#kind of funny how all of these are characters that have their biggest appearances in fusion

[no1blacksapphirefan]

Shadow milk watching us refer to different cookies are our ‘favorites’- I just told my best friend that Holly berry is my favorite followed by Golden cheese

how do you think your Self aware au cookies would react to being called the readers favorite?

That is a funny thought ngl, I always tell my friends my fav is black sapphire and how much I love him (I think they're getting sick of it/silly) These 3 requests seemed a bit similar, the plush one kinda connects to the rest cuz I feel like a lot of ppl would buy a plush of their fav character if they could hehe (Someone make a black sapphire plush I beg)

Pure Vanilla Oh he's so flattered, out of all the cookies you favour him the most? It's just so sweet of you, he tries to contain his blush as he overhears your conversation with your friend, he knows he should't listen, even though it is a bit harder.

But how can he not hear how giddy you sound as you happily show your friend the screen with him there, he hears your praises of how you love him so and oh he can hardly contain himself from giving himself away as he sees you show your friend a plush you've made of him.

How can you be this sweet? You're carrying it around too?? Oh my, you're gonna make him hope he can meet you in person now.

White Lily Hearing you gush so sweetly about her and her character makes her so flustered and embarrassed, even the part of her story as Dark Enchantress made you love her?

Oh she isn't sure how long she can keep a straight face as you go on and on about how much you love and favour her character out of any other, she's so flattered, she wants to thank you so much.

As soon as you pull out the home made plush you made of her, she nearly lets out a squeak before happily telling other cookies about it, she's so happy about it believe me.

Dark Cacao He's so startled as soon as he hears you gush about him to your friend while showing them who you were talking about, he stares with a straight face as he watches your friends giggle at how much you loved him and honestly? He wanted to join in, of course not in a bad way but damn he isn't used to this kind of love.

He doesn't know how to fully feel knowing out of all the cookies you could've favoured you chose him, your're so kind. He's sure there's other cookies worth your love but knowing you still chose him makes him feel content.

His eyes can't help but widen as he sees you happily cuddle a plush version of himself, you made that? Because you liked him? He wonders what else you do just because of that, he isn't complaining though, he can't deny the plush looks cute. Maybe he can find find someone who can make a plush version of you...

Golden Cheese Oh she loves it, high praise. She loves hearing you talk so it's a win win, hearing someone praise her for her story, design and game-play and it's you saying it? Oh you talk her up too much. Though she can't complain. She loves hearing you speak.

She stands pridefully as your friend looks at her from your phone, seemingly also amazed by her appearance. Oh she enjoys hearing how giddy you seem to get as you rant on and on about her, nearly makes her blush.

She can't help the smile that creeps on her face as she spots the plushie you made of her, seeing you enjoy her character so much fills her with pride no other praise can imagine of achieving.

Hollyberry She swears her heart soared to all new levels as she hears you talk about her, seeing that amazing cute smile as you happily list out the reasons why she's your favourite. Witches, she could probably do the same for you. List countless reasons why you're her favourite person.

Hearing you rant about her to your friend? How adorable!! She's so happy to hear you seem to like her just as passionately as she likes you. Makes her smile to each corner of her face.

Oh and her heart might as well have floated away as she sees you make a plush of her, oh how she wants to reach out and give you the biggest hug instead, she can't help but let out a laugh every time she spots you cuddle it as you play the game.

Shadow Milk Really? He's your favourite? Don't get him wrong he's honoured and he has always wanted your attention and loved how you showed it to him but actually hearing the words fall out of your mouth? That was different. You truly favoured him out of the countless cookies there was? You truly want to stay by his side?

Hearing your loving voice talking about him to your friends, telling them how much you loved his design, his back story. Maybe you told them he was the reason for you to join or come back. Honestly any verbal mention of why you favoured him so makes his heart beat faster, he won't admit it though. He plays it off to others as if it were "To be expected" but truthfully? He can't help but be a bit flustered.

It was different, he swears it's different from your usual small displays of affection cuz not only were you talking about him and what you loved, you're talking about him to a friend and showing him off...and seeing that plushie you made of him? Almost intensified his want to get out of the game and meet you.

Mystic Flour She didn't expect it, sure, her design is pretty to most and perhaps her backstory pulled at your heartstrings, hearing how she became a beast and looking at how she still truly cares, even but deep down. But she didn't expect that those things pulled together made you favour her so much.

Hearing you chatter away to your friend about her, sent a weird feeling in her body, you really like her that much? You're willing to talk about her to others? Despite her usual apathy, you continue to be an exception to how she feels. Perhaps it's because you seem to understand her story well, you would never betray her or constantly ask things of her.

Upon seeing that plush you made of her to continue showing your love for her, even if you didn't realise she was watching your every move. Just seeing that small plush you made for her, makes her heart swell in happiness and nearly pride. She likes the fact that she's your favourite. And she hopes she continues being your favourite.

Burning Spice His eyes quickly perk up as soon as he hears his name and "favourite" in the same sentence. He lets out a loud laugh hearing you happily talk about him to your friends. But not one in mocking, one in a mixture of confusion and satisfaction.

After becoming a beast, he nearly expected everyone to be scared of him, sure he has his minions who aren't but to others they should be scared of him. He'll bring destruction to your land but hearing you talk so sweetly about him? With words he swears shouldn't be used for him but...if it's you? Maybe he's willing to make a small exception. Besides, it's your voice that's speaking right now, he could listen to it all day, plus your almost boosting his ego with your sweet words.

Oh he loves that plushie you made of him, even if it's getting more physical affection then he is. Yes he knows you couldn't even if you knew he was wanting it but hey!! He wants those cuddles too, they kinda look nice...he wonders how willing you'd be to hug the real thing, are you going to change your mind and be scared of him? Oh will you continue loving him?

Black Sapphire Oh how he wishes he could podcast the words coming out of your mouth. To record and show other cookies and make them jealous that you yourself have stated that he was your very favourite. It fills him with so much pride.

Though, he won't deny your words nearly make him flustered, hearing your voice talk on and on about him, his part in the story, the despair in your voice as his banner left. Hah, you really know how to make a cookie swoon huh? He smiles so sweetly as you continue to speak, not daring to say a voice line to gain your attention if it meant hearing those kind words of praise continue.

