#it’s also just a good post also about representation but that was a bonus

[asatroende]

I’ve not read Percy Jackson, I think I watched the first movie but that’s it

The reason I reblogged is because of this;

“When I ran out of the old stuff, I made up a new Greek hero: a kid named Percy”

I know that many in the asatro community comes into it with the thought that we want all myths to be real and thus unless something divine happens to us to scientifically document then writing new stories is off the table

But I can’t help but to think about antiquity:

An Ancient Greek father, illiterate but pious to his gods and pantheon, telling his child all the stories he knows until his child wants to hear a new story, and like humans tend to do; the parents to this child use the knowledge they have of the gods and they give birth to a new story that might by us now be considered part of the canon

Percy Jackson and the Olympians premieres Dec. 20 on Disney+

[cripplecharacters]

Writing Profoundly Intellectually Disabled Characters

[Plain Text: Writing Profoundly Intellectually Disabled Characters]

While there is a glaring lack of intellectually disabled characters - except maybe big, physically strong, white men who can’t “tell right from wrong” or have a personality - in all sorts of media, specifically profoundly intellectually disabled characters are next to non-existent, with the existing ones being used more often as plot devices rather than portrayed as human beings.

This does make a degree (and not more) of sense considering that 85% of ID people have it mild, 10% moderate, 3.5% severe and only 1.5% has profound ID, the larger group inevitably gets more representation (which doesn’t make it good, but it does exist). However, it hopefully doesn’t need explaining that minorities deserve to be represented too (...and represented well), so this is what this post will be about.

Please don’t treat this as your only source on writing a character like this (even though I’m willing to bet it’s the only one like this, at least on tumblr), do your research and always check other sources.

Also, for clarity: intellectual disability isn't an umberalla term for "mental/brain disability". It's a specific, singular diagnosis that used to be known as "mental [r slur]". It's not the same as brain damage, autism, dementia, dyslexia, and anything else that's not specifically "intellectual disability". It's something that you are either born with or acquire early in life.

How do I Include Them in the Story?

[Plain Text: How do I include them in the story?]

A profoundly ID person will spend the majority of their time either at home or in some sort of care facility since they will require 24/7 help. The easiest role to put them in is probably a family member of another character. I've mentioned on this blog before that the "ID characters always end up as the annoying younger sibling" thing is overdone, but none of these necessarily have to be true for this suggestion to work (especially not the "annoying" part).

A non-ID character could have an intellectually disabled older sibling, twin, cousin, uncle/aunt, the sibling of a grandparent, etc. Seriously - a severely disabled person can be an adult, or even an elder. Just not as a parent, since a profoundly disabled person can't consent (a lot of ID people very much can, but this is the one disability where your level of functioning is baked into the exact diagnosis - profound ID comes with the inability to consent/understand the consequences enough to consent).

"They're a family member" is basically the easiest "excuse" to include a profoundly intellectually disabled in a story (and, as a bonus, you don't have to figure out how the other character would react to meeting them for the first time, since they probably knew each other for a long time already).

If your story isn't about the profoundly disabled character and instead just features them as a character, it would be much easier to not make the other character their primary caregiver. It's simply a ton of work and the character wouldn't have time for fighting dragons and whatnot - it'd be easier to have the abled character spend time with the disabled character at home (or care facility; you can very much visit someone in one) hanging out rather than actually doing the caregiving part.

Outside of a home and a care facility, there are also day care programs that some people might attend. This is the rarest solution out of the three mainly because of financial reasons, but also these resources aren’t as common for people who can’t walk, learn self-care, etc. Going to one takes time (the profoundly disabled person isn’t gonna walk there by themselves) and probably requires a specialized van (that you can bring a wheelchair in, which is incredibly expensive). Most day care programs are focused on people who are moderately or severely ID at most. One made for profoundly ID people would require 1:1 aides, which generally means the programs are much smaller for logistical reasons, but also even more expensive. For most people, too expensive without funding. Basically, this is an option, but you have to consider your character’s financial situation and/or what kind of financial support do disabled people get where they live.

Another way is having the disabled character in some sort of high position - in real life there were quite a few cases of profoundly and severely intellectually disabled royalty. Depending on the place and time there might have been pressure to not let the public see them, but this wasn't always the case. The biggest example of the latter was probably Emperor An of Jin (the first Jin, Eastern one) who was, as his title suggests, crowned at some point. He didn’t actually rule (his uncle did) but yes, you can have a severely disabled person as the head of a monarchy, it’s not without precedent.

In fiction you can do whatever you want anyway when it comes to ableism, you can have it be there, or you can have it not be there - and if it does exist then there are still different kinds of ableism you can portray that aren't the "literally killing-the-disabled-baby/hiding-them-in-some-dungeon level of eugenics" kind. Maybe a rich family who cares about their image would actually be unable to shut up about their kid to show how "saint-like" they are for caring for the disabled - it is unfortunately realistic, and can be a potential way to have the character exist in public, not ignore ableism, and also not go the aforementioned literally-just-murder route that writers usually do to show an ableist family.

Characterization

[Plain Text: Characterization]

Warning; the bar here is somewhere in the Earth's inner core. If your character has a single characteristic beyond aggressive/loud/unmanageable*, they're automatically at the top of most complex fictional representation of severely/profoundly ID characters. Congrats.

* - Some people are those things but, unsurprisingly, they're other things too. A lot of profoundly ID people can actually be completely quiet - you notice people who are loud because they're loud.

As with literally every character, you need to figure out what they like and not like. This can be quite literally anything, but try to think of the basic stuff. Do they have something they really enjoy eating (and conversely - something they refuse to eat)? Do they have some sort of comfort toy or object they don't want anyone touching (and maybe showing them playing with it with a different character could be a way to show how much they trust them)? In more modern settings, do they have a favorite show they always bug everyone to put on? Are they really clingy or do they hate physical contact (again, maybe they only enjoy it from a specific character)?

Another characterization could be comfort objects. A lot of profoundly ID people are autistic (which I'll touch on later) and will have an object that they bring everywhere the same way that non-ID autistic people might. There's nothing really specific here, just another layer of "this character is a Person". Maybe they have a blanket they really enjoy chewing because the texture feels good or some sort of plushie they like to throw around because it makes a sound they find funny. Lots of options. Maybe they have a personal “tell” to let others know they want their comfort object brought to them.

Keep in mind, you have to show this all in non-verbal manner. A profoundly ID person is probably not using any sort of AAC device (the most robust one I remember seeing right now was a low-tech one with "yes" and "no", but there are probably ones who operate on a larger amount of singular words). This is basically another opportunity for characterization - what do they do when they're happy - laugh, flap their arms, make sounds? - and when they're upset - scream, hit themselves, make different sounds? Obviously, you'd have to take other disabilities into account (e.g. many profoundly ID people won't move much, some might not be able to make much audible sound, etc.) but almost anything helps.

This brings us to…

Communication

[Plain Text: Communication]

An important thing (concept?) I'll throw here is "total communication", which can mean different things in different contexts, but here I'll use it to mean "using everything you can to communicate with someone who cannot do so in a ‘traditional’ way".

Communication can be categorized as having two sides; expressive and receptive. For most intellectually disabled people in general, receptive skills tend to be significantly higher than expressive ones, though there are specific disorders where it’s reversed or equal. As mentioned before, most profoundly ID people won’t speak orally, won’t use sign language, and won’t use AAC (though out of all three, AAC is the most likely one). Some might say single words, but that’s about it. It’s not a “physically mute but can write perfectly grammatically correct sentences” situation, it’s more of a “[single noun]” one, if anything. Receptive skills however are pretty decent (in comparison) and they would probably understand their name, the name/title of their carer(s), names of things they see every day, events they have some frame of reference to (e.g. if they grew up Christian, they would probably know what Christmas is), etc. Your other characters could (and should) talk to them like they can understand, even if they don’t catch everything or even most of it. I say a lot of “probably” there, but the people who can’t do so usually have other comorbidities, which I’ll mention later.

To go back to expressive communication, eye pointing can be used to figure out what the character wants. A change in breathing can be used to tell that a character got stressed. Throwing an object can be used as a hint that the character wants to play. Maybe them reaching towards person A means they want to eat, but reaching towards person B means they want them to sing a song for them. Maybe them making a particular face means they just had a seizure and need to be comforted. Whatever their "tells" like this might be, other characters who know them would probably be able to tell more-or-less what's going on - you don't have to go really in-depth, especially if it's a minor character, but figuring out the ways your character communicates with others will make it feel more like a person and not a Disabled Lamp (“if you can replace a disabled character with a lamp or a sick dog, they’re not a character”).

If you read some of these and go "that's a thing that a child would do" then you're not necessarily wrong. A profoundly ID adult might enjoy activities that primarily kids partake in. This is, I can't stress this enough, not the same as "mentally being a child". Otherwise, a whole bunch of adults on this very website would be "mental middle schoolers" based on the shows that they watch - but they're obviously not. A profoundly ID adult doesn't have the "mind of a baby" if their favorite game is throwing a toy, they have the mind of a profoundly intellectually disabled adult. Sometimes people assume that since ID people aren't mentally [incorrect age], they always "act their [actual] age" and essentially end up downplaying how much some people's ID affects them, when the point is that no matter what you do, you are your age. An ID character who is 26 years, incontinent, constantly puts their hand in their mouth, can't speak, whatever, is mentally 26 years old the same way that they would be if they had a wife and a mortgage.

