is that I wish he got more focus on King’s Tide. Let him into the Angst Train in the next specials, Dana. You know you want to.

6) Favorite relationship:

As the Labyrinth Runners stan that I am, I’d have to be lying to say it’s anything but Hunter & Gus. It’s just an equally positive thing for both of them. They are nerdy sillies together me thinks

7) Favorite head cannon:

Augustus Porter has the autism swag (real)

Luz Noceda

1) First impression:

Luz looks like a regular “quirky child” kid’s show protagonist, but just because she’s not anything special right now doesn’t mean I won’t like her. She’s fun. I like her neurodivergent swag and…girlie made me cry in S1E02 😔 why would you hurt me like this. It’s not even a sad episode. It’s just… her being tricked by that self-indulgent illusion hit me in my weak spot 😭😭😭

2) Impression now:

ONE OF MY FAVORITES, JUST LIKE ME FOR REAL! Watch this video, it’s the best. Seriously, I still like her kid’s show protag vibes, yeah, but what really draws me in is her insecurities. It’s the alienation Luz faced due to being neurodivergent and never really fitting in anywhere until the Boiling Isles. It’s about the people pleasing and hiding away any signs that she needs help due to not wanting to be a bother, because being too much of a burden means losing your only friends. It’s about loving your parents but feeling as if they will never really get it.

The urge to self-sacrifice and put the blame on yourself in case anything goes wrong. It’s about reaching one of your lowest mental health points and thinking you’re a horrible person who ruins everything when you’re just a kid with some Issues and anger. When, at some point, you start only confiding on your sibling figure because they’re the only one who understands and you think won’t run away. Pushing away your friends and, after apologizing, being surprised at how instantly kind and forgiving they are. It’s about Reaching Out and Thanks To Them.

3) Favorite moment:

Camila watching her computer diary in Thanks To Them. Literally everything about it, but especially the reveal of her hyperfixation being a connection to her late father. Aside of that, moments like her bitter speeches in S2E02 (to Eda) and in S3E01 (to her class) are very cool…I relate to her so much 😔

4) Idea for a story:

I’m not very creative when it comes to these types of questions, so this is hard. You know what they say, when in doubt, go for a PMMM AU! She gets a Sayaka-like role! (it’s about the heroism complex and ideals, the destruction of the fantasy, the angst. And the gay, too. Amity, get in the Kyoko cosplay right NEOWWW—)

5) Unpopular opinion:

I mostly stick to my fandom bubble, so I always see similar takes, but. “She got some trauma and issues from the Boiling Isles, as no kid should bear the burden of the world’s fate in the way Luz does, Belos worsened her ‘I gotta do this by myself’ shtick” and “She already had trauma before the Boiling Isles, that island is essential to her healing atp, and her Owl Family + friends helped her get some coping mechanisms and actually rely on her loved ones” are all statements that can and do coexist!

6) Favorite relationship:

The Owl Family, aka Luz, Eda & King. It’s the heart of the show! Three outcasts, who grew to unconditionally accept and love each other, even when others don’t have their back. Three traumatized people with awful coping mechanisms who do their best teach each other how to be better. Found family that may not be perfect, but is essential in all its members in a growth and healing journey. Plus they’re really funny. Can best be described as “they’re a set, do not separate them.”

7) Favorite head cannon:

No “favorite” comes up right now, so regular ones it is. HC that Luz has not only ADHD, but autism and (for a while) depression as well! And undiagnosed eye problems, because she refused to ask for glasses and is deeply regretting it! I’m projecting! Also, when she stays in The Boiling Isles, she’s going to cut her hair to fit the Clawthorne Women Hair Style(TM) like how Eda looks in the EOTP flashback, but mixing it with her own style at the same time. The girl needs a cool leather jacket, too! Give her some more drip.

[gayleafpool]

bluestar and rootspring please

bluestar!!

sexuality headcanon: bisexual

gender/pronouns headcanon: tbh i think she’d be fine w any pronouns but mostly just uses she/her

rate them out of ten: 8-9/10 depending on the day

favorite thing about them: one of the most interesting character arcs ever

least favorite thing about them: what she did to brightheart

why i first started liking/disliking them: i loved her in the very first book she’s easily one of the best characters in the first series

do i relate/project onto/kin them?: yeah her super edition fucked me bc of how much i was like wow. i would do that

favorite quote/moment: literally any moment w her slowly losing her mind and waging her own internal battle against starclan… i loooove living cats vs starclan conflict i wish there was more of it

my fav ship: tbh i don’t feel very strongly about any bluestar ships but i do think bluestar/yellowfang is very cute

my fav platonic friendship: bluestar and crookedstar!!!!

a ship i hate: idk. bluestar and thistleclaw? is that even a ship

do i prefer canon or fanon?: canon

random headcanon: extremely tall and skinny to the point where she looks more like a windclan cat

what color do i picture them as: blue of course!!

cat breed headcanon: honestly i imagine most of them as just mixed breed dsh, dmh, dlh cats but russian blue bluestar is cool

unpopular opinion: i thought her friendship w crookedstar was way more fun than her friendship w thrushpelt

things i associate with them: dogs, water, a snowy forest, a dark sky with no stars, juniper berries for some reason

song i associate with them: maker by hana vu is such a bluestar song

favorite MAP/PMV/AMV with them: little pistol is elite

—

now rootspring!! dont rlly have many thoughts about this guy i found shadowsight and bristlefrost more interesting

sexuality headcanon: bisexual

gender/pronouns headcanon: nonbinary he/she/they

rate them out of ten: 5/10

favorite thing about them: his relationship with tree was funny

least favorite thing about them: he just wasn’t all that memorable to me😭 but the newer arcs in general have not been as memorable to me idk why

do i relate/project onto/kin them?: not rlly

favorite quote/moment: i dunno 😭

my fav ship: shadowroot is cute :)

my fav platonic friendship: i thought his relationship w ivypool was sweet

a ship i hate: don’t really have a strong hatred for any of his popular ships

do i prefer canon or fanon?: canon i suppose i haven’t seen a lot of fanon content for him so i don’t rlly know how fanon portrays him

random headcanon: luv it when ppl give him silly shaggy hair

what color do i picture them as: gold/yellow

cat breed headcanon: probably just ur basic domestic medium hair cat

unpopular opinion: bristleroot is fine it’s just. boring and didn’t need to happen

things i associate with them: daisies and marigolds, hay or straw (i don’t know why)

song i associate with them: hmm. dance yrself clean by LCD soundsystem

favorite MAP/PMV/AMV with them: i don’t think i’ve seen one w him

[swagmother]

I’m having a big movie phase so here’s this weeks recap:

I started Pigsty by pier Paolo Pasolini over a week before I finished it and my first half of viewing I was quite sleepy and was off put by the dubbing that was going on and dialogue style but when I picked it back up I appreciated it more I thought the cinematography was great and the stories that were told were pretty interesting….. I think I will check out other works written and directed by PPP

Then I watched Cosmopolis which was pretty moderately adequate, I think David Cronenberg is clearly at his best when he’s doing body horror but he has my respect for making an occupy Wall Street movie starring Robert Pattinson about how no one has control in a world that grows ever more complex (in my opinion)

I also watched what many would consider a classic of sorts and one of the best movies ever made and I did like it but don’t feel like going into it because the creator is a piece of shit that should be lit on fire

I watched Garden State for the first time which was…. Fine… I probably would have loved it when I was 17 but believe it or not I’m actually 24 now and the only thing I truly loved in that movie was Natalie Portman because….. she rocks… I was also disappointed her character did not have a seizure???? Like as a former epileptic myself…. I need to see some seizures Natalie…..

Immediately after garden state, I watched the Cell, a uhh thing of sorts starring J-Lo and Vince Vaughn engaged in some surreal sci-fi serial killer thrills (wow!) but who cares…. Because this movie was so visually beautiful I kind of want to cry sometimes… the plot was like… fine, but to reiterate, very beautiful visuals costume and set design, color grading is also great and yeah it just felt good to watch this with my eyes and it’s a shame movies like this are few and far between….

Yesterday was actually pretty kooky because I saw puss and boots the last wish! And then I rested for 3 hours, and returned to the movie theater to see skinamarink…. Puss in Boots was quite enjoyable I’d say…. I think it lives up to the hype mostly. The animation is good, puss in boots gets a nice character arc, John Mulaneys big evil guy is pretty great…. i think the dog was hideous though that’s the only true flaw of this movie… one thing I’d say though, the first 10 min just made me miss shrek I guess? Like idk…. Just how shrek would treat minor characters or civilians or whatever was uniquely great and also funny and I feel like an attempt is made to capture this but it doesn’t completely succeed…. It’s a good movie though!

Skinamarink….. it’s not for everyone! I will say, … the movie mayyy be a little longer than it needs to be (for me) and I did get occasionally bored; but again, that only speaks to my “enjoyment” yk and we live in adhd times, but who cares about that! Art should be itself…. This was pretty spooky and definitely reminded me of how scared I used to be as a child… like it just feels like when you would watch one of those cryptid or alien or ghost hunting shows when you were 6 or 7 and lay awake scared to sleep, pining for the comfort of a TV or parent while complete silence surrounds you, looking through the crack of your bedroom door into a dimly lit hallway where even if something was moving in the shadows you wouldn’t know and you close your eyes extremely hard and pray whatever sporadic creaks and shifts in the house are meaningless, terrified because if your eyes open even the slightest smidgen you very well may get your soul obliterated by a ghoul or jump scared irl….. anyway, definitely will remember this one for a while, and very much look forward to future projects by the director/writer!

[unproduciblesmackdown]

also i’ll take one thing from episode ten and it’s that i think winston should just be openly phoning it in as his new like default mode. it’s easy to imagine he can get away with that when kompenso showed us a) he can do the work of 50 phds as a one [maybe someone who only got a masters, or bachelors, or idk right out of getting a ged but probably not. probably that would’ve been mentioned] and b) he can knock out a project worth that’ll bring in billions from an investor in this burst of maybe overly extended focus. does that now & then asked or unasked & we don’t hear about it b/c nobody cares really, mostly gets to show up having a day of paying attention to whatever the hell thing preoccupies / enriches him lately, taylor doesn’t care b/c it’s a [the numbers prove your worth / justify your continued employment] situation still, if kompenso winston gave that shit what for at a hundred percent then him vibing at twenty percent is still like having ten phds for the price of one quant, and he’s not even demanding [pay me as much that 50 phds at bridgewater would get] or if he is someone just tells him to shove it & he’s like sigh alright. not like this needs to mean he becomes like the zany sideplots guy, but i don’t think he’s getting sideplots anyways, Or treated any more seriously ever, like it’s funny they seem to have only gone “well we Gotta keep this funny little guy around” & all & people recognizing like oh got a talented actor on our hands but nobody’s pressed to give him character material, and/or already will roland may be generating character material out of thin air when you know, lot of Acting Choices that probably aren’t hammered into the script, and just that his je ne sais quoi creates the character, they had quant kid 2 in a script but didn’t have winston the recurring character until william acted that material out. but there has to be nonzero attention to The Character when if nothing else costuming has been slowly honing his outfits / standard style. and there has to be nonzero sympathy for said character when like, there’s the seeming inherent disdain that the writing has, but if it was this full-fledged “this is the guy who sucks plus we hate him so bad” perspective, some things would be different. but here we are where i’ll believe when i see it that the show will give him any material as a character in his own right rather than providing setup for someone else’s material either through saying some exposition / laying out info or by existing to let other people insult him epic style. may as well give him another genre of Humorous Material That Is Never A Character Arc by like seeing him hanging out on a beanbag by tuk’s desk, knitting taylor a sweater & telling tuk he can do it & to believe in himself, & it annoys people for a second but taylor’s like well he’s still Operating Effectively technically, & then people forget about it b/c they do like to ignore him. it’s not going to happen, but it could. rooting for him to phone it in. he could be, we’re never going to hear about his work specifics if anyone can help it b/c it sucks when he does it & nobody cares, so he may as well be doing something else, if only as a visual gag. winston at his desk soldering some circuitry, developing some photos, hm was going to say learning a language but rian took that one. Would take [winston & rian hang out outside work] from this episode too but the fact that it meant nothing, or if it meant anything it meant ultimately the vulnerability of even something like sharing an interest for a moment is a mere future weapon for rian to wield against him, so it’s just like well great, if the slivers of seeming amicability / interacting regularly that are rarely glimpsed between them ever mean anything, i’ll be surprised, not even Necessarily expecting that bulk of overt hostility from rian to necessarily get to mean anything, i.e. if winston continues to be stuck rolling w/the Normal that is rian bullying him whenever she feels like, that’ll be unsurprising. yet all the more reason to let him be like 90% of the time engaging w/some personal hobby, give him something better to focus on

[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

I know it's been said before buy I just have to say I know the whole demetri and yasmine plot was just so that all the gay undertones of the rivalry and obsession and tension between Demtri and hawk could be easily overlooked

Lololol Anon you’re not even WRONG

Once they yeeted Moon out of the picture the writers were like “Oh shit, better No Homo it again!!!”