Oh and that plush? The cutest lil thing, don't worry you'll get the real one soon. For now, he's content with pretending it's actually him in that plush, whether that be his soul is in there or he's fully replaced the plush? But for now, he'll settle for just imagining it.

Elder Faerie You first started to do it after his death scene, or at the very least he first heard you. Well you ranting to your friend about his death. It was strange for him, he had died yet he was here, you truly were magical. Hearing you so upset over his death surprised him for a bit, he could've sworn there wasn't much information about him though...he guesses that doesn't matter.

He doesn't mind hearing you chirping away to your friend about how much you like him, he's figured it out after hearing your sadness due to his death. He didn't think it would effect him at all actually due to the prior information but he was proven wrong as he felt his heart race. You truly were something, he didn't mind though. Simply smiling as he hears you continue talking to your friend, who to him, seemed a bit tired. Seems you've done this alot, even without the game being open.

Oh he finds the plushie you made adorable, and it's of him? If other cookies see that, they might get jealous...than again, not many would dare to possibly upset you by somehow taking it away. While he wishes to be in the plushes position instead, he can't help but smile so sweetly if he sees you fall asleep with that plush in your arms. He didn't think he'd adore you this much.

Espresso Cookie It catches his attention almost immediately, nearly breaking him out of his tiredness as he had researches quite a bit the previous night. He isn't surprised per say, he guessed as much when you paid extra attention to making him stronger than any other cookie but hearing you talk your friends eye out with reasons why you like him?

He listens intently hearing you speak of him, he knows technically he's ease dropping but you aren't aware that he's listening in, plus when you show him on the screen in the cookie profile, he can't help it. He tries not to smile, your sweet words almost getting to him. Well they did get to him, he's been thinking about it for awhile. Hearing you talk so happily about him makes him feel almost refreshed and energized despite his previous fatigue.

When he catches wind that you made a plush just for him? Oh he can't help but look at every detail, he's impressed. You got everything done to a tea, if he could he would praise you for your handy work but for now he'll settle for just staring at that plush, thinking about how much it continues to show your favouritism towards him.

[felassan]

David Gaider on Alistair, under a cut for length:

"Ah, Alistair. Depending on who you ask, he's the adorable woobie with the biggest heart or the irritating, over-used man-child. Yes, he is indeed all of those things. Good characters have flaws to go with their virtues. Ugly spots. That is literally their humanity. He was a bit of a bear to write, at the outset. James (Ohlen, the first creative director on DAO) had this idea he needed to be a grizzled Warden veteran - older, distrusting. Everyone hated him instantly. I call this the Carth Onasi Problem, and suggested to James that maybe I try something else. My observation says that the characters who are generally liked the most are the supportive ones. Enthusiastic. Funny? Sometimes, sure, but that's *not* required. I need to digress. See, at the time James had this (regrettable) period where he believed everything could be derived from a formula. He even sold this idea to the founders, Ray and Greg. Google 'BioWare formula'. Anyway, how this relates is because James thought the DAO cast needed a Minsc: a comedy character who would become super popular and, ideally, the icon of DA. "Isn't that Alistair?" you ask. "Arguable," I say, "but no." James had me to up a huge list of 'comedic archetypes' and I wrote some possible dialogue for each one. Then he had the team vote. The winning archetype? The Buffoon - like Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin. James was pleased. I was not. "The problem," I said, "is I don't find the Buffoon funny." 😅"

""But you're a professional." "Sure, I *can* write him... but comedy isn't science. I need to find him funny. If I write him, the only comedy I'll mine is where he makes fun of himself." James took that on board and then passed the character onto someone else. The result? Oghren. I rest my case. So back to the supportive character: that was my thought for a new Alistair. It was a special case, after all - the DAO PC was thrust into a terrible situation. They needed someone who had their back. A bud. A *likeable* bud. I was watching Buffy at the time, and my thoughts drifted towards Xander. Now, I know Joss Whedon is persona non grata these days, but this was 2006, OK? I was watching Buffy and thought, "man, Xander is such a wasted character" and considered how to fix him. Then I realized this might work for Alistair. Plus, I wanted to see if I could replicate the Whedon vocal patter. That was the new Alistair: a more useful and likeable yet equally dorky version of Xander. We had very strict rules in DA about language: no modern speech styles, colloquialisms, any words that came into use in our world after 1900 got severe side eye... but Alistair? Alistair got a blanket pass. Was it great that the lead writer's leading man got to break the rules? I guess not, but it's my opinion that you can break those kinds of rules - selectively, in small doses. Too much and you break the illusion. And it worked. Alistair was an instant hit. Not just with the team, but with the fans."

"Confession time? Yes, I knew Goldanna wasn't meant to be Alistair's mother. But neither was Fiona, originally. I think fans caught wind of some revisionism at work, and OK it's true. I had a more Arthurian idea for his birth but I stopped liking it... yet not soon enough to go back and make edits. Should I have just left it be, left Goldanna as his mother? Maybe. It was one of those writer things I just couldn't let go of and I probably could have used someone to sit me down and go "Gaider, please. Just stop." I still like Fiona, and where I took it. But I probably shouldn't have gone there. Casting Alistair was SUCH a chore. He required a weird mix of devilish charm, but with enough sincerity and adorkableness it didn't come off as smarmy. Every audition went full smarm... until Steve Valentine up and appeared out of nowhere. In the midst of a batch of audition files, there he was. We brought Steve in "just to try out", and he pulled it off. Even the "frog time" line, which (seriously) nobody else could. And when he got to the romantic lines, Steve's voice turned into pure butter without, again, sliding into "oh, he's slightly creepy". Both Caroline and I were sold. And he was so gloriously easy to write. It's a well I'd probably return to... a bit too often, maybe? Maric, then Anders in Awakening, and then Alistair kept popping up in future games and the comics because, yes, he was pretty much the breakout comedy character of DA. Which still makes me happy. 😁 CORRECTION: Goldanna was someone Alistair thought was his *sister*, and her mother his mother. Look, it was almost twenty years ago, OK? 😅 --- I actually had a whole scene written in DAI where Fiona tells him, but the requirements were so specific for them both to be in Skyhold and it seemed like it'd be relevant only to a small small sub-section of fans (and confusing to everyone else) so it was dropped. Rightfully so, I guess."