For the last thing from this section I'll circle back to the assumption that all severely/profoundly ID people are loud, aggressive, etc. - as I said, some of them are (just like abled people). The thing is, this is not always an unreasonable response to being unable to communicate with the people who are caring for you. If you had a pressure sore but couldn't explain it to anyone you'd be pissed off and screaming too. That's an extreme example, but still applies. If someone is severely stressed out (for an abled person, this might be inheriting a ton of debt, for a profoundly ID person it can be a change in daily routine), they can lash out. It's an unpleasant but very much human reaction to have, even if what's behind the ID person's behavior is significantly different from what an average abled person might consider "a good reason".

So I guess my advice is, try to show some empathy to the character, even if they genuinely are loud and/or aggressive. Intellectually disabled people - including the profoundly disabled ones - aren't some alien species that is just mean and hates their caregivers for no reason, some just can't process their feelings the way an abled person might because of their disability. That's not to say that caregivers aren't allowed to feel frustrated - because they are - but that very severely disabled people aren't purposefully evil. As mentioned in the earlier parts, all behavior has a cause, just like for literally everyone. So if the character is being "unmanageable": maybe they aren't some cursed burden, maybe they're just stressed out of their mind and now someone they don't know that well is trying to do *something* to them, which they can't figure out because of their disability affecting their receptive language skills.

Resources and What to Keep in Mind

[Plain Text: Resources and What to Keep in Mind]

Some resources you might read about ID can be potentially misleading. Even if you specifically look for causes of the profound severity of intellectual disability, you will get results for mild ID. That's mainly because people with mild ID make up >85% of intellectually disabled people and those with profound ID make like 1%, so they're a minority in a minority.

Basically:

Down syndrome is a very unlikely cause. It's always listed as the main genetic cause of ID, but that's only true for mild and moderate severities. If you choose any of the common causes of ID make sure it actually has the symptoms you're looking for.

Most profoundly ID people will have either severe brain damage early in life (and this can come with cerebral palsy), cephalic disorders (e.g. microcephaly), genetic conditions that you've never heard of (e.g. Pallister-Killian or Emanuel syndromes, 3p deletion), genetic conditions that you've never heard of for a very understandable reason (e.g. X-linked intellectual disability-limb spasticity-retinal dystrophy-arginine vasopressin deficiency… there are hundreds named in this way), or just have it without a known cause. The last one happens much more often than people tend to assume.

For a reason I'll probably discover at some point, most disorders and syndromes that come with ID are said to have "autistic-like features" rather than being "comorbid with autism". In practice, it's the same thing. Your character is probably autistic.

In the same way, a lot of practical resources will assume that ID = moderate ID (since most mildly affected need no or minimal support, and severely/profoundly disabled ones are a small minority) so pay attention if you're looking at the right things. If it's talking about having a job, travelling alone, etc., then you got clickbaited.

Another subsection here will be comorbidities because there are a lot of them. I’ll mention the biggest ones.

Brain damage is the most common one (except autism) and can vary a lot. There is barely anything I can say about this one, it’s an enormous spectrum that for some people causes disability and for others barely affects their symptoms. Cerebral palsy, especially quadriplegic, is seen a lot and might affect the character’s mobility a lot. Some people might be unable to breathe or swallow and need a breathing or feeding tube.

Deafness and blindness are comorbid with a surprising amount of causes of ID. The thing is, you could take advice for deaf/blind characters as-in for a character that has both (e.g.) glaucoma and mild ID and not change much, but this doesn’t really work for a character who’s profoundly disabled like this. The situation that can happen here is that it’s not actually known if the person is or isn’t deaf or blind because they can’t tell you. As mentioned earlier, some people will have absent receptive communication skills. How do you verify if they’re deaf or just not reactive to language? Some people won’t react to even extremely loud sounds, even if they can hear them perfectly well (besides, a lot of deaf people can still hear some). Same for verifying if they are blind - obviously, sometimes there’s something visual going on, but often there isn’t. Especially since the main causes of both blindness and deafness will be brain-based, not ear- or eye-based. Another character not being sure if the disabled character is blind or just very uninterested in visual stimuli is a possibility, especially with less advanced medicine.  This is also why you might see those weird statistics of "between 5-90% of people with [condition] are deaf" kind.

Mobility is almost always severely affected. Some are fully mobile, but that’s simply not common. The average person will be unable to walk independently. It’s not always a muscle or nerve problem (though it absolutely can be), it’s mostly an issue of coordination. Because of this (and understanding physical space), operating a wheelchair (...successfully) might be impossible. This doesn’t mean you should just drop your character in a hospital wheelchair for them to get wheeled around because they will probably need a wheelchair that will actually support them - a headrest, ability to tilt, a harness, all that. This could be done with a powerchair (they can have controls on the back for a second person to operate), a manual wheelchair, or an adaptive stroller.

Now for resources;

One good resource I can recommend is SBSK (which I shared before), to my knowledge this is the only place that interviews severely and profoundly ID people (+their families) and the interviewer is great at actually interacting with many of them. 

Most resources on the practical things only ever talk about caregivers (who are very important) but completely ignore the actual person being cared for which IMO kinda defeats the point.

Good luck writing!

mod Sasza

[juicedaloe]

Mithrun and brain damage

I'm not sure if anyone is interested in this, but I wanted to make a post talking about why I think that Mithrun has brain damage from a traumatic brain injury instead of him being a representation of other neurological disorders or mental illness. I'm not that involved in the dunmesh fandom so I don't know how common this headcanon is, though I've seen a few people mention it here and there.

This is just my own opinion so if you disagree then that's fine. Some of this is just speculation and I can't say what Kui's intentions were. This post isn't meant to be that serious. I just wanted to talk about it and hopefully inform about how brain damage can affect some people in a way that I hope is interesting and relevant.

This will be kind of long because I like to talk so it will be under the cut. Apologies for the length and how much I ramble. Feel free to give input especially if I got anything wrong or if this is too confusing.

Okay let's go

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is incredibly complex. The long-term effects of a TBI include a wide array of symptoms. Each injury is different, and some people can completely recover rather quickly while others can become permanently disabled, even for seemingly "minor" injuries. What I'll cover here isn't a definitive representation of the experiences of all those who have long-term effects from TBI, nor do I speak for everyone with brain damage.

Here are some long term symptoms relevant to this post:

Alexithymia (inability to process and name emotions)

Inability to process and name physical perceptions

Mood swings and emotional regulation difficulties

Communication difficulties

Social impairment

Apathy about caring for oneself

Lack of motivation

Alexithymia and inability to process physical perceptions

This one is rather obvious. While Mithrun is shown to feel emotions and have physical sensations (for instance, describing his location when he gets lost in the dungeon as "a cold place"), he is also apathetic to how this affects him. This means that his physical and emotional perceptions are reduced in some way. He says that becoming lord of the dungeon will leave someone "empty", showing he is aware of his dulled emotional state.

A good example of this is can be seen here in a bonus comic where he doesn't give much of a reaction to burning his mouth on hot food.

(I love these two a lot, by the way. Pattadol is really under appreciated.)

He is also not able to recognize bodily signals, such as hunger or when he is tired. Despite collapsing from exhaustion and not eating for long periods of time, he still insists he is not tired or hungry.

Mood swings

Mood swings in combination with alexithymia can be an especially disorientating experience. Those who struggle to perceive their own emotions can still feel them even if they don't know how to recognize it.

Individuals with brain injuries often experience drastic mood swings, particularly anger. To those around them, they can appear to go from 0 to 100 in an instant.

This is more speculation/headcanon on my part, as the strongest emotion Mithrun has for most of his appearances is anger. However one could interpret this as being unrelated as he is seeking revenge for a traumatic experience.

Communication difficulties and social impairment

Not only can naming personal experiences be incredibly difficult with a brain injury, but other areas of communication are often affected as well.

Mithrun is not able to set boundaries for himself even if someone is doing something he would not actually want them to do, which can leave him in a vulnerable position.

People with brain injuries can sometimes have a paradoxical experience when it comes to communicating with others. They can go from being very quiet to speaking at length about one topic, seemingly without regard for the importance of each bit of information. (I see it like Newton's first law of motion. It is hard to start speaking and it can be just as hard to stop.)

I really like this aspect of Mithrun's characterization. Usually, he is very quiet because he has no reason to speak. However, once he starts talking he is shown to be overly specific and goes on for long periods of time. Kabru has to spend multiple days figuring out his story.

In a side comic, Kabru tells Mithrun he should condense some of the personal details that Kabru finds irrelevant to the topic of the dungeon.

Mithrun shares many details about himself because his desire not to do so is gone. This mirrors the experience of many people who have brain damage to overshare and not understand how their words will come across to others. Sometimes they say or do things that are insensitive or inappropriate for the situation.