I guess in the writer’s (very feeble) defense, they DID set it up kinda, by having Demetri be like “Wow!!! I’d love to have Yasmine spit in my face!!!” and then very atrociously trying to hit on her at the beach party. But I thought his sorta-crush on her was just supposed to be like...comic relief??? Like “haha look at this nerdy guy being hot for this sexy popular chick he’ll never, ever get, isn’t it good memes???” I mean, him coming on to her at the party and just FAILING at every level was so incredibly funny BECAUSE of how much someone like her was just...never going to go for a dude like that in a million years. Like I thought that was the whole joke??? And Cobra Kai seems a bit more realism-leaning than some teen shows in how the teenagers actually act, so I figured from that angle it was gonna be the trope of “nerdy guy into hot popular bitchy girl” set up...but then, Reality Ensues, and she’s not only not remotely interested, but mildly to moderately disgusted at the idea. And that’s the comedy of it.

So yeah, after Season 1, I thought we were done with that whole arc, and it was literally just like...a joke “love” subplot to balance out the more serious relationship difficulties Miguel was having at the time. But now...Yasmine’s back, I guess??? And she apparently did a full 180 and is sorta nice now and went through a bunch of Character Development offscreen, none of which we got to see? So I GUESS her and Demetri were hinted to eventually become a thing, just like...very, very poorly. And in “hints” I assumed we were in no way meant to take seriously at all.

But yeah, the Yasmine/Demetri thing DOES seem kinda thrown in last-minute, given how finished that arc felt back in s1. And we only ever really get to see Yasmine when she’s interacting with Demetri, so it really feels like she was only brought back to be his love interest, which like...VERY weird flex, Cobra Kai writers, but okay :/

It IS incredibly sus how much time and energy Hawk and Demetri devote to their rivalry in particular, rather than like...idk, moving on with their lives??? Just ignoring each other and doing their own things, now that they are officially no longer bros and are in different friend circles, etc etc? Like they go OUT OF THEIR WAY to fuck with each other when they could just like...chill and move on. Like Demetri, a socially-awkward dude with limited people skills, works up the balls to get onstage and roast Hawk in front of an entire partyful of peers. Hawk SEARCHES THROUGH AN ENTIRE SCHOOL to hunt down Demetri at the school fight. Hawk goes up to Demetri on the first damn day back at school just to GLARE at him ominously (which I also just realized is RIGHT after some freshman girls give Demetri moony looks as they pass--jealous much???) Later on, Hawk coulda ignored Demetri and finished eating lunch with his Cool New Friends, but instead he goes out of his damn way to bust Demetri’s project and then come over and roast him about it. Demetri then eagerly goes over and reciprocates said roasting and spends that entire fucking soccer game tryna screw with Hawk in particular. They fricken almost IMMEDIATELY go for each other in the Golf N Stuff fight, IIRC. Really, they devote more time and energy to each other and their Rivalry™️ than either does to like...any other character? Like are Eli’s thoughts 90% “what’s the next thing I can do to fuck with Demetri?” Are Demetri’s thoughts 90% “what’s the next thing I can do to fuck with Eli?” Because like...I just don’t think obsessing over another man that much, even in a negative context...is very straight XD

There’s also the fact that their arcs are WAY more intertwined with each other’s than ANY girl either of them dates or interacts with. I mean ffs, Moon dumped Hawk BECAUSE of how he treated Demetri--even Hawk’s supposed Straight Romantic Subplot™️ ties directly back into Demetri! And the only reason Demetri joins Miyagi-Do at ALL and doesn’t just like...fade into the background in Season 2 is to show HAWK SPECIFICALLY that he can “fight back.” And later we have DEMETRI being the one to make Hawk realize he’s gone too far with Cobra Kai (i.e. his guilt after breaking Demetri’s arm) and ultimately being the catalyst that makes Hawk SWITCH SIDES! I honestly think every major point of development for both characters directly involves the other in some way--you could even argue Eli initially becomes “Hawk” in part because Demetri quits Cobra Kai, and isn’t around to stick up for him anymore--so he has to find another way to protect himself from bullying. Even their sense of “dojo rivalry” is mostly just about each other--Hawk’s animosity toward Miyagi-Do lowkey seems to stem almost entirely from Demetri in particular joining it and “betraying” him, while Demetri’s animosity toward Cobra Kai basically entirely comes from Cobra Kai taking Eli away from him. I literally like...cannot think of a single thing in either of their developments that doesn’t tie into the other in a major way. 

Like to put it plainly, Moon and Yasmine feel like a single step in each of the boys’ character journeys--a single turning point to spur them in a certain direction. But Demetri and Hawk just...ARE each other’s character journeys. They’re not a step for the other to discover something about themself or get pushed in a certain direction--they just ARE the entire arc for each other, if that makes any sense. Like you could argue BOTH Demetri and Eli/Hawk’s arcs like 90% center on how to navigate their relationship when Eli gains confidence and their interests diverge and they no longer need each other the way they used to. Like??? Name ONE aspect of either of their arcs that doesn’t tie directly into their undying gay love friendship in some way??? It’s INCREDIBLY integral to both their stories and is just...SO much more compelling to watch than either of them making out with hot girls at parties or in the hallway. And them repairing their relationship and/or evolving it as needed, realizing that they love each other too much to let one another go, even if they’re both somewhat different after everything??? And realizing it’s a romantic kinda undying love they’re feeling, because really, what good reason is there for it NOT to be??? We HAVE enough male characters in media already with strictly platonic/brotherly friendships, why not just let two male characters with a compelling story, a strong prior friendship, and REALLY good romantic chemistry just like...be gay??? It feels natural, it’s a good ending to their arc, it feels narratively satisfying in a “Finally having the ‘will they or won’t they’ couple get together” kinda way...why not do it??? It makes ALL the damn sense and would be incredibly thematically interesting and SATISFYING, but y’all writers are COWARDS DAMMIT

Just gonna make that crack ship from Season 1 canon so we can prove that Demetri isn’t gay, no sir??? No Homo my guy??? We can only have one (1) LGBT character per television show, or the “traditional values” viewers will come for us???

Pre Season 3 I honest to god was hoping that part of Demetri’s arc, if he ran into Yasmine again, would be him realizing that he could honestly do better than someone that bitchy and vile, and having enough self-respect to just...lose interest in someone who’s going to push him around, act like he’s beneath her, and talk smack about his friends the second she thinks they’re “lame.” Maybe it isn’t too late though, and we’ll see this in Season 4? Here’s to hoping, because I am going to THROW HANDS if this fricken pairing is ENDGAME endgame. Like...what even do these people have in common, besides getting wedgies??? Do they even have like...any of the same interests??? At all??? How are they going to build a lasting relationship off of...both having gotten a wedgie? And being mean to people sometimes, I guess?

Like, sure. Let them date for a bit--they’re horny teens, they’re prone to jumping into relationships for not exactly the most deep and meaningful reasons. Physical attraction, teenage horniness, and raging hormones are no joke. So sure, I can see them having a fling solely because they both think the other’s hot. But you wanna tell me they’d LAST??? No SIR, I must inform you I Do Not Buy it.

(Tfw you meant to do a short ask making memes about what a crackship Demetri/Yasmine was in Season 1 and you ended up having WAY too much to say about All The Things and now it’s 3 am and you’re typing like a madman. I probably cycled back across the same 5 points like 5 times each because it’s late and I’m not thinking straight, I apologize.)

[drangues]

Listen flower nicknames??? Cute. Adorable. Fucking godtier. I couldn’t not mention it. And Atsushi is indeed a Grade A cutie, I’m so glad you do him justice. Baby boy deserves it. Anyways, again, listen. Atsushi be raggedy. Atsushi be a catboy. I’m only telling it like he is, he’s like a raggedy stray tabby cat you see in the alleyway behind your house that’s too sweet to avoid feeding. But yeah, I just want Atsushi to be given the father he damn well deserves? (Nyanon, 1/5)

And we know Oda is a good dad!!! He’d jump on giving Atsushi all the affection and food and help that he could, and I bet Atsushi would eventually cry because? He’s being so nice??? And eventually it’d hit him that this isn’t a dream or a trick, that maybe Oda and his kids are here to stay and that they mean it when they tell him that they love him, unconditionally. I don’t know, something about this just. It gets to me. (Nyanon, 2/5)

Also background arc with Oda and Ango asking each other out and eventually getting married as Atsushi and Dazai lead the matchmaking charge. But moving on- Kyouka definitely draws symbolic stuff, and it’s either got the single most intricate attention to detail that you’ve ever seen or it’s totally abstract with a message you can only see if you tilt your head sideways if you don’t already have an idea, there’s no in between with her. (Nyanon, 3/5)

Fukuzawa’s most popular works, meanwhile, are definitely cats in flower hats, but there’s a closeup- Pictures he’s taken of kittens wearing mittens he handmade for them. Kyouka obsessively likes All Of Them. Anyways, consider this: Dazatsu gushing to a third party about their boyfriend, and the third party just giving them a deadpan look because this entire time, they failed to realize that the object of their affections is right behind them. (Nyanon, 4/5)

Cue the already Soft couple being very cuddly and affectionate because it’s just How They’re Feeling at the moment. Moving on to another Scenario Concept, though: The ADA playing Mario Kart together!!! There’s screaming. There’s cursing. Blue shells are thrown. Someone (Dazai) keeps choosing Rainbow Road and no one can win. Atsushi and Kyouka and Fukuzawa are just having fun exploring the tracks. The office is in chaos. (Nyanon, 5/5)

i WANT A FIC WHERE ATSUSHI GETS A DAD AS WELL DAMMIT. JUST. PURE FLUFFINESS AND SWEETNESS D A M M I T . the fact that atsushi thinks it’s all a lie,,,im in tears. he deserves nothing but the best i just love him so much wtf. also, this is especially making me emotional because i was watching a compilation of kids getting adopted that made me cry like a little bitch.

ATSUSHI AND DAZAI WOULD DEFINITELY BE MATCHMAKERRSSSSSSS dazai would be the one to Open Their Mission and atsushi is the one whos often like “dazai wont they get mad at us?” “dazai i dont think we can lock them in a room thats not nice-” “oda san will be too mad please we cant!” meanwhile oda has Never been mad in his life and dazai knows that so ofc he’ll push ango’s buttons with this one. (atsushi fears for ango even MORE even though he doesnt have a reason to)

it’s funny how if you put two of fukuzawa and kyouka’s paintings together and say they belong to them people will probably guess that kyouka’s work is fukuzawa’s- idk why the trope of “small uwu child actually does Very Deep philosophical adult stuff” and “grown scary looking man loves the cute uwu stuff and probably blushes when you confront him about it” is so funny to me I LOVE IT SO MUCH (ps i just asked my best friend and they said “self projection mostly” like Okay Bitch what ISNT self projection at this point smh)

M A R I O K A R T ive never played it but it looks so fun i??? would LOVE to play it all i can Confidently say is that dazai is the one that yells out when somebody lowkey got the most lives and which makes everyone attack them (but when the tables are turned dazai will scream about betrayal)

[giantchasm]

✨🎥💕💔💎💢 about assclass

✨ what draws you towards your hyperfixation? what is interesting about it?

Korosensei, tbh. He was the big initial draw, and still is. I wasn’t actually super attached to the students at first. It was him, and to a lesser extent the other teachers, who truly made me love the series.

Of course I got attached to the other characters more in time, but I think that’s primarily only due to interacting with the fandom and getting to write them. And none of that would have happened without my love of Korosensei.

What a wonderful, wonderful, and hopeful sort of character.

🎥 do you have any favorite scenes from your hyperfixation? 