[source thread]

User: "The Buffy vibes were strong in DAO and I was very happy with that at the time. What I loved about DAO was the mix of dark themes entwined with bits of levity. That's how I like my angst. Dark, broody with a side of ha-has and y'all delivered in DAO for sure." David Gaider: "That's a me thing. I like going dark - really dark - and then pairing it with light, comedic moments. It provides peaks and valleys in the tone, and prevents either from becoming overwhelming. Hey if it worked for Shakespeare (alas, poor Yorrick), it can work for DA, right? 😉" [source]

[meanbossart]

When you described the fashion that Drow dislikes it made me think about Bhaalist AU. Becasue Astarion on that one piece (the one with a mirror) looks exactly like your description. It's a bit ironic and I love it. Drow appreciates practicality. But Bhaalist Drow doesn't think Astarion needs to dress practical, Astarion is there to look pretty and Bhaalist Drow is there to make sure he is safe :) Do you have any more thoughts on how their (Drow vs Bhaalist Drow) perspective differ when it comes to clothing?

VERY WELL OBSERVED!

I would say, though, that it's more of a mixture of the things DU drow genuinely and consistently finds "tasteful" and the ostentatious garishness that he appalls in his redeemed path - and that is very much the character in a nutshell, a slightly more honed version of the person he used to be pre-tadpole, but who still requires that status and approval. He's more in control now - both of himself and of the world around him - but he's by no means "better".

By dressing Astarion up in a way that could be understated but then loading him with gold, silver and gems, he's making him a symbol of status as well. Astarion isn't supposed to look impressive, he's supposed to make him look impressive. And of course the fact that he's bound and weighted down in riches speaks for itself.

What's funny about Bhaalist DU drow AND "canon" drow, is that they both believe to be a new and improved person when compared to who they were prior to losing their memories. They would both mock him for his obsession with Orin, his weaknesses, his obnoxiousness, his appearance, his obsession with gold and jewels and intricate outfits - and they're both hypocritical for it in their own ways.

A Bhaal-Embracing DU drow would forego of a lot of the glitz and the murder-glamor that his past-self valued so much, especially in fashion, and treat his body itself far more like the statement piece it's supposed to be. Astarion, on the other hand would be showered with those kinds of gifts - because as mentioned earlier, he gets to be the expensive purse that DU drow carries around with him everywhere. He can care about looking nice and pretty, because he doesn't have much more of a purpose than that.

Canon DU drow, on the other hand, values things much more based on comfort, both in the practical and emotional sense. He doesn't value the individual rings he loots around, but having them on makes him feel nice even if they're cheap, scuffed, or just out of place with the rest of his look. Stealing pretty valuables is more of a fun past-time with his significant-other than a genuine lust for gold. Nice clothes are a treat, but not necessary, and regardless of his personal preferences he doesn't truly care about what his partner has on at all, as long as they seem happy about it. This is the biggest difference between the two versions of this character - they both want to make their better-halves happy, but only one of them cares whether or not it's a genuine kind of happiness.

[ennn]

Things I Liked About the Agatha All Along Finale - Initial Thoughts

Wooooo boy. Hey look I'm a bleeding heart shipper but I'm old and have been in enough fandoms. Let's process shall we?

Alice! Alice echo-ing what so many fans are saying about her lost potential. Rio actually being kind in reminding Alice her death did have purpose. "You're a protection witch, you protected someone."

The development of Billy's extremely complicated relationship with Agatha. Kid's not loyal to Agatha, he's understanding her, or starting to at least. He sees her being a relationship with Death and he's curious about the story there. He cares enough to connect the dots and see Agatha as a full person. And we see that developed as the finale goes.

"That's it? That's all the time that I get?" The show reminds us that death sometimes just happens – "Sometimes boys die" – I wonder if one of these writers is a Sandman fan because I immediately clocked a parallel to Death of the Endless taking a baby's life in her first comic appearance.

Death of the Endless is of course much kinder than Rio is with her (iconic) reply to that eternal question. "You lived what anyone gets... A lifetime."

That whole convo we got in the preview clip. And then them just sitting down and talking more? Albeit with layers of manipulation but y'know that's them.

Agatha telling Rio that she'll hand over Billy if Rio leaves her alone: essentially making Rio once again choose between her duty and her feelings towards Agatha. The deepest cut Agatha could make – which we see echoed with "If you do this I'll hate you forever." They know each other and the best ways to hurt each other.

I laughed waaaay too much at Agatha ragging on Jen's last vegetable name.

Jen's unbinding ritual was powerful and a fantastic moment for the character. She recognised and embraced her power. Agatha's mask slipping a little at the end as well. Amazing. Sasheer killed it.

The whole scene with Agatha working with Billy to bring Tommy back was beautiful and emotional and well put together and showed the side to Agatha that cements her as a great mentor (when she's not being the biggest murderous asshole).

Agatha using what she learnt from her Alice and Jen – and what Lilia told her – to hold her ground with Rio... okay it lasted like 10 seconds but it was a nice callback! Agatha's such a shameless survivor.

Incredible kissing. We knew Hahn and Plaza would deliver and they did. When it comes to kissing women, these two absolutely go for it.

Rio looking absolutely gutted with having to take Nicky away. Plaza really delivered with Rio's pain in these eps. Agatha calling her "my love", cursing and then begging.

Rio being soft about Nicky despite her job. Nicky willingly going with her with no fear, no hesitation – suggesting that they did bond somehow? Nicky knew she was a friendly face and trusted her. It was really a good death, all things considered. He wasn't sick, he wasn't in pain, he wasn't scared he simply fell asleep and just went.

Rio reminding Nicky to kiss his mom goodbye. She cares so much, as much as a personification of death can. It's funny how some people thought Rio was going to be this manipulative big bad but no, Agatha's the more toxic one in this relationship.