Caring for oneself and motivation

In the dungeon, Mithrun becomes reliant on others for self care. He also seems especially incapable of motivating himself to take care of his body when he is particularly focused on his goals.

In these panels, thus far he had been fairly receptive of Kabru trying to take care of him. However, he could sense that the demon was close and was too focused on that to care to eat.

Refusal of care and treatment is often an effect of traumatic brain injury. This can be for seemingly no reason, even if the person knows that this will help them. Sometimes people will lie about receiving treatment or doing things to take care of themselves, either so they can avoid it or avoid having someone take care of them.

He knows that eating regularly and not pushing himself too much will help him - he's been told multiple times on-screen - but he still has to be continuously told by others to give him that motivation to take care of himself. He's very apathetic to his physical state, even if it seems his only desire is for revenge and he should be doing anything he can to achieve that.

Other things of note

I wasn't sure where to put this, but while Mithrun's sense of direction is speculated by Kabru to be left over from his time as lord of an ever-changing, confusing dungeon, having poor sense of direction in the way he does could also be indicative of brain injury as well.

While the dungeon is confusing and illogical, he is known to have a poor sense of direction and to get frequently lost by those around him, even trying to exit an entrance he just came through. He is shown to be very intelligent, but memory is greatly impacted by brain injuries which affects a person's sense of direction and location.

Something that really stands out to me about Mithrun is how much the things that help him are particularly helpful to those with brain damage. He is physically capable of performing tasks, but he needs an outside source to remind him and get him started. He relies entirely on routine, and when that regularity is taken away he shows extreme difficulty taking care of himself.

Sometimes, the care that some people need is simply someone else to encourage them or to tell them when to do things. The care that he needs is pretty consistent with a person with a brain injury who does not need a full time caretaker and would prefer to have some independence.

Also, healing magic is specified to not work with brain injury unless the person is killed and revived. Mithrun had not been revived after his injuries, so it is entirely possible for him to have sustained a TBI. I don't think this matters that much because one is still allowed to have headcanons even if there is a magical explanation or isn't really possible in canon, but I thought it was an interesting detail.

In conclusion

Because of all this I don't believe that his lack of self care is due solely to mental illness. While mental illnesses like depression or PTSD can cause a decline in self care, the reasons why the affected individual is avoidant of these tasks differs. These disorders can also cause cognitive difficulties and emotional regulation issues, but not to the same extent or in the same way that brain damage would. I think that he does have both depression and PTSD (both are common after a TBI) but those are not his only disabilities.

And on a personal note, I just think that having a character with brain damage is really cool. Most of the time I've seen it the characters are not given very much respect and they are treated as comic relief and a joke. Regardless of whether you agree with this post or not, it is still nice to see a character with a disability like this.

Thank you if you read all of this. I hope it was easy to understand and I did not ramble too much. I don't have anything else to say but I've been wanting to write this out for a while.

Okay bye

[afinestoutlove]

things i love about heartstopper 11/?

Isaac Henderson. I love this boy so fucking much. He's sweet, he's funny, he's thoughtful, he's stylish, he's kind... He's a goddamn delight and also all the feels. (Tobie Donovan is SO GOOD you guys!!?)

The moment in ‘Truth/Dare’ where he comes back into the party? Those tears? Then when he’s on the balcony alone?

The times he opens a book in S2 and S3 but ends up ruffling the pages because he can’t read it?

His face when he’s gazing up at the art in ‘Sorry’ and seeing himself? My heart!

Then when he's watching Tori and Michael (two more characters I could rant about forever) in 'Apart'?? Just inject that shit into my veins.

"I know they would be [supportive about being aro/ace]. I just can't be bothered to give everyone a vocab lesson." ('Love') So goddamn real. Even knowing all your friends would be there for you, having to explain yourself is isolating. (Side note, I love that Charlie does go home and google what aromantic means and lets Isaac know.)

Realising you’re gay or bi or pan or trans is hard. But realising you’re on the ace spectrum is a whole different type of hard. It's so invisible even now. Even his friends who are accepting and loving keep making him feel excluded without ever realising, because they never consider that this is something they should account for. A lot of us find so much safety in queer spaces because people know us (or parts of us) without us having to educate them, but for ace/aro/demi people, even really welcoming queer spaces can be as isolating as cishetero ones. (Side note, it can be a very odd experience having part of yourself feel so seen in queer spaces, while another is still invisible.)

“It changes everything I thought I knew about myself. And about my life and my future.” ('Talk')

It’s so true, and such a gut punch. I think most queer people have a moment like this when we're figuring out who we are, but for aro/ace/demi people there's still not many visible potentials. For gay/bi/queer people, we have visible queer relationships to look to. For trans people, we have visible trans people to look to. NB folk are closer in experience to aro/ace, but even there, we see more representation even a few decades ago. And these are all things that are visible in our local queer spaces in a way ace/aro/demi people's experiences aren't - they're mostly seen as "just single", as "not yets". Our community haven't learnt to see something else yet. Isaac's story is so fucking important and he’s such a beautiful character and I love him so much. (Also Tori is so great for this, but she needs her own post!)

Isaac is also courageous and principled. Lecturing Harry Greene on basic human empathy under the Eiffel Tower?? Iconic.

Bonus points for all the ways he’s the sweetest human. He knows Charlie isn’t okay and he’s trying his best to be there for him, even though Charlie can't accept it. “You said you were okay and I guess you just lied. I mean, I kind of knew that" ('Journey' - didn't check the exact quote sssh). Ugh, ugly crying.

Luckily it doesn’t hurt all the time either. His humour is tragically underrated imho. In no specific order:

*kicks over the monopoly board to end an argument without even opening his eyes* "Oh, whoops."

“They’re just in the honeymoon phase.” “It’s not like they’re even dating.” “Unless they are.”

His completely unsubtle smirk when he’s delivering antiseptic wipes.

"Ooh I might have been asleep...!"

“No, I want all the details!”

I would watch a whole series about him and his side eye and his adorable smile I love him.

[hvr-22]

Happy Black History Month! ^_^ I've been wanting to make an appreciation post of the black rep in the Guilty Gear series. <3

Talking about each character below under the cut; a bit of context for anyone unfamiliar with them, their treatment in the writing, and their designs. Organized by each character, so care to read about whoever you'd like.

When it comes to series that include black characters, there's instances where not all representation is written as good rep—whether characters aren't multifaceted, made as stereotypes, have their storylines sidelined in favor of white characters, etc.

Guilty Gear avoids this by letting the cast have unique roles, fleshed out stories with satisfying arcs, and it is no exception for its black characters.

Ramlethal Valentine

A major character introduced in the modern Guilty Gear games; she's drawn to the side of the heroes as she learns she can exist beyond being her mother's weapon, and to embrace her individuality and the world around her.

She has a lot of screentime dedicated to exploring her character, relationships and development—leading to a compelling arc to follow across all of the games she's in (Xrd Sign + Revelator, Strive) as her worldview develops.

I also appreciate that Ramlethal's allowed to be a dynamic character as the narrative plays out. She's initially presented as an antagonistic character—and a lot of times when it's a black character in that position, they become completely villainized. But thankfully in Ramlethal's story there is a lot of focus on the many sides of who she is and her values, and given growth in those areas—there are many layers to her character, so she doesn't end up being painted in a biased lens.

Bonus points for casting!! In the English dub, Ramlethal and other characters here are played by black VAs, and it's good that Guilty Gear gave the opportunity for black people to be included for their own rep. ^_^

Venom

A prominent character in the Assassin's Guild; its plotline follows other characters such as the defiant ex-assassin Millia Rage, and its cutthroat leader Zato=ONE. In the group, he's sworn loyalty to Zato after being given mercy on his life despite a failure, and becomes a foil to Millia after her views on Zato begin to contrast his own, and for her sake "betrays" the Guild.

Venom isn't dismissed as the Assassin's storyline unfolds, everyone's dynamics are complex and very much involved with eachother. As well, he isn't reduced to just supporting the other character's narratives—there is also much focus on his own individual story, including an after story dedicated to him, and how he's helped to find a peaceful life outside of the guild. Arguably, he's given the most satisfying arc among the assassins.

He is also canonically gay (envious of Millia's closeness to Zato, Elphelt's quote remarking his disinterest in marrying women) and one of the first LGBT Guilty Gear characters! "Well this post is focused on black characters, so what does sexuality have to do with it?" Fair question, but the answer is because when it comes to other identities, white people are at the forefront of representation. I appreciate the intersectionality recognized with Venom, as it isn't as common to see.