Hmmm. Another hard one. My favorite arc overall is probably the island/Takaoka arc... I think they utilized the characters really well overall there, but scene? Idk. I also really like the bit where Kayano goes apeshit, and all of Korosensei’s backstory flashback.

For now I’ll tentatively say Korosensei’s backstory is my favorite bit, but there are a lot of others I really like!

I also think Korosensei’s death is a really, REALLY good scene. I can’t say in good conscience it’s my favorite bc I also hate it in some ways, but it’s VERY well written, and how much it hurt is probably a huge reason I got into the series.

💕 tell us about one of your favorite characters and why you like them! 

HAHAHA. I’ve spent this whole meme talking about Korosensei. I wonder if I should talk about someone else. Probably?

But I can’t. I just can’t. I love this octopus man.

I think the reason why Korosensei is my favorite is similar to why I answered Momo as my favorite in the Kagerou Project ask. He makes me feel... seen, albeit in a different way.

I grew up in a lot of ways failed by the school system because of the ways I learned differently, and seeing him on screen help kids in the way that I couldn’t be helped made me feel really, really warm. He’s the sort of person I wish I always had, and I think that’s something that resonates with a lot of the fandom.

It’s one of those things where like... it feels so unanimous he would love you. If he met you he’d be nice to you. And I feel like you can’t say that for a lot of fictional characters-- especially when you’re in a place where you feel insecure. But his kindness is baked into his being. He’d see the best in you, because he sees it in everyone.

And that’s just so, so wonderful.

Ofc I love the rest of his personality... his goofy pettiness and just how ridiculous he can get, but I think it’s that sense of care for others that makes me love him the most. Especially with how far he came from who he originally was.

💔 tell us about one of your LEAST favorite characters and why you dislike them.

I have a pretty equal hate for Hiromi, Yanagisawa, Takaoka, and Gakuho all for the same reason. Nasty ass abusers need to be put in their place, and I really wish Matsui hadn’t attempted to write the majority of them in a sympathetic light.

If I had to pick a least favorite it’s probably Hiromi. I hate Takaoka, but I do at least think he’s a well-written villain and a genuinely scary person. And while Gakuho and Yanagisawa are annoying as hell, at least they’re kind of funny with their whole ‘bulldozing schools’ and ‘eating live rats.’ Hiromi doesn’t have anything like that. She’s just fully abusive, and the way that she’s portrayed by the narrative makes me so mad.

Characters who should have ended up being cut off by their family. 

💎 Are there any fun facts or trivia that you would like to share?

Oh man YES. Assclass has all sorts of weird little lore bits that kind of drive me insane.

Remember that bit in the Cops and Robbers episode where Yada said she had a terminally ill little brother and wanted to win the game for him? She wasn’t making that up, and canonically has a terminally ill brother she was using for clout. WHAT?

Similarly, Karasuma has a dead little sister who is never mentioned in the story itself. This is just kinda dropped as a fun fact about him on a character page. I am so haunted by the fact that this is never touched on.

On a less fucked up and terminal illness related note, one of the books (The graduation album?) Mentions that this guy grows up to be a hottie, and that will also NEVER leave me. I want to know why Matsui is the way he is.

💢 what do you NOT like about your hyperfixation? is there something you would want to change about it?

I don’t like Assclass’s weirdly abuser-sympathetic narrative (Redeeming Gakuho and Hiromi and portraying Yanagisawa as driven by ~sad vengeance~) and it’s mostly unmemorable side characters. If I could rewrite the story I’d probably:

-Cut down on the amount of classmates. Nothing personal, but it feels like a neccesity.

-Portray the abusers as the fully irredeemable people they are. And no, that doesn't mean two-dimensionally bad. I’d still portray them as complex, but do that without their victims forgiving them.

-Make Nagisa trans because, c’mon, they’re already so close.

-Have Gakushuu find out about the E-Class and try to use their secret against them for a bit because come on that plot point was NEAT and it’s extremely weird it was dropped.

-Make Kayano and Karma actually interact and be friends

-Have the class NOT give all their money to the government at the end seeing as how the government directly screwed them over

-Andddd make Irina a death row criminal who’s offered this job as a chance not to die because I think it’d be a cool parallel to Korosensei and also make a LOT more sense than the government hiring a hitman off the deep web.

[kinetic-elaboration]

December 29: The Wrath of Khan

Today’s movie watching was Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

My overall impression versus TMP is that this is clearly a smoother and more consistently entertaining film. It has a definite story with very little filler, good pacing, a lot of great little dialogue and character moments, and a strong conflict at its center.

But its sci fi bona fides are much weaker. Like by a lot.

Mom and I are talking a bit about Genesis and the more we talk, the weaker it appears to me. First, it’s not really as believable, imo, as a lot of Star Trek. Maybe it’s because it’s not alien based, but I just have a harder time suspending disbelief to think this is possible. Second, it’s not clear why anyone thought this was a good idea. I mean, as McCoy immediately pointed out, it just seems so CLEARLY dangerous: an object meant to foster creation that could so easily be the worst weapon the universe has ever known--nothing could go awry there! Third, the reason for creating such a device isn’t obvious at all. Carol mentions the “growing population” and “food scarcity” but nothing we’ve ever seen of the Federation implies they’re running out of space. Or, frankly (Tarsus IV aside), food. And fourth, there really isn’t any point to Genesis in all its particulars in this film. Like, obviously, its actual purpose is a plot device to resurrect Spock. Within just this film, it doesn’t do anything. Khan wants it, for some reason I’ve already forgotten even though I just saw the film, and he gets it, but I didn’t even notice that happening, because it was so unimportant. His REAL mission is his single minded revenge fantasy on Kirk. Genesis is just a McGuffin/space filler/plot device for the next film.

And honestly that’s not such a big deal, except that when you compare it to TMP, ,and its central idea of a human made probe that gained so much knowledge, doing what we taught it to do, that it became sentient and then started searching for the meaning of life, and how this relates to the search for meaning experienced by the main alien lead, and how his search, in that film and throughout the series, is a mirror for humans and OUR need for purpose... well it just seems really weak. “We made this really dangerous and unrealistic thing for no reason whoops!”

Mom is now criticizing Kirk for being too slow on the uptake when he first encounters the Reliant, which is fair. That’s pretty OOC of him. The idea that he’s too old for space is both one that I must personally disregard, and one that the film would have you discard, since we’ve already heard from TWO characters, the people who know him best, that his best destiny is as a starship captain, and command is his proper role. And that he might be a little rusty is also not a great explanation imo, because the rust was supposed to have come off in TMP. So, plot hole probably.

We were trying to do some math--TMP is at least 2 years post 5YM and TWOK is at least 10 years post TMP, so at least 8 years post TMP. I can understand more rust growing but like... he was already an Admiral in TMP and the idea that he was out of practice with actual command was a big part of his arc there. So it doesn’t seem warranted to do that again.

Also, the way he was commanding poorly in TMP was very IC: he was pushing too hard, trying too much, caring too much about the mission and not enough about...the laws of physics. That’s very Kirk. Being slow on the uptake, caught with his britches down--that’s not Kirk. Plus, with no one to call him out on it, like Decker did in TMP, his poor command doesn’t seem like a big character obstacle to overcome but just like...sloppiness all around.

I thought Khan was over all... just not that interesting. I guess I’m just not into the obsession/revenge plot. Also...idk man he didn’t seem that super to me. He outsmarted Kirk, like, once, and Kirk outsmarted him like 4 times. He tortured some people--but regular humans can do that. He used those sandworm thingies, which is also something humans could do. Overall, he didn’t seem to have any particularly special skills. The only time he really seemed like a worthy adversary for Kirk was when Kirk wasn’t really being IC himself.

I’m also not into the fridging of his wife. Think how much cooler it would have been if she’d still been alive! The only non-super human in the bunch and she’s still there! Ex-Starfleet and bitter!

The K/S in this film is very soothing. Imo they are clearly together here, and the whole film is better if you assume they’re boyfriends and everyone knows. That Vulcan convo that Spock and Saavik have? Waaaaay funnier if you think she’s talking about his boyfriend (”not what I expected....very human” “Well no one’s perfect”). Every time they call each other ‘friend’ like ““friend”“? All the Looks? The birthday gift?

Also the “I have been and always shall be your [friend]” scene is a wedding I will not be taking criticism on this opinion. Could it have been written more like a vow? I think not. It’s not quite This Simple Feeling but it’s the best this film has in that regard.

I liked Saavik and I do think she’s one of the better later-movie additions (though I only like her, as far as I can remember, when played by Kirstie Alley). She didn’t necessarily strike me as super alien, though, at least not at first... But I appreciated how persistent she was about the stupid test, and her regulation quoting. I enjoyed her. I also liked how she was obviously Spock’s protege, which makes her Kirk’s step-protege, and they had just a little bit of that awkward dynamic going on. (”Did you change your hair?”)

The Bones and Kirk relationship was great in this film. You can really feel their friendship and their history with each other. Bones knows him so well and can be honest with him, just when Kirk needs it most.

I also love how Kirk has the SAME conversation with both Bones and Spock (re: being a captain again) but with Spock it’s sooooo much flirtier. In case you weren’t sure what the difference in these two relationships is.

Bonus: this bit of dialogue: Spock: “Be careful, Jim.” / Bones: “WE will.” Lol Spock people who aren’t your boyfriend do exist.

Obviously, I cried during THAT scene. Honestly AOS should have taken note about how to do emotional scenes like that: they come after the main action is over and the villain is defeated. Then they hit at the right time and to the right degree. Kirk just slumping down after Spock dies....like he’s boneless...like he doesn’t know what to do... I CANNOT.

I feel so bad for him that I’ll even forgive him that awful eulogy. Spock died for Genesis? Uh, no, he died for the Enterprise, and for YOU. Spock is the “most human”? You shut your whoreson mouth

I remember hating both Carol and David but I actually hated them less this time, Carol especially. My mom is being really harsh about her, though, which makes me feel less confident in my assessment. I mean first off, she’s the inventor of Genesis, which is a pretty big strike against her. Second...pretty lame to keep Kirk from David. Although I did some vague math and Kirk would only have been about 21, still in the Academy, when David was born, so you can see how that would work out. Also, she distinctly says “Were we together?” which means they were not--this was a fuck buddy arrangement for sure. More complicated. But it still feels weird to retcon that, like, he’s known THIS WHOLE TIME that he’s a dad and we’re only learning about it now, as an audience.

Anyway I’m getting off track. Carol. What to make of her? Is she unstable? Is she still mad at Kirk? My mom points out that she just decided on her own that David would want to join Starfleet if he knew Kirk was his father--whereas what seems to have happened instead is he didn’t just become a civilian scientist like his mom but became her specific protege--working on a project where everyone was probably handpicked by her? I would assume? Also..he hates Starfleet. Not to put everything on the mom, but how did that happen?

Also...going down the rabbit hole of this and feeling awkward about it... but David KNEW Kirk. As “that guy you hung around with.” That means Kirk was in his life for quite a while, long enough for him to have memories, and long enough for those memories to still be with him even into his 20s. But he was never allowed to know who Kirk was. That means Carol’s rule must have been “You can see your son but you can’t tell him who you are” which in some way seems meaner to me than just “please don’t contact us again.” If he was already on his way into space, that could even make sense--”I know you’re not going to be able to be a family with us, so let’s not pretend, let’s make a clean break now.” But that wasn’t what happened!

Anyway whatever not to be HAICG!Kirk about this or anything lol

David is mostly annoying because he’s so anti-Kirk lol. I found him least annoying when he came around to Kirk at the end. Another big strike against him: he wore his sweater tied over his shoulders in such a Preppy manner. I honestly don’t see what about him is supposed to be reminiscent of Kirk.

David/Saavik was definitely happening lol. I wish I could have heard that conversation. It sounds like she told him a lot!!! Not sure why she attached herself to this particular annoying human so fast but I guess she did.

....I think that might be all. The uniforms and general styling were much better than TMP (though less funny/entertaining), and it was certainly an enjoyable overall yarn. A lot to pick apart and critique but in a fun way. Will probably watch The Search for Spock soon.

[calliecat93]

Top 5 Things I Disliked About RWBY Volume 7

Well everyone, Volume 8 will soon be upon us. IDK about anyone else, but I’ve never been so anxious about a volume in the near seven years I’ve been watching this show. Not even V3 had me this nervous, and I knew by nature of it being a Tournament Arc that it was gonna be painful. But as we near the new volume, I want to reflect on the previous one. So I am bringing back my Likes/Dislikes posts… except this time I DON’T have to do twelve posts for six volumes in a week. Only gotta do one Volume for today and tomorrow. Phew!