Okay like imagine Agatha finally dying and just straight up BOOKING it before Rio pops up. Rio hates ghosts. The number of times Agatha deliberately pissed her off this finale was amazing.

"I'm sure he'll forgive you for... whatever you did." Aw Billy is a good kid. Just like Nicky was. Agatha needs that reminder, that anchor to not be the Worst.

Chemistry aside, Agatha and Billy being mentor-pupil makes a ton of sense because these Maximoffs do the most fucked up shit (unintentionally) with their magic and Agatha's got the knowledge, charisma, cynicism, and the morals of a spinning compass to support him.

Alright when are they announcing the sequel / spin-off? I know there's a rumour of it happening. Rio's got 2 abominations and one endlessly aggravating ghost of an ex to deal with now.

[hughiecampbelle]

The Boys Preference: Dating After A Toxic Relationship

A/N: Not requested, just an idea I had 😊 Remember, requests are open! Be sure to read my rules and please respect that I'm only interested in writing for these characters. Thank you! Feedback is always appreciated 💜

Butcher is very vocal. He knows you jump and scare easily, so he always makes a point to say where or if he's going to touch you, if he's upset and why (so that you don't worry you're the reason), when he'll be back, etc. This takes a lot of trial and error between the two of you. Butcher is an angry, violent person. You knew this going into the relationship. There's always a worry it could turn on you, and that's what he fears most: that you'd ever be afraid of him. He reassures you constantly he would never, ever hurt you. He knows all about what your ex did. You wanted to be up front and honest, knowing some of your behaviors might seem strange or out of place. The last thing he ever wants to do is emulate your ex and though it takes a lot of rewiring and assessment of his actions, he's trying to be better for you so that he doesn't lose you.

Hughie hates what your ex has done. Bit by bit, you give him the overview of your relationship, what they were like, and how they treated you. Sometimes you jump or flinch and he's reminded all over again that, despite what he does, there will always be this underlying fear and distrust. It took a long time to date him let alone tell him everything. He's patient and gentle and makes sure you're okay with every step you take further into the relationship. He takes every relationship show regardless of past history. When you see your ex again you have to pull Hughie away, not wanting him to start anything. He can't help it. He looks at them and he sees red. He's filled with disgust and hatred. Hughies always been on the timid side, but the thought of someone hurting you like that boils his blood.

Annie never wants you to feel like you have to hide that kind of thing from her. She knows all about power hungry people who take advantage of others. Still, she can't believe it. You're kind and funny and sweet and you always have everyone's best interest at heart. You know what it's like to get hurt, you wouldn't dare hurt someone else. She knows you don't want any trouble with them, you just want to move on, but she can't help but light up when she sees them. Secretly she goes to them and makes it known if they so much as look at you, even think about you, they're done. She's always asking if what you're doing is okay and wants to be as open as possible about boundaries. You're grateful she likes innocent touching, mostly hand holding, and when you're having a hard time you know she'll grab your hand and squeeze it, reminding you she's always here for you.

M.M knows all about your ex. He was the one to help you get out of that relationship in the first place. Since then you've become really close, so close he's now your boyfriend. After your ex shows up at your work one day, Marvin decides to take things into his own hands. The Boys make a special appearance at their apartment where they make it known they are never to go near you ever again. You have a lot of fears about trusting someone again, especially in a relationship, but M.M. is patient. He never wants you to feel like you have to do something you don't want to or aren't ready for. He's more than okay with taking things slow. He actually prefers it that way. He's extremely protective over you and, unfortunately, are his biggest weakness. If Homelander ever found out about you, M.M. would be done for.

Frenchie met your ex a few times before you broke things off. The way they spoke to you, wanted to control you, all the sings were there. He feels awful that he didn't see it sooner, but you could never blame him. You're just glad you got away from them. Frenchie is attentive and devoted and males sure you're comfortable with every step in your relationship. He offers, jokingly though not jokingly, to have your ex killed when they start sending calls and texts and emails. You assure him it's okay, you'll handle it. He knows you're more than capable, but he's always got a back up plan ready just in case they want to try anything more. He's extremely patient when you decide to tell him. He knows there's more to the story than what you're sharing, but he doesn't push it. He's grateful you shared anything at all. It's a big step and means a lot that you'd trust him.

Kimiko is learning to trust just like you are. You've both been through a lot, but you find a great solace in one another. Kimiko isn't sure who this random person is that shows up looking for you, only that the rest of The Boys are suddenly cagey, angry, and very protective. They're grateful you're not there. When she asks about them, you finally tell her. You dated a while ago and it wasn't a safe relationship. You thought you could get away from them, but they seek you out. They like to know they're in control. She feels awful. You're genuine and smart and sweet. Those terrible things that happened to you only made you softer and, unfortunately, more prone to anxiety and distrust. She leaves it up to you to take the next steps in your relationship. You appreciate more than you could ever put into words. You love her, but you need to take things slow.

Bonus! Homelander killed them a long time ago. The moment you showed up in his life, he knew there was someone who'd hurt you. It takes a long time to tell anyone, let alone him. One day the phone calls and texts and emails just stop. They stop showing up at Vought looking for you. You think you've finally scared them off or perhaps they got bored, but it was actually your new boyfriend. Normally he'd like to boast all about how he tortured them, h9w easy it was to kill them, how stupid they looked when he pulled out all their teeth, but he knows you wouldn't like that, so he keeps it to himself. He knows no one will miss them. You certainly don't. You're sleeping better now and getting more comfortable in your relationship without the constant threat of them showing up or following you. Homelander rests easy knowing they can never hurt you again. He lacks a lot of self-awareness in this department.

[yunsound]

Chinese Mythology: The Four Dragon Kings

Does anyone remember Ao Guang? Or the other three Dragon Kings? Or did anyone watch Ne Zha 2025?

You may then know of the Four Dragon Kings of Ancient China (四海龙王). 

Historically all four of them are male- some recent adaptations will show one (or more) of them as female just for fun. China, even in ancient times, did not have four seas around it- the four dragon kings each correspond to a body of water in the cardinal directions. 

Ao Guang

The big guy, Ao Guang, the Dragon King of the East, does have a “sea”: the East China Sea. 