Also just such a gorgeous character with a striking design, I couldn't go without mentioning it. One of my favorites in the series

Nagoriyuki

Nagoriyuki's a newcomer in Strive, but that doesn't prevent him from being an iconic character in a cast already full of established and beloved characters. He has a unique and significant role in the game—he's a wise samurai who's also a vampire, wandering trying to fight his vampiric tendencies. Because of his travels and impressive abilities, he serves as the boss in most arcade modes! He definitely stands out as a one-of-a-kind character even in a cast where everyone is unique, and it's fun to see a black character given that role. ^_^

He's received a lot of praises for his design, and rightfully so cause it's too badass. So I wouldn't be saying anything new, rather I wanted to mention the care put into designing his face... It's nice to see black hairstyles as well as features in an anime styled game, since there are instances creators aren't bothered to do so, or worse believe it "doesn't suit the artstyle" X_X. So Nago is refreshing to see and proves all that other bs wrong.

Fun fact his character is a historical reference to Yasuke the African samurai!

Those were the playable and recurring characters, now for side characters I want to mention. ^_^

Augus

A crewmate in the Jellyfish Pirates; although she's a side character, there's a lot of care put into her design. There's a touch of cultural influence incorporated in her pirate look with the gold jewelry. It's a nod to the significance of gold adornments in African traditions (whether status, spiritual, ceremonial, etc.) and how it's been integrated with modernity.

Alexis

She's acknowledged as an important member of the Post War Administration Bureau, praised by a few characters for her cuteness, and more importantly recognized for her skills from the entire group, and gets along well with all the group members. Aside from her professionalism, in Xrd's after story C, Alexis and a few of the coworkers make a mistake which leads to goofy moments..

She's a positive portrayal of a black female side character, since she doesn't lean into stereotypes about black women in the workplace, nor does every moment featuring her have to be 'perfect.'

There's also a small detail which I appreciate for her appearance. In Strive, the following game she appears in, her lips are two-toned instead of that bright pink. They didn't have to make the change, but it shows the willingness to improve to be more respectful, even in smaller ways.

That's all the characters I wanted to talk about! Guilty Gear has a strong cast of characters, and on top of that has good rep for many groups. ^_^ Hell even ur bed is getting represented in this series

[saintofsacrilege]

Thinking about Jason reading AFTG rn, who would you say is his favourite character? Is there an evolution between kid Jason, Jaybin, pre-flashpoint Red Hood, Rebirth Red Hood? Just mashing the fandoms together in a blender, puréeing them together if you will

mhm, good soup (puréed fandoms).

my interpretation of jason at any stage in his life relies so heavily on personal hcs and cherry-picking canon that these may be the most atrocious takes you’ve ever heard. but here we go!

kid jason: i think he’d feel the most connected to aaron. everyone’s telling you you’ll never make anything of yourself? that your life was doomed before it began? well, you’re not gonna accept that, are you? you’re gonna find a way to prove all of them wrong. you’re not gonna let anyone kill your dreams just because they’re “unrealistic” for someone “like you.” jason and aaron also both have a very strong dedication to their mother, who struggled with a drug addiction. while i don’t believe jason’s mom was ever abusive, i think jason would feel somewhat vindicated by seeing a representation of someone who still loved their mom despite what her illness drove her to do/made her into.

jaybin: neil. a man with a reputation for taking in strays gives you the offer of a lifetime? you get the chance to leave your past behind, even for a little while, and have something good that gives you joy and fulfillment at a level you never thought you’d get to experience? you’re familiar enough with the cruel way the world works to know that happiness won’t last forever, that it’ll have an expiration date, but you want to make the most of it while you still can? yeah, jaybin would definitely see himself in neil. he’d also get a kick out of neil’s attitude problem and continued state of being a pr nightmare.

(outing myself as a fake fan when i admit that i’m not very familiar with the difference between pre-flashpoint and rebirth red hood, so just know that my “red hood” is a mash-up of random fragments of comic canon and utrh)

red hood: this one’s a little more complicated. i think andrew’s system of making deals to feel like he has any worth to others would really resonate with jason. but given the torture the joker put him through, jason would probably have a ton of respect for neil post-baltimore, too. he’d also probably be a bit jealous of neil getting welcomed back with open arms and getting to stay “neil josten” even after nathaniel wesninski came to light. in contrast, jason couldn’t really stay “jason todd” legally or in the eyes of the people who once cared about him after he was revealed to be red hood. he was… someone else, as far as everyone else was concerned. so jason’s favorite would probably be either andrew or neil with some complicated emotions attached to the latter.

bonus: i hc as jason being raised catholic and having a super complicated relationship with christianity because of that, so—like neil—he probably wouldn’t be renee’s biggest fan. maybe a part of him feels like the subliminal messaging of her character is that if he had “enough faith,” he could’ve come back from the dead/his ultimate low point as a comparatively “better person” instead of a more violent one. which. no question why jason wouldn’t appreciate that sentiment too much. still, i think he’d find himself surprisingly touched by renee giving her knives to andrew and sparring with him.

this is really long whoops

[pikagatogirltits]

Ok actually I think I want to expand a bit on something I briefly mentioned in the tags on this post.

Queer media: Media that is at its core about queerness. Characters are queer, themes are queer, the story can not meaningfully be separated from that queer core. It doesn't strictly have to be just about a queer person's experience/struggles being queer, but queerness should still define the central motifs and themes. Often made by queer creators.

Media with queer characters: Media that isn't about queerness, but has queer characters that are actually part of the media. They don't necessarily have to be major characters, but they should be more than glorified extras or token inclusions and should generally be active parts of the story. The characters also need to meaningfully queer. It needs to be an explicitly canon part of their character and should be textually evident and not just a word of god statement. Bonus points for a character's queerness meaningfully impacting their character without it being their sole defining trait.

Media that happens to have queer characters: Media doing the bare minimum. A character, typically incredibly minor, is mentioned to be queer. The fact that they are queer is treated as an incidental fact, as trivial as their hair color or blood type. Often done for box checking diversity reasons. It's better than nothing but it certainly is a far cry from being good representation. If the character(s) in question are more than glorified extras then they tend to be the most generic token C-tier characters... technically they're a recurring character but only just barely.

(gonna tag @aethernalstars here for inspiring me to further clarify my thoughts by peer reviewing my tags)

[teadragondreams]

Thoughts on Nicole Maine's Secret Six (Organized [kinda])

Now that I've done some preliminary information gathering from stalking the appropriate tags and wiki articles, here are my thoughts on each member of the new Secret Six lineup! Keep in mind that I barely read the greater DC comics whatsoever.

Jay Nakamura (Gossamer)

Positive Asian representation in the Secret Six!? FUCKING FINALLY--Mostly with him and the other new members I'm anticipating some sort of soap opera style drama happening alongside the main plot-- and that isn't a detriment, it would be an active bonus.

Jon Kent

From what I've seen, much in the style of Dick Grayson temporarily taking on the Batman mantle, Jon *was* Superman for a while. Does he have a hero name specific to him or is he Superboy again? How many Superboys are there actually? (From what I've seen it seems to be just as complicated at the Batfamily-- but GOD am I SICK of the batfamily--) Anyway. I doubt they're going to have any continuity with the 2011 timeline but just imagining the interactions he could have with Black Alice or Catman if so--"Hey weren't you guys teammates with that guy that shattered my Dad's bones?!"

Dreamer (Nia Nal)

Read a part of that scene she has with Waller (I believe it was from Dream Team but not sure on that), but the fact that she actively scrambled Waller's memories and now this new series is in the aftermath of that ? Whoo boy is going to be fun! Especially becausefrom what I've gathered--Nicole Maines *is* Nia Nal, and probably has a clear direction with where she wants to take the character, right?

Black Alice (Lori Zechlin)

I love Lori! She's always been one of my favorites, especially because she is always accidently pushing the found family agenda with other members of the six. I know she'd made a few appearances around in other series like Suicide Squad and Night Force, and that's where her newer design comes from. But there are so many directions her characterization might go in this series that I'm just praying she doesn't get shoehorned into 'annoying kid member of team' because she's so much more than that! More of that "I feel tremendous guilt about possibly giving my dad cancer and purposely joined a team of mercenaries".

Catman (Thomas Blake)

Gotta love the Tomcat. I love how his design skews him back into "batman impersonator" but gets rid of that stupid hole in his cowl for a bang they gave him in DC Pride. I liked that story with him and Ghostmaker but I couldn't get over that stupid bang!! Addtionaly because he has so much internal conflict about what the hell he wants to do with his career as a mercenary/anti-hero/vigilante. His underlying attempts to be *good* to be *better* makes me glad to follow what he does. But honestly, I'd be even more glad if he was more of a supporting role in this mini-series, because his presence as a father/older brother figure (mainly seen in the 2011 run) are just incredible. Also I hope they don't make him the butt of too many eg(g)regious jokes.

Deadshot (Floyd Lawton)

Twenty bucks says they'll be at least 3 panels with him and Thomas in the hit or kiss zone. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Honorable mention section for that one issue cover that shows some of the previous members of the Six.

Bane

HOLY SHIT IT'S BANE!!! I literally almost cried in joy when that one Christmas special issue came out at the very moment I was like "I need to calm down with my Secret Six obsession it's not like there's ever going to be any new official material with them" and now boom. making this post. Super excited to see the big guy on a team again.

Scandal & Knockout

RETURN OF THE POLYCULE??? Not much to say here, I'll lament Scandal once again not being on the team proper, but I guess they've ditched that "all eight of us in this commercial are apart of the Secret Six" idea and are keeping the team to actually Six.