While V6 remains my favorite volume,V7 was a very well done one and by far the best written thus far. It was honestly super hard to pick five things I didn’t like, and are all pretty minor honestly. Heck I expect V8 to address some of these since V7 was clearly the build-up. But I did manage to make a Top 5 Dislikes List. As always, this is just my personal opinion and you are free to disagree with me. Take everything here with a grain of salt. Anyways, that’s enough exposition. Let the countdown begin~!

#5. Too Many Characters/Lack of Focus

RWBY has a lot of characters. A lot, loooot of them. You can tell it’s an anime for that reason alone, haha. Volume 8 thought might be the winner in the amount of it’s cast. We have our main cast, which consists of nine characters already (ten if you count Ozpin and eleven if you count Maria), which is already a lot to keep up with. But in this volume we have Ironwood, Penny, Winter, the Ace-Ops, Pietro, Robyn and her Happy Huntresses, the Schnee Family, Watts, Tyrian, and the list goes on. And those are just the relevant ones.

To the show’s credit, the volume mostly handles the focus well. They make sure that ones like Ironwood and Penny get a proper amount of focus considering their importance in this volume specifically. They also do a lot to showcase characters like Robyn, Clover, and Marrow so that we understand what they’re like and care about them, which makes how things end up even sadder. That being said, it did cause some of cast I think to get the short end of the stick a bit. Characters like Maria and Jaune pretty much got barely anything, and Blake and Yang would have also been out of luck if not for their talk with Robyn in Chapter 7. Some of the Ace-Ops, like Elm and Vine, and the Happy Huntresses who aren’t Robyn also didn’t get a lot of focus and the latter especially only got bare minimum glimpses into their personalities. Even with characters I was happy with like Ruby, Weiss, Ren, and Nora I feel could have had more done with their arcs here (the latter two especially but we’ll get tot hat later) had there been less characters and/or more time.

This is Number 5 because not only is it a minor issue, but it’s kind of inevitable. Shows only get so much time and the characters we focused on needed that time. Ironwood’s downfall wouldn’t have been nearly as powerful if it weren’t center stage. It’s one of those hard choices where you want to see more, but the show just had other things that took priority for the sake of both production and the story. Ultimately, it was the right decision and at most just makes me wish there was more.

#4. Emotionally Draining

Again, minor. I wasn’t even sure if I should add this because really I think it’s more of a personal thing than anything. But I failed to come up with another option, so... gotta take what I can get.

As good as this volume was, it was a VERY emotionally draining one. It was probably the only time I was kind of happy when it was over because ie meant a chance to breathe until V8. There’s the whole political plot that hit way too close for comfort, Tyrian’s murder spree and Penny’s framing, Ironwood’s downfall, everything from the halfway point of Chapter 11 to the end. Heck eve the first two chapters, and even bits of 3 and 4, were super tense and on edge. We had plenty of light-hearted and fun moments in the beginning. But by Chapter 6, that came to an end (or I didn’t find funny, like JNR’s antics in Chapter 8, sorry guys) and it was V3 again, but somehow even more on-edge.

Like I said, this isn’t really a dislike and is on here because I couldn’t think up anything else. As I said, the writing was very strong and on-point. I was nervous, but I’m pretty sure that’s because the writers wanted the audience nervous. They wanted us to feel the tension and fear. hey wanted us to be as conflicted about everything as the characters that we were watching. It was effective too. But it did leave me relieved that it was all over. I didn’t watch V7 in full again until recently when I got my Blu-Ray copy to put into perspective how drained I had been. I was fine upon rewatch, but yeah... way to rise up my stress levels CRWBY!

#3. The Ren/Nora Conflict

This is related to the Number 5 section. I think we can all agree that Ren and Nora tend to get the short end of the stick compared to Jaune and the rest of the main cast. V4 was an improvement, but 5 and 6 returned them to minor supporting roles and even V4 did more for Ren than Nora imo, who to this day is imo the least developed of the main cast. But clearly they wanted to start changing that, and given Jaune more or less got closure last volume it seemed like an ideal time to give the two development, especially where their relationship is concerned.

While Nora was overall fine, Ren... not so much? They do a god job setting up the two’s conflict, albeit the cliché ‘girl compliments boy, boy ignores her as they’re in the middle of something else’ joke in Chapter 3 was dumb. But Chapter 6 made it clear that there was far more going on. Nora is pushing to help Mantle and in the following chapter we have her snap at Ironwood for forcing so much sacrifice on it, but not on Atlas itself. Ren however is closed off (more tha usual), focus more or less solely on the task, is clealry afraid of their uncertain battle against Salem, and even seems to side with Ironwood in Chapter 7. It’s the first major conflict between the two with Nora just trying to get Ren to talk to her. She even finally kisses him... and we all know what happens after that.

The main issue here is two things. One, we NEVER get any clarity on why Ren is acting so cold to Nora, the one person he was always open around (well... for him anyways). I mean I have a good idea why and I’m 99% sure that V8 is going to go into it, but without any clarity it just comes off as him being unfair to Nora who is just concerned for him. The other issue is there is no closure to 9it. We have the final chapter where Ren tries to fight Neo, but as she’s disguised as Nora it goes badly. The poor boy is tearful, snaps at Nora when she tries to calm him down, and it ends in the boy looking like he’s about to have a nervous breakdown. It’s heart-wrenching, but still ultimately leaves the conflict unresolved. Plus we had a pretty large gap between the Renora Kiss (Chapter 6) and that moment (Chapter 13) with some brief moments sprinkled in. Otherwise, Ren acted as we’d expect even with the goofy plan in Chapter 8 where he seemed unusually chill considering. So it just kinda feels like for a while they... forgot about it.

This is right in the middle because as I said, I expect Volume 8 to go more into this. They’ve outright said that if there was something we were confused by or felt didn’t go anywhere, Volume 8 was going to address. This was set-up, and it leaves me anxious to see how things will go with these two especially going off the brief lines we heard in the trailer. But it still sucked that we got no closure and didn’t go further into why Ren is acting like he is. I know I was unsure of how to feel when it was all over. But I guess we’ll see the final result soon enough.

#2. The Truth Revelations

If you were reading my Volume 7 reviews, you know that I REALLY did not like how Chapters 9 and 10 were done. Why? Because of the truth reveals. Now I now know why t was handled like it was, which actually saved it from being out at Number 1 on the list. But does that change me opinion of it? Nope.

First, I want to talk about how it more or less began. That being Blake and Yang revealing the Amity Project to Robyn in Chapter 7. While I DO like them taking matters into their own hands instead of being complacent, I STILL have major issues on how they didn’t talk to Ruby and Weiss about it. I’ve heard the arguments about it, but imo when we have Yang having major hang ups with lies and half-truths (it’s why she was enraged at Oz), her and Blake seeming to pull the same thing... doesn’t look good. There is zero on-screen indication that they let the other sin about it later, which had they done so then the group could have planned proper steps in helping the two sides which may have caused Ironwood to not jump off the slippery slope as badly. Will V8 mention this? IDK, but it does bother me and I would like it addressed especially concerning the themes of trust.

Then we get to Chapters 9 and 10, where my issues go into effect. Robyn drops the hostility and reveals her knowledge of the project, but wants to try and work with Ironwood. The heroes reveal everything to Ironwood and while understandably shocked, he otherwise takes Salem being unkillable well. Then the two leaders reveal this to Mantle, using Robyn’s Semblance to prove it, and... that makes the citizens okay. Yeah... even knowing what happens later I still have issues with this. Because even with that knowledge, there was NO GOOD REASON fo AY of this to go well.

Robyn may know why Ironwood was depleting Mantle resources, but it doesn’t change that he caused a LOT of damage to Mantle due to it. Ironwood, despite his expected reaction coming later, still took the Salem news far too well especially considering how on-edge of her he’d been at that point. The citizens of Mantle know about Salem, but not why ironwood was depleting resources. Plus it doesn’t change that he was a borderline tyrant towards them and he didn’t try explaining that part to them. The fact that THAT calmed them down so easily, even with Robyn’s presence, just came off as... too easy.

Which it was. All of this was an elaborate psyche out. We think that things are finally going well... then Chapter 11 happens, and it goes downhill from there. Can’t lie, they got me. Chapter 11 was a HUGE gut-punch for that reason. As such, I decided to put this at Number Two. But it’s only because of the psyche out. It was still done to make the shock effective and while it worked, it doesn’t change that it felt like things got downplayed far more than they should have. Still, it saved this form taking the top slot. So what DID make it? Well...

#1. Willow Guilting Weiss

For a character that only got one major appearance, Willow left one Hell of an impact. All we knew about her prior was an off-handed remark by Whitley in V4 that implied that she was an unhappy drunk. Here? We see exactly what Jaques has done to this poor woman. She’s a drunk, unhappy, and her expression just screams exhaustion and broken. She knows that she did nothing for her children once she broke, something Weiss makes very clear, but she does make some amends by giving Weiss her Scroll and the evidence needed to expose Jaques and Watts, She’s even relieved when We3iss confirms that she’s never returning for good. It’s a very powerful scene that in minutes makes Willow one of the saddest, sympathetic characters in the show.

I do have one huge problem, however. That’s when she leaves. She has one request for Weiss, and that’s for her to not forget about Whitley. While it’s been becoming more and more clear that Whitley is a scared kid who has been just as abused by Jaques as his sisters, he WAS still a cocky jerk to Weiss. He was never nice to her, and when he was it was for his own benefit. He had zero issue rubbing into Weiss her misfortune in V4 after the concert and how he’s the new heir. Of course Weiss wouldn’t like him and be justified in believing that he didn’t like her. When she points that out, this is Willow’s line:

Of course not. You left him here... with us.

Yeah, this really pissed me off and I think is a problem on the writer’s end. They want to have Weiss realize, like the audience is, that Whitley is like he is because unlike her and Winter, he can’t escape, has none of the abilities that they do, and is thus still a prisoner and under his father’s control.. He succumbed to it instead of fight or get away because that was all that he could do, and hating his sisters kept him in his father’s favor. It’s all very understandable and yes, having Weiss realize this and make an effort to try and help Whitley would show how much she’s changed and allow the Schnee Family to all break free form Jaques once and for all.

But the way the line is worded make it feel like Willow, and in turn the narrative, is gui9lting Weiss into not realizing this and not helping Whitley prior. Umm... no. Hell no. Weiss was under zero obligation to help her brother, who at the time portrayed himself as an egotistical snake to her. He rubbed his success in her face. he rubbed getting the title in her face. He was even trying to do so again in the very same chapter Willow was introduced. Weiss HAD to help herself. And unlike her, who as far as we know never hated Winter and the two always treated each other well, as far as we can tell Whitley never had that relationship with them and we don’t know if he ever tried. Jaques made sure that Whitley and his sisters would be divided, and Weiss shouldn’t feel guilty at all for not seeing this.

I get why some may get after Weiss and what Willow was trying to hint to her. We know that Whitley is a victim. We know that because he had no one, he became the way he is. He still has hope, but Weiss is the only one in any position to get him the help that he needs. I expect V8 to go into this, especially since Weis sis why Jaques is now in prison and took away the only figure that Whitley had (a HORIRBLE one, but still the only). However Weiss did what she could in her position, and doesn’t have the advantage of NOT being in the audience to everything. Do I expect her to realize all of this and try to get Whitley to as well? Yes, and it’ll be her character coming full-circle as well. But did she deserve to be guilted? Hell No. Don’t think it was intentional, but it still rubbed me the wrong way and I still don’t like that bit. Thus, it is the moment I dislike most in RWBY Volume 7.

Okay, that’s it for now. Tomorrow, I’ll post my Top 5 Likes. Which trust me, I got plenty of ‘em~! See you all then~!

[maxilsmaster]

writer ask meme

https://ciiardha-blog.tumblr.com/post/158543702841/writer-ask-meme

  1. Tell us about your WIP! right now, i’m working on a fic with classicfresh, scifell, errink, dustberry, horrorlust, afterdeath and killercreammare. basically, dream invited everyone on a picnic but it went horribly wrong and everyone started arguing.