A carving of Ne Zha fighting Ao Guang (we all remember how that went, right?)

We know and love Ao Guang since he’s the one who got Ne Zha killed (after both he and his son got their asses beat) and is also the guy who gave Sun Wukong his mythical weapon, the Ruyi Jingu Staff (maybe will make a post on mythological weapons at some point).

His third son, Ao Bing, is famous for getting his tendons plucked out by Ne Zha.

Subtitles: I'll pull your tendons out, see if you can still hurt anyone after this! (sorry for Ne Zha being kind of naked, he's a kid who was just taking a bath)

Ao Guang is the biggest, most powerful Dragon King.

In the Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods post here), he’s a big dickhead who forces people to give him offerings or he’ll bring them drought and disaster. He’s very powerful, and is the leader of the Four Dragon Kings.

He’s also the sexy dragon dilf dad in Ne Zha 2. 

I just cannot get over this character design, oh my goodness.

Ao Run

Ao Run, pronounced Ow Rwen (also sometimes called Ao Ji) is the Dragon King of the West. 

He does not have a “sea”: in fact, he rules over the biggest lake in China, Qinghai Lake. It’s big enough that we consider it a sea, I guess. It used to be considered an actual sea (like, connected out to the open ocean) probably because it’s huge, but it was probably never actually a sea. 

Lake Qinghai has shrunk a lot. You can tell in this picture: right now it’s about the size of Trinidad.

See all that dry land? Used to be lake.

It’s very blue, which is why it’s called Qinghai 青海 (blue sea). Qing generally refers to a bright blue-teal shade. 

Ao Run’s son, Ao Lie, is the dragon that is sentenced to death by the Jade Emperor for setting fire to Ao Run’s palace accidentally and destroying a whole bunch of stuff. In the end, Guanyin Pusa spares Ao Lie’s life and sends him on the Journey to the West with Wukong, Tangsen, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. You may recall that Tangsen had a big fancy white horse- that’s Ao Lie!

You may notice in this picture everyone else's names are labeled except for the horse. It's kind of sad- he's a little irrelevant.

A huge downgrade, from being a fancy dragon prince to a horse, but you can’t say he didn’t deserve it. 

He's also featured in Fei Ren Zai (a very funny comic/animation series about mythical figures in modern-day also featuring Ne Zha, Wukong and Erlang Shen).

You may remember Ao Run from Ne Zha 2, 2025 as the sexy dragon lady with the killer sky-splitting manicure. 

Sorry, she did things to me when I first saw her appear in her human form.

Ao Shun

Ao Shun, pronounced Ow Shwen, is the Dragon King of the North.

He also does not have a “sea”, like Ao Run. His patron body of water is what’s now known as Lake Baikal (Wikipedia better not fail me, I actually had no idea where the North China Sea was supposed to be). 

Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, it’s right up there in the south part of Siberia. North enough for you?

Back when the Han dynasty was fighting the Xiongnu (the Huns in Disney’s Mulan, basically), they beat the Xiongnu in a battle here. They saw this huge-ass lake, and decided they���d refer to it as the North China Sea. Lake Baikal is larger than Belgium. A little scary, no?

In Ne Zha 2, he was the freaky purple-green guy with blades all over his body. You may remember him fighting Ao Bing in a very exciting battle sequence. I’m not aware of any myths where he’s of any significance. 

A hard pass. Sorry, second uncle. Your big brother and younger sister are much hotter.

Ao Qin

Ao Qin, pronounced Ow Chin (敖钦) is the Dragon King of the South.

The South China Sea of recent geopolitical tension fame is in fact a sea. Other than Ao Guang, he’s the only one with an actual sea. There’s not much to say about Ao Qin, he’s not that relevant.

If you remember him from Ne Zha 2, he’s the big red one who’s dumb as bricks..

The Four Dragon Kings are really not that important aside from Ao Guang and Ao Run. Ao Guang is a key mythological figure- he appears in many myths, and is a semi-major character in Journey to the West.

Ao Run contributes mainly by giving Tangsen a horse in the form of his son. Poor Ao Lie. 

In the 1979 Ne Zha Conquers the Sea, they are all seen briefly scheming with Ao Guang to go Karen-style and ask for the manager (Jade Emperor).

They're all siblings (since they have the same last name, Ao), with Ao Guang being the oldest brother. The order of ages past that is a little harder to figure out- from what I know, their ages are

Ao Guang

Ao Shun

Ao Qin

Ao Run

I actually don't know where Ao Run is in the ranking, I just know Ao Qin is younger than Ao Shun. As such, Ao Run could be either the youngest, the second youngest or the third youngest.

[loviingpedri]

tripling the fun -jude and jobe bellingham

prompt: three best friends take over the house by babysitting the bellingham boys’ two nephews and niece.

pt.2 here

bellinghams & fem!reader platonic friendship

warnings: grammar issues, all characters are fictional (except jude and jobe ofc)

click to help palestine

credits to owners for all images

knocking on the door, anticipation grew.

you have grown up with jude and jobe, considering your parents and their parents were very close friends.

you practically were like their sister. you did everything with them. you were there at their biggest accomplishments or lowest levels.

the door opened to jude and jobe’s aunt, ready for dinner. recently, the bellingham boys recently had a new addition to their family, a little baby nephew. the parents had 3 kids, and one still being about 6 months old, it was a major hassle. they needed a little break, some time for themselves.

who else better to call? the famous trio!

the parents trusted you and the brothers very much. trust me, the babies were in good hands. (might be delusional, but we’ll see!)

“oh my goodness, thank you guys for coming.” the mom hugged all of you. giving you a little peek on the cheek.

suddenly, jude and jobe’s uncle appeared behind her. “you’re here! thank you guys. come in.” stepping into the house, you were met with cold air.

“i see the kids really love this house.” you spoke with a smile as you noticed toys were scattered around the floor. ending your sentence, jobe nearly tripped over a toy truck.

catching himself as you were frightened for him, the three of you burst into a laughter.

“okay mate, it’s not that funny.” jobe said while pushing the truck away from his path.

“jobe, how do you not see a bright yellow and green truck?” jude was dying from laughter.