Jeanette

So happy to have you back queen, wish it was you on the front lines instead of your crusty little bf but understandable. I hope it's brought up again that she's like a majorly successful entrepreneur because it's so funny that she chooses to associate with these weirdos.

Chesire

I hugely disliked how Cheshire was treated in the OG Villains United Run. I'm fine with her being an antagonist, Jade could be a great antagonist!-- but I sincerely hope they avoid the stereotypes used to previously characterize her.

Ragdoll

I love this little freak! I am one of the (2.5)frequenters of the peter merkel jr tag. As long as A) the stupid little clown ruff remains and B) they let her be as much of a weirdo as possible, I will probably not have *too* many complaints.

Mad Hatter

peter merkel jr for the second time in your life you have the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever.

[catgirlbussy]

im gonna do a lil sadpost, as a treat. if u dun wanna read that or interact or anything there's no harm done <3 it kinda feels nice sayin stuff into the void tbh, cause i know as i look out ill always see myself at minimum, and im still thankful. im alive. if someone can relate or whatever then thats a neat bonus ★

I'm not super sure how to formulate these thoughts, cause lots of it is just incompressible /feeling/. I've been on HRT for close to two years now, and modifying my internal physical landscape alongside the work I put in with the ways I've learned sharing benefit so far, like therapy and self-directed exploration of my emotions and the simple but vital practice of being more open with others about how I'm feeling, has uncovered a lot.

It's been overwhelmingly positive in so many ways. I don't have any regrets for starting this set of changes, even with full knowledge of the difficulties I've had rise as a result and that more are on the horizon, and also full awareness in that I will need to continue putting in the *good* work to care for myself and learn how to navigate the parts in my mind I'd kept hidden or obscured for so long. It's not /bad/, I feel so grateful to have this opportunity at all and I feel bounteous joys in this trove of beautiful experiences that, up 'till not too long ago, I never thought I'd be able to experience -- though I absolutely still dreamed of having them so vividly.

I have a lot of good graces in my life re: my transition. In a lot of ways I feel I've been exceedingly lucky. Canada has its fair share of problems without a doubt, but I also know full well there are a lot more places on our planet where it's much more difficult to be openly trans, let alone dangerous or lethal. I don't take that as an opportunity to rest, either, because having cracks forming in the firmament, letting in light to my dream of a world where trans experiences are accepted (and to note most thoroughly, I'm learning more of a lot of cultures in days gone by, /including some aspects of my own heritage/, having extended gender representations ingrained in their societal norms, some as far even to revere the dynamic and unique experience of existing beyond the gender binary in whatever way they saw as such) for **everyone** spurs in me an even deeper and impassioned drive to work in the ways I'm able to foster communication and connection while rebuking hostility so more and more beautiful, valid trans folks can experience respite and respect and safety as well.

I'm not wanting necessarily to change minds and upend the posture of society with this particular post, though, and so I hope you'll forgive me in my expressing my small, localised set of emotions in this moment. At the root of everything I experience I'm starting to get better at reminding myself that I'm a valid *individual person* in addition to being a contributor in the push for good and kindness for all.

It's probably telling that I feel the need to offer ~4 paragraphs as a disclaimer that I spend time learning about the global scale and am effortful in enacting progress there before just getting on with what I'm even feeling sad about. I don't see myself as a holy martyr for being nervous about expressing myself, but it seems more and more common evidently rather than by my hypothesis alone that many trans individuals would get by prior to exploring their gendered identity with burgeoning self-acceptance with a marked self-exclusionary behaviour when it came to opening themselves to emotional experience, regardless of any given instance being gendered or not. Until it becomes unmanageable, it feels easier to lock away senses of joy, sadness, etc. cause you can keep gettin on by in a sort of functional state and you tell yourself thats enough.

This is far from the worst thing I've come across so far, but I am feeling confused and the confusion is unique in its own way to the extent that I'm not even able to pin down how I /feel/ about feeling it. At its heart I can't seem to muster the right formulation of words to explain to others these particular experiences I'm having in my transition. Painting in broad strokes can be such disservice to the nuance for any individual's cluster of experiences, but tumblr if anything *for me* has brought much happiness in finding threads of commonality with others. Stark contrasts to my feelings of loneliness and seclusion from the world around me give me so much hope. I'm writing this partly in hopes that there is another one of those threads people might appreciate seeing. I do more than my fair share of journaling, but this one feels special and worth sharing right now, and so decadently I write these words for a community beyond myself.

To be blunted, perhaps I might phrase it by saying 'i feel sad about being happy.' It's that sort of absurdist perspective that helps me wrap my head around it a little better with how little sense it makes to my normal machinations. I'm not sad that I am having these new and thrilling experiences of adding or or changing parts of myself to live in the way I best see fit for who I am, but I feel sad because I don't know how to.

I get locked up at the slightest things. Someone compliments my nails, and its so hard to communicate efficiently the impossibly depthed importance this literally surficial act has for me. They aren't even painted well, but I painted them /myself/, I felt catharsis in exploring my love of artistic expression in the choice of colours, I rode high on the thrill of watching this new skill form in my own hands. The coat is uneven and I can't quite keep myself from getting knicks in places as they dry yet and I'm still practicing the nail care associated with maintaining healthy and resilient nails, but if I can be so bold to say, god forbid women do anything.

This person obviously wasn't chastising me for partaking in a traditionally "femininely-associated act", let alone that so thoroughly most things people take for gendered in no way innately are, the whole binary supposition is a damned myth. But because of how I was brought up and the mindset I was taught to have before I fought to think for myself instead, this was a joy I'd always admired but felt I was abhorrent for wanting to partake in. Absolutely anyone who feels otherwise can irrevocably go fuck themselves if they aren't willing to examine the falsity of the foundational thoughts they 'think' they have leading them to ever want someone to abstain from such a viscerally unobstructive and innocuous form of self exploration and creativity bexause it's "for girls". This goes for anything. For anyone. Idc who you are or what label you wanna use at any given moment, go explore. Live life. God fuck do we need people to just experience joy in some ways so we aren't so incorrigible and hostile towards eachother.

But you don't stop whoever took 15 seconds out of their say to mention to you they like the colour and wanted you to know to discurse at length upon the structural bastardisation of who people are allowed to be, cause more than any of that I just want to feel happy about it.

I literally stutter out whatever form of thanks my malformed emotionally-communicative faculties can muster in this surprise and try not to start sobbing in the grocery store aisle or whatever. It's so /good/, and it's so frustrating that I don't even know how to just process and appreciate that it is.

I was so much an absentee in my own bodied self that I could not fathom an understanding of what gender euphoria was until it snuck up smashed me in the teeth. I didn't have any basis of understanding for what it was really like to be happy about some part of myself.

Despite my loneliness I have still had the experiences of friendships, people caring about me, and relationships where a partner genuinely appreciated parts of me, physical, mental, emotional, whatever. More now than ever I am having those experiences as I learn to come out of my cloister inside my head. But this time I'm not just numb to everything. Sure, as I'm learning to not just be unilaterally numb until my bastion of self-isolation fails and I break there is abundance of pain, but the pain I honestly prefer. It's more vivid than it's ever been before, but I can benchmark that I'm still alive by its contrast to neutrality. It's familiar, and my mechanisms of clutching my emotions into my soul can still carry me forward as I try to figure things out. But fuck me is it ever hard to have a happy experience and not know how to communicate that it tore my sense of stability in those moments to shreds. To lose the composure that carried me for so many years because someone sought to share something with me they thought I'd appreciate because they care about me feels so counterproductive to just enjoying the absolute gift that experience is.

Abstractly, as I'm wont to do to a remarkably self-apparent fault, I can tell myself that these things take time. Human emotion is so complex, and its panoply of shifting lights glinting as the facets move their positioning relative to the light of being alive is what drives me to do art, and it always has been, contradictory so fully to my desire to lock everything away. I can't circumnavigate multiple decades of trauma and be free and unfettered in my senses in an instant just because I'm aware it's possible. And so I try so fucking hard not to just sit down and cry in that grocery store aisle, cause it hurts so bad to be happy.

How dare I find glints of good in the polluted landscape we live in. But that mindset helps nothing. People striving to live amidst turmoil is what makes life worth living. There will always be strife, but there will always be the possibility for hope alongside it.

Without fail, each night I'll self-soothe myself into a mode of somewhat-restfulness imagining what it would be like to trust myself enough to be imperfect and let someone hold me. It's the only thing I do anymore. It even backfires sometimes and I just waking-dream my way through countless blissful scenarios about what it would be like if that cute girl I've been starting to become friends with mentioned she wanted to hold my hand for hours until the sun comes up and I know I won't have any sleep at all. It's so goddamn worth it. I revel in it, because at least in the theatre of my mind I can find small ways of letting myself feel those joys. They aren't really happening. It's my own hand rubbing a thumb gently along my collarbone in a faux affection. But it's the only way I've found that's not so obstructively blinding in intensity for me to practice what it would be like to be close to others.