2. Where is your favorite place to write? i mostly write stuff out on google docs then post to ao3, but sometimes i just skip to ao3

3. What is your favorite/least favorite part about writing? favorite: i don’t necessarily have to share my work. least favorite: describing things.

4. Do you have any writing habits/rituals? lots of dialogue, start with a line of dialogue.

5. Top five formative books? haha what

6. Favorite character you’ve written? probably error or ink. maybe my own sans, illusion.

7. Favorite/most inspirational book? i like the sight (warriors arc 3 book 1) and curiosity killed the error (by the lovely @shandycandy278​).

8. Do you have any writing buddies or critique partners? i recently gained a position beta-reading for @jasmynation​‘s undermaze fic. also my friend CosmoCat07 on ao3

9. Favorite/least favorite tropes? i have no idea.

10. Pick an author (or writing friend) to co-write a book with CosmoCat07

11. What are you planning to work on next? dying inside slowly

12. Which story of yours do you like best? why? New Beginnings, the thing I’m writing with CosmoCat07.

13. Describe your writing process oh hey this would be funny *types ideas on notepad on chromebook* *writes it out on google docs*

14. What does it take for you to be ready to write a book? (i.e. do you research? outline? make a playlist or pinterest board? wing it?) type a vague idea, and wing it from there

15. How do you deal with self-doubt when writing? bottle it up internally :D

16. Cover love/dream covers? i don’t like covers.

17. What things (scenes/topics/character types) are you most comfortable writing? not sex.

18. Tell us about that one book you’ll never let anyone read my first warriors fanfic. 30 chapters of me not fully understanding warriors. (un)fortunately, it got deleted when my old laptop broke.

19. How do you cope with writer’s block? write more

20. Any advice for young writers/advice you wish someone would have given you early on? don’t doubt yourself.

21. What aspect of your writing are you most proud of? the grammar, definitely. i’m not giving a shit about it here, but i’m good at grammar. no grammarly stop giving me your ads, i can write just fine on my own.

22. Tell us about the books on your “to write” list 50 one-shots then 70+ more.

23. Most anticipated upcoming books? the next warriors books

24. Do you remember the moment you decided to become a writer/author? no

25. What’s your worldbuilding process like? what worldbuilding process?

26. What’s the most research you’ve ever put into a book? very. very. VERY. little.

27. Every writer’s least favorite question - where does your inspiration come from? Do you do certain things to make yourself more inspired? Is it easy for you to come up with story ideas? inspiration? fanfiction. it’s pretty easy.

28. How do you stay focused on your own work and how do you deal with comparison? i don’t compare and i don’t get comparison. i’m not that popular.

29. Is writing more of a hobby or do you write with the intention of getting published? hobby

30. Do you like to read books similar to your project while you’re drafting or do you stick to non-fiction/un-similar works? all i read is fanfiction all i read is undertale fanfiction all i write is basically undertale fanfiction

31. Top five favorite books in your genre? genre: fanfiction. ckte, um ckte, undermaze, our tangled web, and uh ckte. i like ckte.

32. On average how much do you write in a day? do you have trouble staying focused/getting the word count in? i have trouble writing over 1000 words at once, but i try. i also write a lot. it’s been occupying most of my time lately.

33. What’s your revision/rewriting process like? oh, i messed up this word. edit. oh, this sentence would fit here... add sentence. oh my god this whole story sucks burn it in hell.

34. Unpopular writing thoughts/opinions? idk.

35. Post the last sentence you wrote from prompt 49. dear god. at least i’m done prompt 5...

“S’ why m’ not gettin’ ya somethin’ greasy,” Red answered, pulling open the door to Grillby’s.

36. Post a snippet SPOILERS FOR PROMPT 33 OF MY THING

Cross stepped between the two. “Alright, who wants to play hide and seek?”

“OOH! ME!” Blue cheered, wiggling around in the strings.

Horror raised the hand his axe was in, and Killer raised a hand as he stood up to retrieve his knife from the wall it had been stuck in from when he threw it. Meanwhile, Dust and Error let out a groan.

“Alright, majority rules, we’re doing hide and seek!”

“Yay!” Horror, Blue and Killer said, all in different tones.

“And Error, no cheating this time,” Cross ordered. “You know what, you can seek.”

“Fuck you,” Error spat as he dropped Blue from the strings. Killer caught Blue dramatically. “That was gay.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’re already dating,” Killer refuted, dipping Blue and kissing him.

“EIGHT! NINE! TEN!” Error yelled, turning around and subsequently causing everyone to jump.

They then proceeded to run out of the room.

37. Do you ever write long handed or do you prefer to type everything? type. i can’t write with a pencil for shit.

38. How do you nail voice in your books? i don’t XD

39. Do you spend a lot of time analyzing and studying the work of authors you admire? idk, really

40. Do you look up to any of your writer buddies? shandy

41. Are there any books you feel have shaped you as a writer? what?

42. How many drafts do you usually write before you feel satisfied? one, then edit.

43. How do you deal with rejection? haven’t had to yet.

44. Why (and when) did you decide to become a writer? late grade 7, i guess. that was when i first started getting into warriors.

45. First or third person? third

46. Past or present tense? past, definitely

47. Single or dual/multi POV? i’m cool with either

48. Do you prefer to write skimpy drafts and flesh them out later, or write too much and cut it back? write everything in one go (spread out over multiple days, normally), then add/remove a few details

49. Favorite fictional world? right now utmv but i also like warriors

50. Do you share your rough drafts or do you wait until everything is all polished? i edit before i post, but i post individual chapters

51. Are you a secretive writer or do you talk with your friends about your books? mostly talk about it amongst the fandom

52. Who do you write for? myself, mostly.

53. What is the first line of your WIP? my current one, where i’m writing seven different ships in a one-shot?

This picnic was a terrible idea. Everyone was arguing over something so pointless and mundane that it may as well not even have started.

54. Favorite first line/opening you’ve written? not the one above

55. How do you manage your time/make time for writing? (do you set aside time to write every day or do you only write when you have a lot of free time?)  i just write constantly

[spaceorphan18]

TDB Rewatch: The New York Arc

I was originally going to do a post for each episode - but you know what? I think I’ve talked about this particular part of the series more than any other part - and even though it’s been seven weeks since I’ve even seen an episode of Glee (!!) - I’m not entirely sure I have anything new to say about these episodes, so here we go with one big post for you. 

New New York

Is this still the best episode of the series?  Yes - I think it is.  The entire episode is completely watchable, the music is great, the Klaine stuff is great, everyone gets something interesting to do, Rachel is interesting again, Mercedes re-joins the cast, and even Artie has some funny lines.  This episode almost feels like a pilot of a spin-off series, and I’m a little sad we didn’t get to see more than this arc, because these characters still seem fresh and interesting - and this episode is clearly all setting up the status quo for living in New York.  

I’ve seen the episode so many times now that this one flew by, and while I’m always here for the amazing Klaine stuff - the nice thing is that watching the episode as a whole, I’m not bored with any of it.  I have no new meta to add to the piles of things I’ve already written and said on the podcast, but I’m glad this episode remains enjoyable even after a million rewatches.   

Btw - I still say they should have asked Adam Lambert to be a regular - he adds so much and I’m sad that this is his last appearance on the show. 

Also - I can tell it’s been a while since I’ve watched the show - Chris and Darren are really pretty.  Just thought I should remind you ;) 

///

Bash

So, while Opening Night might be my least favorite of the bunch, but I think as an episode Bash might be the weakest? And actually - I think it might have been better if the Kurt being bashed story line was a) more prominently in the episode or b) not in it at all.  It feels like it’s almost an after thought to Rachel’s (absurd) story - and there’s such a rich story with Kurt (and Blaine) that feels wholly untapped because it’s more about Rachel Berry and her feelings. :P  I do like the little bits of it that we did get, Kurt and Blaine are superb as they are in all of these episodes.  And I mean - it’s nice that Rachel gets yelled at twice for being a moron - even if the whole thing doesn’t hold together very well.  

Meanwhile, I’m not sure how much I have to say about Sam and Mercedes - I enjoy them as a couple, though I can’t say that I’m riveted by their story line. It is nice, though that Amber Riley gets a chance to shine since she’s been away from the show for so long.  I think the awkwardest thing about this episode, (besides Sam’s impressions) is the fact that that the two story lines don’t mesh well, and it feels like the episode starts off as one thing then pivots and does something else entirely in the second half.  

That said - the music is great, as always, everyone sounds really beautiful on all the Soundheim things.  And while I didn’t need two Mercedes solos - she is lovely as always.  

///

Tested

Who knew Artie having an STD would be such a fun episode.  Honestly, I think this is the best episode the show does about sex.  Yes, even over The First Time (even if I like TFT just a smidge more).  Each of the characters are in a unique situation, and come at sex in a different way - and it’s actually pretty cool the way the show handles it.  They’re not usually great with these kind of topics, but I really have no complaints about how they handled anything in this episode.  I especially like the fact that a) Mercedes gets to choose how she wants to deal with sex and b) they let Mercedes and Rachel be actual girl friends when it comes to a topic - again something the show doesn’t always handle the best.  Yes, for all the sex positive conversations in this episode.  

Also, the ‘I’m slut shaming you’ scene might be one of the funniest things the show ever did.  

The only one weighing this one down, and why it isn’t passing NNY by on my favorites list - is that the music just isn’t good.  I mean, all the songs fit the episode fine, and the performances are great, I just don’t like any of the songs.  

Also - Kurt is super extra in this episode - which really reinforces my headcanon that Kurt not getting regular sexy times is super grumpy. 

Anyway, I give kudos to the show for doing an episode that has some actual layers to it in all of its plot lines.  Usually, Glee’s pretty anivilish about everything, but there’s some actual nuance in this story - good job show.  It’s nice to be not spoon fed everything all the time.  

/// 

Opening Night

Well...  This remains the worst of the NYC Arc - and really, only because the stupid and a bit convoluted Sue plot.  Rachel’s arc is a bit silly too (really - I roll my eyes at the whole ‘oh no NYT reporter’ bit, especially when the dude just waxes praise on her like everyone else on the show) - but are some legitimately entertaining things going on during the Rachel side of things.  And I dare say the episode is a little underrated?  There are some good jokes and nice music, and it is exactly what you’d expect from Rachel’s first night (even if I still think Funny Girl should have been placed at the end of the show) and Rachel has been rather held back and used well during the NYC Arc so I don’t mind her spot light here.  

But man, the Sue stuff is tedious.  I kind of forget Will is apart of it (and did logic take some time off again? Because the Emma having a baby thing is...  let’s not get into it).  Sue actually has already arrived at her season 6 self - and even some of the early sequences with her kids aren’t bad, but there are really two scenes that drag this entire episode way, way down -- the date with Mario the restaurant guy, and the last five minutes with Mario the restaurant guy.  Oh my god - why is this the only thing they could think of to do with Sue?  I mean - everything about this plot line screams contractual obligation - needing to give Jane Lynch one episode during this 7.  But could they really not think of anything more interesting for her to do??  DId she really need a date so she and Rachel could sing that song together??  Ug - it is really frustrating that this takes up a third of the episode.  What a waste.  

But, I mean, as a whole, it’s not terrible in the way the worst of Glee is - and really, everything on the Rachel side (mostly) works for me.  It’s a good thing all that Sue/Mario stuff is pretty easily skipped.  

///

The Back-Up Plan

Hey! Another solid episode! It’s weird - the focusing only three story line lets the episode breathe - a lot - to the point it seems strange, lol.  But anyway...  

First there’s Rachel’s story - which I know people were annoyed that Rachel bails a month into Funny Girl, but idk - this seems like Rachel.  And this is the one and really only time she faces serious consequences for her actions.  It’s refreshing really.  Also - Jim Rash is a delight, and that audition scene is priceless.  

Meanwhile - Mercedes and Santana have a great story that I kind of wish there was more of.  Santana’s been gone for most of the arc so far, but I don’t mind her coming back - she’s rather civil and low key during these last few episodes, and it’s a bit refreshing, honestly.  Anyway - I like that pop business is treated with a little more realism than Broadway, as D’Shawn (Mercedes’s producer) seems to tell it like is.  But more so, I feel like there’s a genuine friendship between Mercedes and Santana and that’s pretty refreshing, too.  

And then there’s the June story line.  You know what? I really do not like June.  Sorry.  And I find it a little creepy she wants to mold Blaine into something of her own making.  I’m also... not sure what the purpose of this entire story was? Ah well...  At least we get some really lovely Klaine moments out of the whole thing.  