“i’m really grateful that you took this opportunity. it has been quite awhile since my husband and i have gone out.”

suddenly, a huge commotion was made. all eyes going to the stairway, you could see a little boy about the age of 6 running down the stairs in a little dinosaur onesie.

“there’s my little guy!” the boy ran into jude’s arms into a tight hug.

“i knew it! i knew you were coming! i heard your voice.”

“did you really?” jude fixed his onesie and gave him a little pat on the back.

then, you heard a door slam. staring at the stairs once again, you could see a 4 year old girl in a pink princess dress with a tiara and wand, strutting down with a bright smile (and one missing tooth).

“all hail the princess.” jobe spoke as she slowly walked down with her head held up high. smiles appeared on everyone’s faces, except her brother’s. she only earned an eye roll from him.

finally reaching downstairs, you curtsied to her as jude and jobe did a little bow.

breaking character, she did not hesitate to run to jobe. giving him the biggest hug he has probably ever been given.

“i think the baby is still asleep. the formula is already prepped since he should be waking up soon. we have to get going, good luck guys!” quickly grabbing her purse and getting the hell out of there with her husband, it was time to finally have some fun and bonding times.

“alright kiddos, what should we do today?” jude put down his nephew and immediately patting his head for reassurance.

“we should build a castle!” jobe, also putting down the niece, agreed.

“what kind of castle?”

“castles are for losers!” her big brother snarled at her.

“now, dinosaurs may be big and strong, but they are certainly not rude.” you bent down to his level. he crossed his arms, but unexpectedly, you started tickling him.

“tickle attack!” jude yelled as everyone was tickling the dinosaur and princess.

all laughter came to a quick stop. cries of a baby were echoing throughout the house. jude and jobe were no professionals for caring for a child under 1, therefore both synchronized to look at you for help.

and to be honest, you wanted to hold that baby forever. your motherly instincts kicked in. running up the stairs, you could not wait. meeting the little guy at just 6 months old, he was probably the most adorable baby you’ve ever seen (maybe because he looks a little like baby jude, but we’re gonna ignore that fact).

slowly and gently opening the door, you were met with a baby with a small tear falling down his cheek, but having the brightest smile as soon as he saw you. your heart melted.

“aren’t you the cutest,” you picked him up and could see his chubby face and rolls on his arms. “the baby fever is really kicking in.”

wiping the little tear, you placed his head on your shoulder as you walked down the stairs. putting your hand on his semi-bald head to create a shield just in case, jude and jobe lit up to seeing him.

crowding the little one, jude took him into his arms as you prepared the milk. in the kitchen, you were met with a little princess eating a sugar cookie (jobe couldn’t say no to her).

“hello your royal highness.” you gave a smile to her as you grabbed a little bottle.

“hi y/n. how’s it going?”

“it’s going great! how’s your cookie?”

“it’s good. you should be a mom.”

the statement created a pause for you. the measuring cup filled with formula almost fell on the counter.

“sorry ma’am, but what?”

“you should be a mom.”

“oh no thank you, it is definitely not for me.”

“well you definitely need a boyfriend. i have one! his name is james, he’s 6. i like them older.”

“hold on, you’re talking about your brother’s friend?”

“yep! that james. he’s so dashing. you know you should get with jude.” a frown appeared on your face. kids are full of creative ideas, but this was not on your bingo card.

“i really appreciate your feedback, but i need time to review this information.” jude suddenly appeared in the kitchen, giving you a scare.

“what are y’all talking about?”

in panic, you shouted “nothing!” which created high suspicion. the princess got off the chair after finishing the cookie, and walking off with jude.

finishing on making the bottle, you weren’t sure on what you were about to see, but it was definitely a sight.

jude and jobe bellingham were in pink and purple tutu’s and tiaras. you gasped at the sight.

“y/n, please don’t laugh.” jobe pleaded, sensing his embarrassment already.

“who said i was gonna laugh?” you picked up the baby trying to hide the fact, you were gonna laugh. sitting on the couch to feed him, the boys were being ordered around.

“alright, what’s next to protect the precious princess?”

“it is i! the knight! and i have come to destroy this kingdom!” the once dinosaur jumped out from the hallway holding a fake sword and shield.

the princess let out a tiny scream.

“uncle jude! protect the castle now!” jude nodded in agreement as he picked up a fake sword and play fighting with the knight. tutu’s were dropping and tiaras were falling.

“meanwhile you, uncle jobe, you should totally dance with me.” hiding your smile with the bottle, jobe didn’t really have a choice.

the house was chaotic. a ballerina and knight were battling it out, jobe and the princess were turning and spinning. jobe even had a little purple magic wand as his prop for his dance recital. you were glad you could lay back with a baby who did not give any trouble.

the fun continued to grow as the night went.

[idolomantises]

What do you think of The Owl House? Like, I liked and respect Dana a lot for what she's accomplished, but I also feel like everyone is just pretending that the show doesn't have any problems, as I felt that the cast was always very poorly developed from the beginning.

I like the show, I don't love it, but i think it's pretty good. TOH has a lot of really cool world building and lore, but I also found a lot of the characters really lacking. Three of my biggest annoyances were Luz, the characters having altered personalities after one episode and the underutilization of Luz's friends.

I think Luz is actually a great protagonist, my issue is when the show really loves to tease her as this flawed and morally complicated protagonist when... she isn't? any time she does something bad, its completely accidental. It's funny when the show first came out and people negatively compared her to Mabel because Mabel actually did make a lot of selfish and careless decisions that she had to grow from.

The show also had a bizarre habit of giving characters new personalities after their first appearance, and I think Amity is the worst offender of this. Her first appearance she's the generic mean girl bully, and this is used to create conflict and for Luz to befriend Willow. But then after that, all of a sudden she's super "cold" and keeps to herself, and the characters act like she's just the popular quiet girl? and then the show has the audacity to blame a lot of the bullying Amity did on her friends and parents. I have no clue why the flashback episodes portrayed it like Amity just watched as her friends bullied Willow, SHE was a part of that! Similar issue with Hunter. Introduced as a snarky brat, and then his next appearance he's incredibly angsty and depressed so the audience could sympathize with him. Willow and the Collector were also ones that stuck out to me, but it was a change that was subtle enough that I didn't notice.