I still lose my sense of self so often. I find bruises from where I bumped into things and wholesale didn't notice until the tiredness sets in and I can't autonomously ignore how sore I am. I dive effortlessly into the placid waters of dissociation when someone gives me a hug, despite that being what I have dreamed of for so many years during my self-imposed isolation. Someone tells me they like an art piece I've made and I stopper any sense of pride or appreciation for their kind words despite pouring however much time channeling my slowly uncoiling understanding of reality into every particle of it and wishing that my experiences could convey any amount of any feeling whatsoever to another living being with the entirely selfish act of wanting that I feel like I had a real connection.

I can't get by with chainsmoking and shelf-set pain medications and blind ignorance any more. I can't ignore how badly I want to feel. I am figuring it out instant by instant and it scares me horribly. One day my yearnings for closeness will be actualised because I'll be ready to open when they come. My selfsense-extracted mutterings of the hypothetical joys of being pressed down into sheets and kissed because someone deigned to gift me with attention for they hold appreciation of this newly forming, ill-configured, but ultimately revelatory feminine self I'm becoming will no longer be fiction and prose but the rawness of experience that I, once, and then more, can lose myself into without terror thay I'm inadequate and never truly worth it. Someone will touch my breasts and love me for loving them myself and I'll give in to the annihilating instant where I am no longer a sense of self but just am. This body is not me but my, and I will scrape and fight however I can muster to live vicariously thru it because that is what I am meant to do by being here alive at all. If anything ever again I want to feel what love is like.

I'm not even reading this back to see if it conveys properly let alone makes sense at all. I'm exhausted and in so much pain. If you read this, thanks, and, if you can, go hug someone you love today.

[bonefall]

Hi Bones!! Thank you for you hard work on this project and for sharing it with us!

I've seen your posts about weird representation of society (regarding the "natural order of things") in xenofiction, especially in lion king, so I wanted to ask:

could you recommend any xenofiction media that has all (or most of the) animal species sapient? Or is the only solution to make just one or two species sapient while the others (especially prey) are plain animals?

Really sorry if you've seen this ask from me before - my account had a weird laggy period when I couldn't send or receive messages and asks, so I don't know if you got the previous one! I just know that now it's fixed so I double all the asks sent haha

Honestly I'm not totally sure! If any 3rd person has some good recommendations for "every being is alive" xenofiction types, feel free to weigh in.

If you want to jump in with me though, I am following the webcomic Africa. It updates every Wednesday. Africa is about a mother Leopard on the verge of a great ecological disaster, the relationship between her children and the animals around her, and the strength of both instinct and choice as the characters face an uncertain future.

Since it's ongoing, I still don't know how it's going to end and can't judge it as a full work! But it's absolutely fascinating and I think the author is doing a fantastic job so far. Bonus points for the way it portrays humans, btw.

No more spoilers though, if you're interested, it's on Webtoons.

(I'm also planning to read Oren's Forge soon. Ask me about it again in a few months over on Bonebabbles and I'll give you my thoughts)

As an aside though, funny you mention it because like... ever since I was a kid I've had a story I want to tell with the premise. It's a scintilla I've kept close to me for well over a decade but haven't done anything official with. So this is actually a theme I've thought about a lot.

It's rare to see it done well though because like... its very premise butts heads with reality. The "natural order" that an animal follows is not something it moralizes. A tiger doesn't have the capacity to think about how fucked up it is to kill to stay alive, the deer doesn't know that if its population isn't controlled it will destroy the forest.

They're animals. They don't HAVE that agency. Your dog does not care about being sterilized. A snake doesn't differentiate between a pinky and an adult mouse except in terms of if it will fit in its mouth. But the minute you put human morality in there... they have the ability to reason, create and agree on the rules of a society, make choices about MORALITY.

If nothing is going to change about their world, you just end up putting human arguments about "natural order" in their mouths and, well... start telling a parable justifying this "natural order."

(Genuine) Does what I'm saying make sense? Animals DON'T rationalize or negotiate. HUMANS do.

So the minute you're approaching a world with that logic, like it or not, you are invoking those "arguments from nature." And you're putting them in a being that is not fully an animal or a human, but an anthropomorphic mix which CAN rationalize but WON'T make an effort to change their world.

(Which is why tbh the best examples i know of are works with a theme of "change.")

OH WAIT I also remember another that's interesting!! Leafy: Hen into the Wild actually has a fascinating take on it. It's not interested in "moralizing" or really being about an animal society. It's a very emotional sort of movie, and it's about joys in adversity, the freedom that choice gives you, how bad things are going to happen and you can never completely prevent them.

INTENSE movie emotionally, the ending will wreck you (especially in the English translation which leaves out a really important theme making it feel abrupt x_x) but it's really good. Check that one out.

OH and also You Are Umasou. That one has more pitfalls imo (it does try to moralize a bit) but it's super unique as a movie. And is about dinosaurs.

[vvooper]

alright. next up in my ffvii character pokemon teams: it's Tifa Time

tifa's team was pretty straightforward for me to come up with. details under the cut as always

tifa's sprite is a recolor of the gen 4 battle girl. seemed perfect for her

species: lopunny

ability: cute charm

item: muscle band

moves: close combat, return, power-up punch, captivate

ok I'll just address the obvious: there is some meta commentary going on here with my pokemon choice. people online can be very not normal about tifa's appearance. and I get it, I fully agree that Tifa Pretty, but let's not lose sight of the important fact that she can kill a man (and much scarier opponents) with her fists. I didn't give stargazer lopunnite here because that felt a little unfair to all the other characters who didn't get megas, but I definitely had mega lopunny in mind for the theme. the name is not really related, but I felt like it was a good name for a pokemon.

the ability cute charm and captivate kind of follow in the same vein. but muscle band, close combat, and power-up punch are all about kickin ass. I chose return because tifa is kind of a people pleaser, if that makes sense

species: mudsdale

ability: stamina

item: leftovers

moves: high horsepower, body press, smack down, rest

I chose a mudsdale because of tifa's cowgirl outfit from when she was a teen. yknow for a long time I thought that that was some kind of phase tifa went through. it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the entirety of nibelheim is a weird fusion of nordic and wild west influences. the name comes from one of tifa's limit breaks but again is not super related.

the stamina ability is for tifa being in great shape. it also works well with body press. high horsepower is just for the horse theme

species: togekiss

ability: serene grace

item: berry juice

moves: air slash, aura sphere, water pulse, roost

for seventh heaven, I had to go with an angel shaped pokemon. there are... surprisingly few of those.

the serence grace ability is yet another reference to tifa being in great physical shape. for some reason, the thing that immediately comes to mind is her summon animation from remake and rebirth. she does this cartwheel maneuver and the whole thing is so smooth and impressive.

berry juice is a god awful item, but I really wanted seventh heaven to have a beverage.

aura sphere felt like a good representation of tifa's chi mechanic in remake and rebirth. water pulse is another choice vaguely related to seventh heaven being the local watering hole. similar for roost, as it's a place for people to gather and recharge (or get plastered, but whatever)

species: palafin

ability: zero to hero

item: punching glove

moves: jet punch, drain punch, focus punch, bulk up

a dolphin pokemon is mandatory for tifa! now that I'm looking at it, maybe I should have named it dolphin flurry from remake and rebirth rather than dolphin blow from og, but too late.

the set is just pure punchy woman. punching glove powers up all the punching moves. as an added bonus, jet punch is a priority move, which is fitting because of how speedy tifa is. as for bulk up... square I'm BEGGING you to give tifa more muscle. her arms should not look like that!

species: medicham

ability: pure power

item: life orb

moves: close combat, zen headbutt, bullet punch, counter

premium heart is tifa's ultimate weapon. I chose medicham as another pokemon that can be related to her chi mechanic.

the life orb item and counter refer to premium heart's special mechanic. it deals more damage the higher tifa's limit gauge is, but in order to fill the limit gauge, tifa must take damage.

species: urshifu (rapid strike)

ability: unseen fist

item: choice band

moves: close combat, surging strikes, brick break, u-turn

tifa's legendary pokemon is urshifu, named zangan after her martial arts instructor. I've taken all of the pokemon artwork for these posts from pokemon home, but apparently it only has one urshifu icon for both forms, in which it just kinda... stands there. rest assured I chose the rapid strike form, both for tifa's speed and for the water type.

honestly the set itself is not super thematic, just fully geared toward physical power from martial arts-inspired moves.

previous entries found here. aerith is up next

[funarisjournal]

Nari's Tsukutabe Superlatives! (Part 3)

Comic Superlatives | Drama Superlatives

So here we are, just a few days shy of Christmas. Volumes 1-2 and the first season of the drama are just the right things to enjoy this time of year, you know! I've even semi-joked that S1 is technically a Christmas movie and folks should add at least one specific re-watch of it for the season~

Anyway, this is the final part to my Tsukutabe Superlatives series. This one's covering things that have overall representation in both versions. You know, generalized stuff. There's also a silly bonus superlative at the end of this post because of an overlap between things I've been enjoying lately. So, let's get down to it, huh??