Bonus - the music in this episode is all pretty solid.  

///

Old Dog, New Tricks

You guys ever notice Artie’s eating dog biscuits in this? Weird things you notice when you watch the whole episode.  Anyway...

Hey - it’s that episode that Chris wrote.  And yeah, it’s a little awkward - in a - you can tell this is a new writer for TV kinda way not in a - this sucks kind of way.  I really wish Chris had stuck with TV writing, I think he showed some real promise, and writing for other shows would have been great experience.  Ah well.  It all just makes me miss Chris actually doing things that are not related to middle school fantasy novels.  

So, for the record, if you guys ever wonder who Chris is, seemingly, frustrated with? Watch this episode - and how he writes Rachel.  She’s been almost acting human in the rest of this arc, and in this episode, she really is back to being really awful.  At least multiple people get to tell her off again - it’s, again, refreshing.  How many times as she been told off during this arc? Not enough, but it’s been kind of nice when you string them all together.  

Anyway - this episode, as you’ve probably heard me say before, works pretty well.  Santana as a publicity is brilliant (and perhaps the best aspect of Chris’s writing), Sam and Mercedes relationship issues are handled rather maturely, Chris as Peter Pan is incredibly inspired, and the music is pretty solid (even if it’s not my personal favorite).  There’s even a sweet Klaine scene (though - I still maintain it was wise not to have Chris write too much Blaine).  The only thing that really doesn’t work to for me, and maybe we’re far enough away that I can say this honestly without feeling like there will be too much repercussion - I don’t think June Squibb is very good.  I mean, yeah - part of it is the awkwardness of the story itself.  But - Maggie just doesn’t work for me.  Sorry :(  

///

The Untitled Rachel Berry Project

I know a lot of people say that this episode feels like a finale for them.  And I kind of get that, I do. But, honestly, it feels more like a chapter break.  This episode is incredibly bittersweet - as if it knows (and it does) what’s coming in season 6.  But, also, it’s the ending of a show I kind of wish we had much longer, and I guess it feels a little sad to get to the end.  

The episode itself is solid - there are only really three plot lines here, and they all work pretty well.  The music might be the weakest element (I only like about half the songs in this one) but it’s got comedy and drama and warmth and sadness, and does make for a great season finale.  (It’s the best season finale the show did -- really, it is.)  And I guess - everyone ends up where they’re supposed to end up, and it works for me.  

I don’t really have a lot to say about it, or at least anything new to say.  It’s good, it’s solid, and while I’m super tired of watching TV all day, it’s a great ending to a really good chunk of TV.  

///

Final Thoughts: 

I am a little saddened that we didn’t get those two episodes that were taken from the season.  I feel like another couple of beats in the story lines would have worked wonders, and of course, selfishly, we’d have a little more of my favorite part of the story. 

Interestingly, though, I don’t know if this makes any sense - but I got the feeling the writers were always more comfortable writing stuff back at McKinley.  Like - they did this because they had the time, but they wouldn’t have been able to sustain an entire season writing it.  I know we could all come up with great stories, but I think it’s better that they were wrapping things up at this point, because the show feels like it’s headed towards an ending. 

I thought I’d get more insight about things watching them all in one sitting - but I’m not sure I did.  I think the show almost works better as a week to week so you can sit with each episode.  I think when strung together the arcs don’t seem as fluid as we have them in our heads now that we’ve spent years talking about each episode individually.  

Weirdly - the music of this arc is really hit and miss for me.  It’s interesting, to me, that a lot of times when the story is stronger, the music isn’t always as good.  A lot of other times, it’s vice versa.  The really, really good episodes can balance the two.  

I feel bad for Kevin McHale - who really had nothing to do other than be a giant STD.  

That said - one of the most refreshing things about this arc was the lack of toxic masculinity crap, as well as some of the best writing for the women ever on the show. 

I enjoyed the little bit of Santana and Brittany that we got - this was, like, the prefect amount of them.  

One of the downsides of everyone being paired off is that we didn’t get to see interesting mixed-up pairs - one of the draw backs of the show having such little time in New York.  

One thing that stood out to me, and god I hope I don’t get too much hate for this, is that Mercedes and Sam don’t really work... at least at this point.  Seeing the entire arc all together, it’s very apparent that while I don’t doubt how much they care for each other, they’re definitely in two different places in their lives.  And while I applaud the maturity that the relationship was handled with, it’s clear that they’re not ready to be in a long term relationship (yet).  

Rachel! Was bearable for most of the arc.  Yeah - there are still a lot of special snowflake Rachel moments.  But Lea Michele can do comedy well, and they let her do that.  

I didn’t find anything wrong or unusual about Chris’s acting choices.  **shrug**

Kurt’s mildly unhappy through a lot of these episodes - but much of that is at Rachel.  And really at his own place in life.  And the one episode where he’s super sexually frustrated.  

The Klaine stuff is delicious - and of course, discussed many other places that you don’t really need me to rehash it.  

It’s also unfinished.  

They should have made Adam Lambert a regular. 

Alright - bring it Season 6.  

[hideandseaking]

could you please expand on your kacchako matching theory?? it's too good and it'd be great to see all your thoughts ;;

Thank you for sending this! Let me elaborate, this is just a theory on kacchako’s basis within the manga, and I am in no way saying that it’s canonical evidence for kacchako but it’s just a weird and fun theory I have based on what I’ve seen! Also, this is no way to bash on other ships, I’m just a kacchako shipper trying to make sense of a pattern I’ve seen! You do not have to agree with it and that’s okay!

First of all, these come from mostly splash pages and promotional artwork, but keep in mind that most of these are digitally drawn and can be color-picked. So let’s start with what made me double take in the first place. This picture:

So in this picture, you notice that everyone is dressed up in colors matching their hero outfits/themes/both from the manga. Some of these make sense like All Might wearing yellow (we see this a lot with suits), Kaminari’s hero outfit is black and white with his blonde hair accenting this, Koda is wearing green to represent nature and trees, Aizawa is an abosolute madman as usual, etc.

One of the weird things about this is only five sets of characters potentially match in this picture. Todoroki and Momo, Kirishima and Mina, and Ochako and Izuku are the obvious ones. TodoMomo, KiriMina, and Iz*ch*, are all potential ships or at least character sets with significant connections between each other, as we know now where we are in the manga (189 as I’m typing this.) Todo and Momo are a little iffy cause it could just be them matching the other’s hair colors, so I’m not sure if it counts. Kirishima and Mina are definitely wearing the matching outfit to the other, as it’s blue and orange in the same colors and shades, and these are not colors present in their hero outfits. So it’s obvious they’re matching each other. Ochako is wearing a green armband that matching Izuku’s suit. This makes sense because she is the projected love interest with Izuku. Perfectly fine, because they’re probably going to be the canonical ship at the end!

Deku and Tokoyami also match, which is pretty funny in itself. But they are friends so idk what’s really going on there. But hey, it’s a cute ship so if you need something to push you, here it is! It could also be used a red herring for the last of the five matches.

But here’s the thing: the fifth set is hidden but it’s Ochako and Katsuki. They’re both wearing maroon. And not just any maroon, but:

These are almost the same shade of maroon. Almost exactly the same shade of maroon. Bakugou is wearing orange to represent his hero outfit, and Ochako is wearing pink to represent hers. But why are they both wearing maroon as their base color, when that color is not present in their own outfits? Because they’re matching too. Kirishima and Mina are matching in the same way, but Bakugou’s blue and Ochako’s pink divert from the mainpiece maroon on their outfits. And Kirishima breaks it up. But this is a digital piece and the colors are almost identical. Horikoshi could’ve picked a different shade of maroon for them, but he purposely did this for them. Or this could be the red herring for Tokoyami/Deku! Who knows!!

So that’s a little weird right? Well here’s my next picture:

I love this picture, it’s so dynamic and fun. Anyway! Here we have the characters in alternate outfits again. Izuku is in a similar outfit as the first picture, as is All Might, which is to keep the focus on them of course and keep them in consistency with character design. Everyone else looks like they’re in non-matching outfits though. Except Kacchako.

Now this is more of a stretch, but it won’t feel like it after my next example. Anyway, both are wearing buttons down the front in two sets, and both are wearing orange, though the orange does not match as much as the maroon in the picture beforehand. Katsuki is wearing orange loaders and Ochako’s entire outfit is orange, and black, with pink accents. Where have we seen orange and black before?

Katsuki’s hero outfit is black, orange, and green. The green would match with Izuku, and if Horikoshi wanted them to match, then he would put Ochako in anything but army green right? But no, he put her in orange. And furthermore, Katsuki’s boots have the “double button” design going down, and mimics it throughout his hero costume, which both of their outfits in the current example picture are presenting. And if you look at the first example as well, Ochako is wearing the double button down design on her dress there as well.

Some strange coincidences here. But I can’t say they’re not intentional, as we’ve seen Horikoshi’s character designs and they’re all very well-researched for the character. He is intentionally designing the outfits this way. There is no way that he got just lazy enough to design Ochako and Katsuki similarly.

My third example is from the recent movie promo:

We’ve all seen this one recently, which is really the nail in the coffin for me here. This is harder to see so I did crop it out, but I want you to look at Ochako and Katsuki here:

We noticed recently that Ochako is wearing the same flower in her hair as is embroidered on Katsuki’s vest. After seeing the last two examples, it isn’t weird that they are matching. But here’s the second kicker that I didn’t notice since people were cropping out their feet: Ochako’s shoes match Katsuki’s red shirt.

UPDATE: It was brought to my attention that the flowers symbolize “waiting”. Which may indicate more about the future of the ship that I put in the closing paragraph of this post. Source: https://vanillafriedlover.tumblr.com/post/175412600634/mystery-of-white-flowers

Now the lighting is iffy here, and Deku is wearing a burgundy/reddish suit, which could indicate that she is matching with him. But looking at this:

It looks pretty damn close with Bakugou and Ochako but also Ochako and Deku! Now, a disclaimer to this is that this is a very pixilated picture with some color issues (look at Deku’s hair) so we’ll need the movie to come out to really fathom what’s going on with the colors here. But Deku’s does lean towards brown whilst Kacchako looks… matching with reds….

Now I just came across this while looking for something else, and I did make the argument earlier about if Ochako were to match Izuku, they would use green, except for the army green. And here is this picture:

Ochako is wearing army green in this page. I know that one character doesn’t own any colors, but Horikoshi knows what colors represent and again he’s deliberate on the colors and outfits he chooses, but these two seem to match with lots of reds and maroons as a sort of “color” that represents them, and Ochako is wearing army green (Katsuki’s outfit) with a red inscription on her shirt, and Katsuki is wearing a maroon belt. Not the strongest thing, but it’s there.

Like any good thesis statement, I must put the antithesis. So here is a picture that could offset this theory a lot:

If you recognize this splash page, that’s great! It’s from chapter 23, and that’s the chapter after when the Sports Festival Arc starts! It’s my personal favorite that’s been done so far. But Ochako is wearing a green bandana around her neck that does match Izuku’s hero outfit. This did come out when the sports festival arc was being drawn, and the Iz*ch* hints were very heavy at the time, so that may be what it’s referring too. Though Izuku is not wearing his hero outfit in this picture, but Katsuki is wearing his green as well. So it could be referring to either/or, but I think it’s probably for Iz*ch*.

But I’d also like to point out, in an off-topic manner, Ochako does look like she’s enjoying the explosion from Katsuki, which probably hints at their fight in upcoming chapters. But this is a digression paragraph.

Next up on some weird and iffy choice is this picture:

Ochako is wearing a bandana, which is orange and green. Funnily enough, this matches Deku’s outfit in the splash picture, but also matches Katsuki’s regular hero outfit. Also, her clip going across her chest matches Katsuki’s clips on his pants, and no one else has a clip that matches similarly like this.

Another strange matching example:

Ochako is clearly wearing a black tank top here, which is canonical and part of her style, and Katsuki is wearing some random black armband? Sure, Momo is wearing black too but Katsuki and this random black armband? A little suspicious

Finally, here are some common examples that people reminded me of, in case you weren’t aware of these already:

We all know that the Two Black Dots are the symbol of Katsuki and Ochako’s designer.You can argue that the dots on Ochako and Katsuki’s outfits in the previous examples are a callback to their designer, but… to stan a designer that much… both of them? Strange.