I don't know why writers do this. I like it when your characters are messy and flawed, give them unlikable traits so we can watch them slowly be better people. Don't tell me someone is flawed and then don't give them flaws and don't tell me to sympathize with a character by just giving them a new personality.

I think everyone is pretty aware of how poorly utilized Luz's friends are but there are seriously so many episodes where I was like "why aren't Willow and Guz taking Amity's place". They really feel like a studio mandate.

Also Lumity is kind of boring but honestly, I don't really think its as big of a deal as some fans think it is. Lots of cartoons have straight couples that quarrel, get together and their relationship isn't the most compelling in the world, but its still pretty cute. If anything I do wish Amity would work through her issues more than have what little personality she had disappear when she dated Luz.

With your point about how fans handle criticism, admittedly I think part of the reason why people don't want to admit the show's problem is because Disney fucked it over MASSIVELY and it feels like punching down (at least to them). I think there's a very common mentality of "is it fair to criticize a show that never really got a chance to fully find its stride?"

But I also know this is just a massive problem with shows that have queer characters in general. There's just this prevalent attitude that if you have a problem with a piece of media that also happens to have queer characters, it means you're "ungrateful" or trying to insult it on purpose. Though personally, I think TOH fans are a lot better at handling and giving criticism.

[alwayssassydreamer]

Words Are Unnecessary

Day 12 of Kikitober

Plot: the mysterious man with the mask was attracting your attention with his own special love language.

A/N: just some fluffy? story i wrote while waiting at the hospital (and I've waited for quite some time so this story got a little longer than planned) sorry for the abrupt ending. Oh and i have no idea how you play darts so . NOT proofread

Warnings: none

Characters: Killer x F!Reader, Kid (minor role)

Once again the bar was full of drunken idiots. But you didn't mind too much - especially since drunken men gave the best tips.

You were mixing some drinks when a pirate crew entered the bar. Looking closer you recognized them as the kid pirates.

They took a seat at the biggest table - right next to the door and motioned you to bring them something to drink. You prepared a few glasses for the waitress to bring them over to them.

It got late and the bar was more crowded than usual. Though there were so many people in there you could still hear the roaring laughter from the pirate's table.

You were just cleaning a few glasses when a tall man with a wild blonde mane and a blue-white mask appeared.

"Could i get a bottle of rum" he asked leaning over the counter.

"Sure" you turned to get the bottle when out of the corner of your eye you saw a few, obviously drunken, men approached the blonde.

"The fuck is wrong with yer" a man with dark greasy hair asked. The blonde ignored him.

"Yer wearing that mask cause yer so fucking horrendous" another asked making the others laugh. Still no reaction from the masked man.

"I bet he's just some freak who escaped a laboratory" a third man said, looking closely at the blonde who let out a laugh

"What's so funny idiot" the first one asked slighlty hitting the blondes shoulder. That only caused another laugh to leave his lips.

"Yer must be a freak, with that embarrassing weird laughter" he continued as they were laughing. The man with the mask made a barely visible move. The one you make when someone's getting under your skin.

You started to feel sorry for him when he let out another strange laugh. The others laughing at him, making fun of him. It was but a small reaction but one that told you that he felt ashamed.

"You should thank him for wearing the mask" you said angrily as you put the bottle on the counter. "Otherwise no woman in this bar would even bother to give you more than a small glance for how handsome this man is." you almost shouted.

"Now get your ugly ass faces out of the bar, you're hurting my eyes" you were so full of rage as you pointed to the door.

"What if we don't want to" they taunted you.

"Well then it seems you don't value your life" you said as you grabbed the gun under the counter and pointed it right at the greasy haired man.

"Your choice" you said smugly. The men growled, insulting you but decided not to mess with you.

"I'm sorry about that" you said as you handed the blonde the rum.

He didn't move too dumbstruck from what just happened.

It took him a few more seconds before a small thanks escaped his lips.

He rummaged in his pocket to pay you but you put your hand on his.

"This one's on me." You said a soft smile on your face while another small laugh bubbled up from him.

"By the way, i really like your laugh" you said giving his hand a small squeeze. He grabbed the bottle and walked back to the table while you continued cleaning up glasses the whole time glancing over to this mysterious man.

You were surprised that this whole scene got to you this badly. Thinking about the three drunks made you so mad that your hands started to involuntarily shake. On the other hand you couldn't believe that all this feelings were because of a stranger.

But there was just something about him that attracted you. Maybe it was the mask the thrill of not knowing what he looks like. You were sure that even though he's a pirate, he was sweet and kind - something inside you told you thst he had to. Or maybe it was his laugh, which seemed like he didn't like it though you enjoyed hearing it. . Maybe it was his calm demeanor, his silence and his shyness.

You were not sure what it was but you had caught yourself thinking about him for the rest of the shift.

What you didn't know was that he was having the same problem.

~~~~~~~~

"Oi killer you there" Kid asked moving his hand in front of Killers eyes ripping him out of his thoughts and blocking his view to the counter.

"What?" He asked startled.

Kid looked over to where you were handing out a drink and smiled smugly.

"Got an eye on her" he asked Killer teasingly.

"Shut up" Killer snapped thankful that the mask hid his reddened cheeks.

"She's hot, you should make a move before I'm too drunk and I can't guarantee you that I won't hit on her" Kid let out a low laugh.

~~~~~~~~

"Oh god those pirates are heavy drinker." The waitress complained to you.

"Unfortunately but they leave a lot of moeny here so" you said shrugging though you had to admit that you started to feel your bones ache.

The bar became increasingly empty but the pirates were still in a good mood and continued ordering drink after drink until they were they only customers left.

You sighed looking over to the pirates - no sign that they would be leaving any time soon.

Sure you could've kicked them out but the owner of the bar always said that as long as there are customers willing to pay you had to serve them. Besides you were a little too anxious to kick the infamous kid pirates out.

"You know you can go home if you want, they're the last ones here I'm sure i can handle them by myself" you said as you looked wt the waitress who almost fell asleep.

"You sure?" She asked tiredly.