Heh, using a doodle I made myself this time~

MOST RELATABLE CHARACTER

"Makisu!"

So it's obvious I love the leading ladies. They're the stars. They're both amazing, but I wanted to give an extra shout-out to the woman who I feel a kinship with. Nomoto is such a dork, I love her. She gets really flustered like I can get if something doesn't immediately go the way I want it to (and can be calmed down in similar, simple ways). She's got a passion for cooking as a hobby and doesn't really see herself doing anything more than that (like cookbooks and influencers). That's me with drawing! Ever her romantic backstory is very similar to my own. Sure, her first love didn't happen until her 30s, but I had the same vibes as I was growing up and then found Leigh online back when we were seniors in high school. And even then, I experienced a lot of that "Am I REALLY a lesbian?" vibes Nomoto had until Yako explained stuff. Also, canonically, Nomoto is demisexual....just like me! The things she experiences as she falls in love with, confesses, then lives with Kasuga are so similar to my own things with Leigh lol. Maybe some of my own experiences end up bleeding through the fanworks I make, too~

There are headcanons that I subscribe to that she is possibly autistic (compared to Kasuga's more obvious traits) but masking REALLY hard due to her upbringing and what's expected of her, and honestly. Yeah. That's me, too. I'm not officially diagnosed, and I don't want to self-diagnose either, but I have similar traits she does as someone who is also, probably, undiagnosed.

BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER

Yakoooo! Beacon of guidance for all the ladies in the story. She's amazing. I'm glad we have "elder queer" representation here. It would be fun to see nothing but romantic bumbling, but that may end up messing things up in the long run. Good thing Nomoto befriended this woman online! Also I love that they're oomfs. Need more of that online buddy rep!

WORST CHARACTER

Yeah. There's a worst...and it's Kasuga's dad. Nah, he doesn't deserve a picture. But my god I wanted to strangle him after the phone call with Kasuga. He was dealing all the low blows so fast. I do love the moment of vulnerability the drama ended up showing, though. It was all Emi Nishino's idea in that regard. She admitted in an interview she really had trouble keeping it together during this moment and was trying to keep herself looking all stoic as Kasuga normally does, but then she thought...well...I'm sure a little bit of emotion would show up, especially if Kasuga talks to someone she trusts. She voiced her thoughts to Manami and the latter just reminded her that, as long as she didn't slip out of character and felt like she was still in Kasuga's shoes, it should be fine. I love the drama version of this moment more because of this, by the way. They really brought out some raw emotions that STILL felt in-character!

BEST ARC

I had to think hard about this one since I'm limited to what the drama has shown (I actually love the current arc in the comic the most but it's not adapted....yet). So for now, I'd like to tread back on the last "award" and say this storyline - Kasuga's Family Arc (unofficial title) - is a close second.

I was really feeling for poor Kasuga during this whole thing. We see that she is frightened, paranoid, and downright emotional about her past. She tries not to show it, but it really was eating at her. Then she takes that plunge, so to speak. She frees herself from her past. But it HURTS. Her father doesn't go without a fight, ugh...And then she finally tells Nomoto, though the two universes split on when she tells her and it does affect things a little...but she tells her and the overall result is the same - she has love and support. She has her chosen family she can rely on. Augh~ Beautiful~

FAVORITE DISH

I would say the harako rice because it does look really tasty, honestly, but there's some special significance with the stollen I can't deny. They even promised to make a more proper one by next Christmas in the story. Will we ever get to see that? Will the promise be kept? It would be a good marker of how far they've come in their relationship, that's for sure!

BEST COMEDIC SCENE IN BOTH VERSIONS

Speaking of stollen...When Kasuga was denied more, at first, because Nomoto didn't even explain the tradition to her and she ended up eating the piece in one (or two, depending on version) bite(s).

BEST ROMANTIC SCENE IN BOTH VERSIONS

Okay...I can't avoid it. GET TEASED MUTHAFRICKS! (especially as the comic and the drama play the same scene a bit different). Not going into more details! Just trust me...Chapter 40 is gonna be gooooood~ (and Episode 30, as mentioned in the Drama Superlatives, is also really gooooood~)

(PERSONAL) FAVORITE RUNNING GAG

The fact that these two befriended one another, then confessed and started dating AND now live together.......................but they still call each other by their surnames. I've even made silly sketches of them getting married and even raising a kid together and they still use their regular surnames lmao. Even most of the fandom still just addresses them as such, me included! If you use their first names, that's fine! You're in the same small group as Nagumo lol

Actually, the moment Nagumo (in the comic only) uttered their first names with the -chan suffix is still such comedy gold. Kasuga drops her donut! Gasp!

FAVORITE FANFIC OF MINE (either universe)

I felt bad after writing Parts 1 and 2 and not actually giving a shout-out to my fanfics. I was thinking visually, okay? Agh, not an excuse lol

But anyway, Tsukutabe made me write WAY more than I usually have in the past 20 years of general fandom. So many to choose from...but I gotta hand it to "Be Selfish." It's my most popular fic in general (over 60 kudos on AO3!), it still reads fairly well, definitely not a stream-of-conscious fic like most of my other works (which isn't bad, but can make for awkward reading later, I think lol). It has all sorts of fan art attached to it - from me, but hey! If someone gets inspired, I want to see your interpretations, too! *wink wink, nudge nudge* Anyway, I actually re-read this one often. 'Tis a good one if you are okay with the rating! (But really, you should check out all my fics on AO3~)

BONUS: BEST MANAEMI INTERACTION

They sure did meet a lot this year compared to the post-S1 era, huh~? They have both said how the distance just kinda closed in the more they worked together and now they're getting together for food dates and giving us, essentially, freebie Tsukutabe continuations during this drought of new content.

But my fave is still the time Emi had announced her month-long vacation overseas back in September, and Manami's reaction was to offer her a send-off party, and they just have a BLAST both in the photos and in the comments ("If I get lonely, I'll video call you~~ And I will~~~" - Emi). Remember the naan meme from the drama superlatives? Yeah, never mind the one piece of naan, we were all eating the whole dang curry party that night! lmao

I hope you enjoyed these silly posts I made. If you want to make your own version, feel free! I know it's awfully specific, but hey. I had a blast~ Merry Christmas, and if you don't celebrate it, may the rest of the year be easy-going, hopefully...and well, you'll still hear from me before the new year but I will still see you all next year with more food lesbians lol

A pic for another fanfic of mine, but honestly it suits this post for a "The End" shot~

[lenaboskow]

Buddies wanted a cheating trope and given the latest interview from his past girlfriend... Ryan is the perfect man for that 👀

yeah so what we're not going to do is wish for a cheating trope. cheating is never something we should romanticize. not only that, it would completely ruin whatever progress we've made in terms of people accepting casual queer rep.

i don't know what interview you're talking about (tried to find it, but all i could find were the ones from 2023), but even if ryan is the "perfect man" to play someone who cheats, that doesn't mean he should.

what we can hope for, however, is a presumed cheating trope, if done right, and only if done right. (apologies in advance if the explanation doesn't make sense, i haven't had coffee yet)

there's a post going around (not sure who the op is, someone drop the @ in the replies please) about how buddie should get semi-blackout drunk, and while they're running around trying to save chim, the only memories they have is them taking their jackets off and then falling together on the couch, causing them to think they hooked up.

if done right, this means that buck and eddie are torn over this. like, i'm talking absolutely distraught. they can't look tommy or marisol in the eye the entire time, because how could they do something like that?

bonus points if tommy notices how weird they're being, but doesn't bring it up because its buckandeddie.

once we find chim, the story comes out, and turns out they fell because they were trying to put a fire out. they took their jackets off because it got hot. then buck and eddie start to wonder why their first thought was they hooked up, and bonus points if we see eddie wonder why he wasn't disgusted at the thought of hooking up with buck, just at the thought of cheating.

if they went this way, it would need to be made clear that buck and eddie are distraught, maybe even more so than tommy and marisol would be if they found out. we couldn't have them being like "oh we hooked up cool bet it was great"

however, i don't think we're getting that, and for good reason. oliver's recent interview, while definitely weird and dodgy, brought up a good point. they need to do this right. they're raising the bar for future representation, and we don't want it to start off on a bad foot. even a presumed cheating storyline would be iffy, and could set the wrong people off. there's also a fine line here where even if they didn't physically cheat, they could end up emotionally cheating, which is just as bad.

what i could see happening, however, is at least one feelings realization.

[blackwatervial]

The Pete Show.

For the my rewatch of The Pete Show (sometimes and more uncommonly known as KinnPorsche The Series La Forte), I will be noting down time stamps in which the main character Pete (from the Pete Show) makes an appearance. I will also, as a little bonus, add appearances of his romantic interest “Vegas”. Today:

Episode 2

After the out-of-focus background Pete of the first episode, minute 6 of the second introduces to in-full-focus backside Pete. Peachy!

And while I usually only add one visual representation per timestamp, there is one moment in this one that deserves to be singled out. It occurs at 6:46, where we're getting out first title drop of The Pete Show!