Also, they are the only two characters who match in the Volume 13 introduction page, which has them both wearing black tank tops. Sure, it’s a common fashion choice, but no one else shares any other outfit design so clearly. 

Finally, in a personality swap AU, Katsuki is in Ochako’s body. A weird choice when it could have been anyone out of anyone in this series. But he chose to put Katsuki in Ochako.

They also tend to stand next to each other frequently, even if they’re not matching:

I’m sure I might be missing something here, or the colors are a little off or something, but that’s pretty much my post! If more stuff comes out, I’ll add it in here, but that’s my kacchako matching theory! Horikoshi is very delierate about what he is doing and why when it comes to this series, and it seems a little suspicious that they’re almost ALWAYS matching each other in some way in the pages, even when no one else is matching, and with little potential for anyone to be matching with anyone else. It’s honestly got my brain-gears turning. Even if it doesn’t indicate towards canon shipping, I definitely believe that Ochako and Katsuki may get a deeper friendship eventually in the series! If not, well, hey this was still fun. (:

If you want to see the original thread that started this, look here: https://twitter.com/hideandseaking/status/1012943972329762816

[mikanrulz]

(Europe-Anon) Okay, so... this episode... was a clusterfuck. Cool battle scenes and Jeanne and Azazel being badass together aside, it was kind of a mess for me... And honestly, Kaisar's sacrifice was so OOC. I mean, what even?! Stop wasting characters like that!!

snb:vs ep23 aka the one where bahamut is actually a good obedient little giant flying lizard

on bahamut:

I think the most funny thing in ep23 is the fact that Bahamut gets completely ignored

and i’m just. lol.

the fact that bahamut even obediently follows chari’s ship like some kinda of good little flying lizard without even letting out light beam every few seconds like it did in genesis is already… heh

so basically what i get is that bahamut is not as dangerous as it is in genesis

also I don’t think chari would be able to kill it since, you know, the show’s title is RAGE OF BAHAMUT.

the whole thing hinges on the fact that Bahamut is unkillable

killing bahamut now would also kill any chance at a possibility of season 3

that aside, chari actually needs to fail here bcs otherwise, all this plot is actually done just to make chari look good while making Gab and Azazel look stupid

what I mean is that they all three are super confident in their plans

all of their plans are on the same level of ridiculous and totally depends on the one thing they don’t really understand (azazel -> nina, Gab -> mugaro, chari -> dromos)

both Azazel and Gab failed, so it’s about time chari fails too.

eeeehh, no worries too even if chari fails, both heaven and hell army are conveniently there to pick up the slack ;-)

does the wink emoji there annoy you, bcs I wrote that and it honestly annoys me

on kaisar:

eh his death does nothing to me

poor rita tho

but other than that, nah

i guess i stop giving a fuck when it’s clear he keeps supporting chari

he wont even let azazel and jeanne grieve in peace before trying to defend aless

idk idk idk

i kinda hoped aless would have better character arc than this tho

aless: “not my fault, not my fault, i did nothing wrong”chari: other charas did the explaining for him, he did nothing wrong, it’s all “bahamut” and “martinet”, don’t you know he’s actually a good guyjeanne & azazel: suffer and get blamed continuously

see a pattern there? :p

idk

on Lucifer and the demons:

the most unbelievable thing is how they show cerberus to be happy and fawn over lucifer lololol

while lucifer is indeed second to satan, and technically cerberus is under him, considering cerberus is actually Hades’ subordinate, their relationship is not as clear-cut the way lucifer/azazel does.

cerberus does what lucifer asks of her bcs she *wants* to, not bcs she is *obligated* to.

also she’s nothing compared to lucifer power-wise, but compared to him she’s supposed to be more level-headed.

so seeing her down there with other demons girl and actually dances at lucifer’s arrival is just. mind blowing, lol.

but maybe in the anime, she’s indeed just a low level demon girl used for aesthetic and nothing more :’)

i guess i’ll just continue to headcanon her to be there in anatea on lucifer’s order to spy, while also keeping the other girls safe while pretending to be just another slave girl on the job

but seeing the demons’ cheer, it’s pretty clear all this time they’ve been waiting for Lucifer.

implying that Lucifer’s not only popular but also pretty well-liked

and that they have complete faith their leader would come save them (rag demon who lol)

but… those scenes with dante actually kinda highlights that azazel did make it clear that he was acting alone, no backup from lucifer.

so maybe the demons are just, not confident enough to rise on their own, if what they have is only a part of upper echelons without actual backing from said upper echelons.

dante’s group is just desperate enough and impatient enough to do something that they’d take any chance at a plan to rebel

Bel is pretty and i wish she had been alive to see lucifer coming for them :(

i kinda want to see her reaction to lucifer too. would she get flushed and starry-eyed in front of him the way she does in front of azazel? or would her reaction be more humbled and formal?

I missed Bel :(((

on lucifer and azazel

TOTALLY MARRIED

they’re not even going out, they’re totally living together in marital bliss probably

azazel’s the one working but somehow lucifer is the lord of the house

that useless asshole tho, why does he even come with if he’s going to just read his book without even lift a single finger to help the war effort?

are you telling me lucifer’s only there to watch over azazel

he may appear calm and collected and all smiley now, but once something real happened to azazel he’d start working probably

or is it a tradition or something, to make lucifer move only in the very last ep of the show

lucifer’s cute tiny wings are replaced with bigger ones (even bigger than azazel’s) bcs posing is important obviously

also looking at this cap above, it’s pretty evident azazel is actually a very important person ™

as in, he really is Lucifer’s right hand man, second in command, no doubt about it.

this is esp since Lucifer allows him to be this close, and azazel even has a foot on Lucifer’s… space.

no other demons has ever been shown that close. and even in that very last scene in ep21, azazel’s distance to lucifer is much closer than those demon generals shown in ep15.

also pls compare this face, the face he shows to azazel:

and the face he shows to non-azazel

and the face he shows to actual enemy

*_____*

it seems as long as azazel is near, lucifer’s always smiling

no really

even while he’s reading his book, his face is smiling in this ep, and the only glaring difference between all of his reading book scenes (both times in genesis as well vs ep15, 21, 23) is that in ep23 azazel is near and within reach (if he just bothers to get up from his chair and flies a little that is)

8D

other things:

where’s grigori :(

you’ve got another fallen angel who is also a direct subordinate of lucifer and yet you refuse to utilize him why show why

gimme grigori

no really gimme grigori, i need more headcanon fodder for him

also where’s that demon general who worried about azazel?

have they met?

did he tell azazel how much he was missed?

did he give him a lecture on going missing for years without a news?

did he wrap azazel in tons of blanket and give him hot chocolate and make sure he was okay?

did he fuss over azazel like an annoying grandfather until azazel snapped and told him to shut it except then the demon general told him with teary eyes he was glad and relieved azazel come back okay if a little hurt and then he hugged him and azazel just gave up and allowed the fussy treatment.

meanwhile lucifer watched all of this with amused eyes and refused to help even when azazel’s eyes beseech him to release him from this.

this is your punishment, Lucifer says without a sound, only moving his lips. just accept it and give up.

azazel loves and respects his leader dearly but sometimes he also wants to punch him in the face

well, maybe not in the face; not that he could actually hurt him, but even just the thought of marring that face is just too much; he likes that face too much.

grigori is also actually there, even if nobody seems to remember his presence

he’s mostly glad azazel’s back, if only bcs azazel’s currently the only being that able to make lucifer moves, and he needs lucifer to make a move.

also, i really like your description of lucifer: iconic level of chill indeed XD

also agree about jeanne and azazel! :D

I like how they don’t even need words, that a glance and eyecontact is enough

i love that jeanne actually comes to azazel’s rescue, and azazel doesn’t even complain or protest; he just accepts it and saves her in return when she needs it.

i also love how jeanne’s eyes show that she’s a little worried about azazel that second time he gets captured

i love that jeanne and azazel’s teamwork is actually a thing

i lvoe how they’re both equally disgusted when the onyx remove their armors (or i maybe projecting)

i love how their eyes are equally unforgiving and just fed up when looking at chari

i just love everything about them this ep

also when will azazel stop suffering lulz he keeps getting caught again and again lmao

[the-cryptographer]

FEBRUARY MARCH CHALLENGE!!!

Yay! I did the thing! Below the cut you can find some silly answers and silly ms paint artwork~ It’s been forever since I’ve drawn and even more forever since I’ve drawn anime, so everything sucks but be kind, okay~

1. Favourite Character

This guy!!! I remember liking him immediately when I first watched in gradeschool, so he’s a longtime fave. I wish I remembered the basis for my affinity all those years ago, but it’s been lost to the tides of time. Now I kind of think about how his character works on two levels for me:

(1) On a kind of surface level, he’s just really fun to watch. His voice and his dialogue. The comedic expressions. The stupid accent in the dub. He’s temperamental and hammy. And, unlike a lot of the other characters, when he’s upset or unhappy, he’s generally driven towards being more active rather than being more passive - so instead of introspective scenes where he’s retreating into himself, you get all these scenes where he goes out and starts doing really dumb shit. He’s one of the few characters I pretty much universally enjoy watching for the theatrical value.

(2) And on a kind of deeper level, I just find him really inspirational. He’s far from a flawless character - there are so many ways he acts recklessly and makes mistakes, so many ways he can be grating and even cruel, and so many things he’s really not that good at. But he’s just so resilient and determined and such an aggressively good friend to Yuugi. I think especially with all the darker subtext in the manga, you can see the really bad places he’s come from, and how he’s been met with so much failure along the way - but he’s made it so far~ I wish we could all fall and get back on our feet as easily as Jounouchi.

2. Runner Up Character

Put-upon Egyptian Cult Leader!! Who I don’t believe I talk about enough.

He’s an exciting villain, imo!! He puts Yuugi & co in a lot of tight spots, and in a lot of ways didn’t seem to leave the story on the same page as them, but he comes through his arc just devastatingly sympathetic in my mind. I think it’s easy to sympathise with the way he’s at war with himself and his lot in life.

There’s kind of a lot of exciting attributes collected around him too - mind control and alternate personalities, Tomb Keeper politics and Rare Hunter politics, an uneasy partnership with the big bad of the series, and a really poorly established relationship with his brother Rishid that switches between master-subordinate, patient-caretaker, and older-and-younger siblings.

On a personal level though, I appreciate the way he’s willful and clever and lazy and manipulative and NEVER STOPS LYING. I appreciate how much he fights and loses hope and is renewed in his fight against his more insane tendencies. I appreciate that he doesn’t seem to develop genuine fondness for the protags so much as come to realise they’re his way out of this mess and pragmatically follow through on it. And I appreciate how he’s revealed to be fiercely caring towards his siblings in spite of all faults. And it feels so real and tender and angry and human, I even temporarily forget how awful he’s been mere hours before.

Admittedly, I don’t exactly have a clear picture of his fanon existence and what I’d like from it. Especially since I’m not super into the thiefship scene. I’d kind of like to read more about him though. Especially about him and his siblings, or him and Ryou, or him and Yuugi.

3. Favourite Protagonist

Cutie baby~

I guess... Yuugi and I... are maybe... kind of... alike? I’m like a tall, shitty version of him, lmao.

He is a passive pacifist sweetheart with too much self-doubt in his heart and too much porn under his mattress. I like how he grows into himself in the series and learns to be more assertive - but remains the calm, friendly, and trusting person he always was.

4. Favourite Villain

I guess this would be Malik again? Who even counts as a villain in ygo? All of them get redeemed.

I’m just gonna say Kaiba. Kaiba’s tried to kill enough of the protags to be a villain, lol. He’s weaseled his way into a central role in the series tho~ Mr. Popular~

I think I’ve talked quite a bit about why I like Kaiba - but he’s just so damaged and so weak and so strong. He builds death theme parks and shuts down weapons production. Compared to us average humans, he’s more capable of doing good and more capable of doing evil both. Also I project onto him like a mofo.

5. Favourite Yami

I guess this would also be Malik again - Malik’s disturbing split personality.

Naw, tho~ My new favourite Yami is Yami!Isis. All bow down to the cold, all-seeing Priestess.

6. Favourite Series

Season Zero. Or idk, I still have to watch Season Zero but I love manga Season Zero so I assume. Um, the manga? Or am I just supposed to say DM? I still haven’t gotten to watching GX at length but I will.

7. Favourite Arc

Season Zero

A different game every week. Mundane school life in Japan spiced up with pyromania. lots of character focus. Thug life. But I already kind of answered this for the last question.