It sure is, buddy!

He next appears at the 18:00 mark for another whopping 20 seconds! We see him next to a pool (Pete-Trivia! This won't be his last fun pool-moment)! Here, we are dealing with the rare swimsuit-edition Pete. He comes in two different versions and this is the fully clothed one

After a brief intermission of unimportant Pete-less moments he returns at minute 19:42, which he lights up with his dazzling Pete Smile™ (Not to be confused with the feral Pete Smile™, which will be displayed about 9 episodes later)

Minute 25 sees the return of a fan-favourite: blurry background Pete! But this one is a special boy indeed - look at that piece of bread he's clutching in his paw! Delightful!

At 27:24, we meet exposition Pete slash gossip Pete! He makes sure we're all caught up on the goings-on in the family while being a little judgy-judgy about it. Deserved!

At 40:14, we encounter bodyguard Pete. He's doing his job! His job is...guard. He's quite good at it, standing there all prim and proper and giving some more exposition, such as introducing his boyfriend to the audience:

At 45:38 appears another all time favourite of Pete enthusiasts out there: smoking Pete. Literally and figuratively smoking hot. Nothing more to be said, just look at him!

At 48:44 we have underappreciated Pete. I hope he goes to the bodyguard union and files a complaint.

Love-Interest appreance counter

At 50:46, Vegas is having a talk with his dad. Mildly exciting.

But!

A fun fact for everyone who made it his far! At minute 38:50 we get introduced to dear Vegas for the first time! And who does he appear as? That's right: blurry foreground Vegas! Him and Pete have so much in common <3

Previous Pete Show Posts

[signed-sapphire]

Who do you see as the voice actors of your characters from The Fallen Star au? P.S. The question appeared after reading this post: https://www.tumblr.com/annymation/740501852095905792/the-voices-in-my-wish-rewrite?source=share

OOHHHHHHHHH thank you for asking!

Okay okay so I will be recasting most of the main characters. Like @annymation, Chris Pine is still Magnifico because he’s literally Magnifico, and I don’t really have a problem with any of the seven teens’ voices.

So here we go!

Asha is voiced by Cynthia Ervo!

I really like Ariana’s voice, it’s very much what someone would associate with the 3D Disney princesses. However, TFS!Asha has a completely different personality than most Disney princesses, and I want her voice to match that. She has a very strong singing conviction, and it’s different voice representation! Plus, Cynthia has HUGE vocal range, it’s seriously amazing, and honestly fits exactly how TFS!Asha is

And as a bonus, Cynthia was in Disney before!

Cielo is voiced by Anthony Ramos!

I first found out about Anthony because of Hamilton, and I’ve loved him in everything since. Literally every character he plays or voices is similar to Cielo! Particularly his roles in In the Heights and Bad Guys, he sings in both too!

Anthony is just so funny and goofy, and has SUCH STRONG flirtatious vibes EXACTLY how I imagine Cielo to be with Asha

^This is the song I’m imagining when I imagine domestic royalstar. I’m only attaching the song instead of the music video bc it’s a tad suggestive and also, Jasmine (his then girlfriend and fiancée featured in the video) broke up and that makes me sad

But!!! Musical experience, chill personality, Spanish, literally all Cielo.

Magnus is voiced by Chris Pine!

DON’T COME AFTER ME OKAY HIS VOICE SOUNDS AMAZING IN THIS SONG

It won’t be used like this in my rewrite but CMON IS VOICE SOUNDS AMAZING AND IT FITS HIS CHARACTER IN THE FALLEN STAR

Seriously, Chris Pine really loved his role, you can tell. “This is the Thanks I Get” didn’t fit his voice in the honeyed way it’s perfect in, and I’ll forever be mad at Disney for that. Chris is good in slow, emotional songs, which is why his villain song in my rewrite will be perfect for him

Amaya is voiced by Carolina Gaitán

So I’m still not really sure about this one. Amaya in TFS is Egyptian-Hispanic and I didn’t really know a lot of singers outside of Broadway tbh, but Carolina is such a great one! She voices Pepa in Encanto and it’s a shame we didn’t get to hear much of her singing voice (besides that small bit in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”) because she’s such a great singer! I’m not 100% sure of her voice, but I do think it fits and that it will grow on me. I also haven’t had the chance to draw Amaya as much as I’d like to, so I feel like once I do I’ll be able to picture her more.

Valentino is voiced by Ravi Cabot-Conyers

Now, Valentino doesn't have any significant singing roles in my AU, but he does still speak. And I love, love Alan and know he has done amazing things for Disney, so I want to find him a voice in The Fallen Star too, but Ravi also voiced this little cutie

And yes, it's another Encanto voice, but Ravi was so adorable and amazing and it would be funny to have his dichotomy with the deep-voiced Asha

[musicalcastingideas]

The Princess Bride Musical Dreamcast

The fact that with all the new broadway musicals are adaptations and NO ONE has done the Princess Bride yet is absolutely criminal, so if that were to hypothetically happen, here's my dream cast list.

Framing Device:

Grandchild: I can't really put anyone for grandchild, since I don't know many child actors, but I do think there should be a rotating cast, like they had with Mathilda on Broadway.

Grandfather: Mandy Patinkin, aka the original Inigo Montoya.

Mother: Robin Wright, aka the original Princess Buttercup.

I think it would be really sweet and fun to have two of the original movie's cast play parts in the framing device, almost like they're passing the baton of telling the story to the next cast.

Main Story:

Westly: Joshua Henry

I don't know if this is a controversial statement, but Westly is a baritone, and I think Joshua Henry would be absolutely perfect. He's charming as fuck, he's a phenomenal actor and vocalist, and he's absolutely gorgeous. Perfect leading man for a story that is about telling the best story ever.

Buttercup: Maria Bilbao

I think Buttercup would be a legit soprano, and as a big fan of Sweeney Todd and the recent revival, Maria Bilbao, who played Johanna, would be absolutely perfect for it. Just go listen to her Green Finch and Linnet Bird and you'll get it.

Inigo Montoya: Colman Domingo

Does Colman Domingo sing? I don't know. Could he act the absolute SHIT out of the confrontation between Inigo and the Six-Fingered Man? ABSOLUTELY. I have this vision of how to adapt the scene, which would also kinda translate Inigo's arc to a musical version. So in the original, the Six-Fingered Man trying anything to manipulate him, mocking him, that great "you have an overdeveloped sense of vengeance line, and Inigo is just not having it. He just keeps repeating the iconic line over and over again. In the musical, I would have the six-fingered man sing, like he's trying to get Inigo to sing with him, to give in to the performance, but Inigo won't sing, he just keeps repeating his line over and over. He refuses to conform to the typical "rising above" narrative and leave the Six-Fingered Man alive, he will be true to himself and his mission and won't let himself be distracted. Anyway, I don't know if this is a good idea, but Colman Domingo would be amazing either way.

Prince Humperdink: Aaron Tveit

I think Prince Humperdink should be the archetypal tenor boy and who is a better representation of current archetypal tenor boys on broadway than Aaron Tveit? Also he's really talented and I think he would act the shit out of this smarmy bastard role.

Count Rugen aka The Six Fingered Man: Josh Groban

I need Josh Groban on Broadway more, and I think he would do great at a quieter villain role, especially coming off a more angry and bloodthirsty role like Sweeney Todd. Also he looks a bit like the original Count Rugen, so that's a bonus.

Vizzini: Alex Brightman

I don't really have much behind this one, other than Vizzini is a weird little guy and Alex Brightman plays weird little guys really well.

Fezzik: Jason Segal

So ideally, I'd actually be able to cast an actor with gigantism to play the part, but I don't know of any, and couldn't find any while googling, so this is my backup essentially. During the lockdowns, a bunch of celebrities did The Princess Bride over zoom, and the scene with Rainn Wilson as Vizzini, Pedro Pascal as Inigo and Jason Segal as Fezzik is genuinely really great, but Jason Segal's Fezzik impression is spot-on and actually amazing. Also, we know from the Muppet Movie, How I Met Your Mother and Forgetting Sarah Marshall that he can sing so, I think he would do great.

Miracle Max and Valerie: Joey Richter and Lauren Lopez

I assume posting this to Tumblr, more people would know who Joey Richter and Lauren Lopez are than the average social media platform, but they are part of Team Starkid and Tin Can Bros and do some fantastic original musicals (please look up the Hatchetfield Trilogy and Spies Are Forever if you haven't seen them yet). They're both extremely talented performers, and also married in real life, so they would absolutely kill this.

Clergyman(Mawage guy): Brian d'Arcy James

I don't really have much of a reasoning behind this, I just think he'd do a good job.

Backups/Close Calls:

Denee Benton as Princess Buttercup

She's one of the best parts of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, and that's saying something because that musical is (in my opinion) one of the best of all time

Pedro Pascal as Inigo Montoya

I don't know if he sings, and he would be amazing for this, but I wanted to challenge myself to think outside the most obvious choice. However, sometimes the obvious choice is a good one.

Bernadette Peters as Valerie

If the Witch from Into the Woods found love and inner peace