Maybe Duellist Kingdom?

I like the duels in DK a lot - I know they didn’t follow the rules, but they’re kind of snappy and satisfying. And it has a lot of my favourite Seto moments and Mai moments. And I like the straightforwardness in the arc’s setup, the goals of the characters, and how it built up to the finals. I feel like there’s not a dull moment building up to the confrontation with Pegasus from the meeting with Seto before the castle - the way Atem lost to Seto, and then Seto getting his soul pilfered, and Tristan and the others climbing around the castle, and the Atem-Mai and Jou-Keith duels were some of the better ones in the series.

But my cracky id loves DOMA?

It’s stupid and I know it’s stupid. But the silly villains. REAL MONSTERS. Mai having PTSD complications. Roadtrip in the USA. All the polarshipping. stfu - I can like DOMA if I want to like DOMA.

8+9. Favourite Quote & Runner Up Quote

I am so bad at remembering quotes. I mean, you can’t beat the Yuujou pun, I guess.

I suppose I like the speech Anzu gave Kaiba during DK, about the chip of life, and how Yuugi saved him. I don’t like Anzu’s speech in the dub, but for some reason Kaiba snapping back at her What do you have? with ‘I have all that I need!’ has really stuck with me - I have no idea why(??) But I even used that line in a fic.

I also like when Jounouchi goes on the date with Fake-Virtual-World!Mai. “Anywhere’s fine, so long as it’s with you.” Aww~

I’m not sure any of these are my favourite favourite, but I liked them all.

10. Funniest Moment of the Series

When Kaiba dropped a key into the ocean and somehow Jounouchi didn’t die, lmao

Okay, for reals tho, I’m not sure. But it was funny when Jounouchi almost fell off the balcony in Duellist Kingdom. And the potato song. And when Jounouchi called Kaiba on the phone and Otogi did the Kaiba imitation during DOMA. And when Kaiba and Mai got into a street race - NEVER FORGET!

11. Scariest Moment of the Series

OMG. When Bakura as Honda confronted Yuugi about giving up his wish, and Yuugi tearfully admits his wish was to have friends. Raw. Terrifying. I died.

Okay, again for reals. I guess that’s my admission that the series never managed to make me really fear for the characters. There are times when I scare myself thinking about how empty Kaiba must feel at times though.

12. Favourite Moment Overall

*plays Mystical Refpanel* “Jounouchi-kun… Daisuki da.”

13. Runner Up Moment

Mai giving Jounouchi the entry card during DK.

Mai’s so elegant. But, geez, this must have taken a lot out of her. She just lost her own duel - was just crying herself - has never really had friends before by her own admission. She does this with such seeming ease but she’s really putting herself out on a line here - and Jounouchi probably even doesn’t understand that - but he does all the right things anyhow <3

Yes all my favourite moments are people being nice to Jounouchi - shut up!

Other runner up moments are Rishid’s speech to Malik at the end of Battle City. Kaiba sacrificing Obelisk to summon the Blue Eyes during his duel with Isis. And I also like the very end of Duellist Kindgom and how Mai gets last minute invited on the helicopter ride. Which leads nicely into the next question.

14. Favourite Romantic Ship

Mai/Jounouchi/Kaiba.

Mai and Jounouchi are my favourite proto-romance in the series. Jounouchi and Kaiba are my favourite duo in the series for interesting and revealing character moments. All together they make the greatest ship of bad decisions ever invented.

15. Favourite Platonic Ship

There aren’t many things I only ship platonically. And for things I ship romantically and platonically – there are a ton. But shout-out goes to MaiKai for being the platonic bros of my OTP. I told you - NEVER FORGET that time they got into a street race.

I feel like there’s a lot to work with here though. High society. Introversion and the desire for isolation. Rigidity vs flexibility. Maturity and competence vs pettiness and complete and utter stupidity. Mai beta testing Legendary Heroes. Mai giving Kaiba ‘grown-up’ advice. Learning to trust. They will be drinking buddies. They must become drinking buddies.

16. Runner Up Ship

Honda & Otogi & Serenity.

I like them taking the train together in the manga, but it’s mostly an anime ship. I enjoy watching Otogi and Honda fighting each other for Serenity’s attention and getting completely wrapped up in each other in the process, lol. There’s a level of transparency to it that I find amusing. And it’s sweet the way they all move in to cover each others’ backs during the duel with Oota. They have their missteps, but it makes things feel rewarding when they come through for each other in the end. And, lol, this moment-

In the context of a romantic ship, Honda’s so romantically idealistic and Serenity’s so naively unindulgent - they’re both very stubborn in their own way, but I feel like Otogi is capable of bringing in the realism to mediate that situation. I think my headcanons are heavily influenced by this writer’s work. Even outside of a romantic context though, I want them to be an adventurous trio of friends, lol. I hope they all grow up and manage it in the future~

17. Another Runner Up Ship

Second runner up could be so many things, but this stands out as something I want to see more of - and also have a drawing:

Mai & Vivian.

Okay. But seriously. I want Great Wall of China fataleshipping adventures. I want them to be super catty friends. Please give me more of Mai postcanon female friends and femslash.

18. Favourite Monster

Dark Necrofear!

I talked about most of the cards in this post, but I’ll refresh your memory. (I haven’t made it far in Reshef, but Duel Links has left me feeling more or less the same regarding favourite cards.)

19. Runner Up Monster

REMEMBER WHEN KISARA WAS A CARD~

AU where Kisara is the Happy Queen of the Duel Monsters parallel universe, and Kaibaman is her dimension hopping servant.

20. Favourite Spell

One of these two.

21. Favourite Trap

Hahaha. Fuck Kaiba >:(

22. Design Your Own Character

No. I drew Asuka from GX instead.

23. Design Your Own Monster

I’ll do it one of these days~ But not today~

24. Favourite DSoD Moment

Idk, when Yuugi told Kaiba off? When Otogi and his dad showed up? When Jounouchi wrote his initials on his Duel Disk? When Honda and Yuugi rode a motorcycle and went to save Jounouchi? When Jounouchi and Honda rode a bike to school?

WHEN KAIBA WATCHED YUUGI PUT TOGETHER THE LAST PIECES OF THE PUZZLE AND HIS FAAAAACE D:

25. Favourite New Character in DSoD

MANI! SO CUTE! SO SWEET! SO CRAZY WHEN HE PUTS ON THE RING!

But Shadi also gets points here for being different enough that I can imagine him as a new character.

26. Least Favourite New Character

Sera.

27. DSoD Could Have Done _____ Better

Lots of stuff but I’m not in the mood rn. I liked the film overall.

28. Favourite New Card From DSoD

REMEMBER WHEN MAHAAD WAS A CARD~

OMG! That’s the end of the meme! It took forever, right? But thank you if you read all this way <3

[ameslore]

A-Z have fun dude

my dude

bless you ella

A- already answered!

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

tbh idk?

C - already answered!

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

i don’t have anything like that, actually. i either like a ship or i don’t.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

the chimney fic for the inception fandom’s 2016 secret saito. also the fic that fulfulled @drown-yourdarlings prompt about rose and lissa’s lehigh university experiences but that’s on my fanfiction.net account and let’s not talk about that........... right now or preferably ever

(rest is under the cut for length)

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom?

i’ve more or less been in the va fandom since... 2014?

G - Have you ever had an OTP? If so, do you remember your first one? Who was in it?

see my answer to part (a)

(romitri was probably my first otp)

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

it used to be books, but i feel like there are so much unexplored depths in movies that it’s really to get inspiration for meta or fic, so nowadays it’s more movies.

I - already answered

J - Name a fandom you didn’t think about until you saw it all over Tumblr. (You don’t have to care about it or follow it; it just has to be something that Tumblr made you aware of.)

the 00q fandom. of course i knew about james bond, but i hadn’t considered the ship

K - What character has your favorite development arc/the best development arc?

rose hathaway, vampire academy. over the course of six books and maybe ten months(?) she really found herself, got a lot more mature and self-confident

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

tasha ozera did not deserve what she got. she was a force of nature.

dominick cobb is a really fucking smart guy

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

the collective smh + lardo

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

for inception and 00q: more well-developed female characters. more poc. more woc. more screen time for all three.

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

okay so haunted by beyonce always reminds me of arthur or q and I HAVE NO IDEA WHY BECAUSE THE SONG ISN’T REMOTELY RELEVANT TO EITHER OF THEM

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

okay i actually had this idea rolling around in my head for months. i’ve seen something kind of similar to my idea, but the premise is a little different-- “a little less sixteen candles”, arthur/eames, by osaki_nana_707 on ao3

just a sec. let me pull up my doc.

high school teacher-student CANON-DIVERGENT au except there’s no underage pedophilia because arthur’s not actually a minor, he’s a grownass man

so BASICALLY. arthur is part of running project somnacin with dom, mal, and stephen miles, but it gets shut down when the first soldier loses his grasp on reality and shoots himself in the head. topside. which is like, a mess for the military, so long story short everyone’s like “this is a NOPE program BYE”

after project somnacin gets shut down, dom, mal, and arthur open an architecture firm but arthur, who’s a beast at research and investigation and also knows shit about criminal justice (or is it criminology?), occasionally gets contacted by the military/sometimes the nsa/sometimes the cia to do consultant work.

by now arthur is twenty-four. he gets contacted by the military and it’s like “okay so someone may have stolen top secret files about project somnacin and because you know about the [highly confidential] project and you’re really good at investigative research we need you to help identify who this person is [spoiler alert: it’s our beloved thief and forger, eames], figure whether this information is in danger of getting leaked to the public, and all that good security shit??? we might need you to bring him in”

so arthur does his fancy-schmancy research, has a breakthrough and identifies a one mr. [first name redacted] eames, british ex-pat currently living in america and teaching english at a private high school.

due to his small frame and general twinkiness (i’m sorry but it’s true), arthur can pass for a seventeen or eighteen year old. SO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS? HE DECIDES TO ENROLL IN THE SCHOOL THAT EAMES TEACHES AT IN ORDER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EAMES. in rolls the teacher-student au

okay. that was a very long way to establish the premise of a fic, but anyway if anyone wants to write that because i am Tired and have no time, just tell me and i’ll be ecstatic

Q - A fandom you’ve abandoned and why.

the carry on fandom, mostly because the big blogs stopped posting/moved onto other fandoms and the content generally dried up

R - Which friendship/platonic relationship is your favorite in fandom?

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

i wrote a fic a couple months ago featuring adhd!arthur and adhd!eames. a genderfluid!eames fic is currently near completion. (i am so EXCITED)

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending?

*grabs my fucking megaphone*

EDDIE CASTILE AND JILL MASTRANO AND ROSE HATHAWAY AND SYDNEY SAGE ARE ALL BI AS FUCK. ADRIAN IVASHKOV IS PAN.

ARTHUR IS PART JEWISH, PART CHINESE AND CAN SPEAK ABOUT FIVE LANGUAGES. HE WEARS JOGGERS AND BEANIES WHEN HE’S NOT WORKING. HE IS A CLASSICALLY TRAINED MUSICIAN AND LIKES TO SING

IN SOME CROSSOVER VERSE, Q AND ARTHUR ARE DEFINITELY COUSINS

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

arthur (inception), q (skyfall/spectre), eddie castile (vampire academy/bloodlines)

this is when you notice that i have a type: quiet bamfs who have been whumped by their fandoms quite hard

V - Which character do you relate to most?

arthur. my son my sun my heart.

W - A trope which you are virtually certain to hate in any fandom.

“i wasn’t gay until i met you” or “i hate myself for being gay but loving you makes it feel better” because why do straight people think it works like that. also, not a fan of genderbending because the concept is inherently trans and nb exclusive, plus i kind of feel like it messes up the characterization.

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

when both/all parties of the otp are absolute bamfs and surprise each other with their competency

and angsty soulmate aus. call me a cheesy, bright-eyed fucker but i love them so goddamn much

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

the NHL fandom (i do occasionally reblog stuff about the pens/marc-andre fleury onto my omgcp sideblog? and i watch a few games every once in a while but i’m not actively invested in it.)

also the yuri on ice! fandom. like i haven’t even watched ep. 12 but i’ll reblog a funny post about it every so often

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go! (Prompts optional but encouraged.)

please see all this inception meta that i have:

plot meta, character and plot meta, wardrobe meta