"Yeah" you nodded with a small smile.

"Thank you"she replied gratefully as she got her stuff and left.

~~~~~~~~

"Oi doll, another bottle of rum" the red haired captain shouted to you.

You grabbed the bottle and made your way to the table. Realizing that most of the crew fell drunkenly asleep in the weirdest positions. Besides the captain only the blonde and 2 other men were still awake though the alcohol was alraedy settling in.

Placing the bottle down you took a quick glance at the blonde before a metal hand wrapped around your waist.

"A beauty like you should not be working in a bar like this" Kid said as he pulled you closer to him.

"Where else should i be working then" you asked smiling. You were used to men hitting on you especially drunk men and you were more than capable of handling them.

"My ship" he said chuckling lowly tightening his grip around you pulling you closer once again. You had to put your hands on the armrest to steady yourself and not fall straight into him.

Your face was now so close to his that you could smell the rum on him.

"And what should i be doing on your ship? Handing out drinks? I'm pretty sure that you're able to do this without me" you teased with a playful smile.

"You could give Killer a hand with the cooking." He said motioning to the blonde who let out a small laugh.

"I can't cook I'd be more of a burden" you stated gaze still on Killer.

"Well in that case i could always use someone to f-"

"Kid that's enough" the blonde yelled cutting his captain off. The latter groaned but let go of you.

"spoilsport" Kid mumbled winking at you.

You smiled at them before grabbing the empty bottles from the table. The moment you leaned forward you could feel their eyes on your booty and cleavage.

"You can look but don't touch" you mocked as you walked back to the counter.

A few minutes later you jumped at the sound of a loud thump. Seems like that was too much alcohol as one off the pirates fell off his chair and the captain hit his head at the table -now sleeping and snoring.

"Sorry" a low voice mumbled. Killer was the only one who had not passed out drunkenly.

"It's fine, happens every now and then" you said as you took a seat at one of the bar stools rubbing your sching shoulder and neck.

"I, uhm I could help with that" he said taking the stool next to you.

"That's really sweet but you don't have to, I'm fine" you explained.

"I really don't mind. I mean it's kinda our fault" he said shyly.

"No it's not, hsppens at almost every shift" you grabbed his hand again and gave him a reassuringly squeeze.

"But i feel like I owe you one" he explained nervously.

"You don't owe me anything" you started but feeling like he wouldn't give up you sighed "fine I'd appreciate it if you could help me with the tension in my shoulders"

You felt a little nervous. Having a strangers massaging you wasn't something you would usually do - wouldn't even think about. But again you were mysteriously drawn to him and his calm demeanor.

He got behind you and put your hair aside. He placed his hands gently on your shoulders, applying light pressure as he began to knead the muscles. His fingers moved in slow, rhythmic circles, gradually working out the tension with firm but careful motions.

Damn that felt good. Almost too good as you were about to drift off.

"Wow that felt really good, thanks" you exclaimed after a while.

"You were rather tense" he replied.

You smiled at him as you sat there, enjoying the comfortable silence between the two of you.

"You're not really talkative aren't you?" You teased

"I uhm sorry"

"Please stop apologizing. That is not a bad thing." you said when you heard some loud snoring from the blacked out pirates.

"Wow they are horribly loud" you pointed out making both of you chuckle.

"It can get worse" he said sighing. "I guess i should start carrying them back to the ship so you can finally go home" he added

"You wanna carry them? Like all of them?" He nodded. "No let them sleep here. I'm not tired yet so i don't mind staying here....with you" you said though you mumbled the last part.

"But i have to put on some music their snoring is driving me crazy" you said laughing.

"So how about a little game of darts" you asked grabbing his hand pulling him to the darts board not waiting for an answer.

"I have to warn you, I'm really terrible at it"

You weren't lying you were really bad.

"Wow that was bad" you laughed after barely even hitting the board. "Now show me what you got big boy" you teased turning to him.

Unlike you Killer was really good at it.

"I'm not sure what's more impressive you being so good or me being so terrible" you joked.

"you're too tense and too impatient. Let me help you"

He wrapped one arm carefully around your waist steadying you and with the other moved your arm till it was in the right angle

"throw out of your wrist not your whole arm" he explained. His body pressed against yours making you a little nervous.

"looks like you're a good teacher" you stated as you finally managed a good score.

"you're a good student" he teased nudging your shoulder carefully.

It seemed as if he was loosening up around you and you had to admit you enjoyed his company.

"whats wrong?".

"i really like that song" he said humming softly as he grabbed your hand and pulled you closer.

"what are you doing" you asked chuckling

"I'd like to dance with you" he replied as he looked at you. "If that's ok" he added nervously.

You nodded and grabbed his hands placing them on your hips while yours wrapped around his neck. You started to sway to the song moving closer and closer to his body until you were completely pressed against him.

You looked up at him a little disappointed to not see his face before placing your head on his chest. You felt his muscles tense for a moment before relaxing as he placed his chin gently on the top of your head his arms wrapping tightly around your small frame.

"You know Kid was right with what he said" he whispered calmly.

"What?" You asked lifitng your head from his cest to look up at him.

"You shouldn't work here" he stopped taking a deep breath.

"You could come with us" he said though it seemed he regretted it the moment it left his lips as he laughed nervously.

He let go of you and turned his head, avoiding to look at you.

Ok you were not expecting this and therefore didn't know what to say. You only just met him and the kid pirates had a rather let's call it unpleasant reputation. Did you really want to join this pirate crew?

"sorry, forget it. I should get them back to the ship" he said embarrassed as he saw the hesitation in your eyes.

"Killer wait" You grabbed his arm. "I don't think that I'd fit a pirates' life, I can't fight nor navigate, I'm certainly not of any use" you explained with a small smile. You didn't want to disappoint or even hurt him.

"You were good with the gun" he said as you shook your head.

"I can teach you how to fight and yu see people for who they truly are, not just their appearance otherwise someone so beautiful like you wouldn't be talking to me, and that is worth more than anything else" he mumbled barely audible as he carefully took your hand in his.

You smiled feeling a blush on your cheeks.

"For a man who's been so quiet the whole time you sure know how to talk to a woman to have her wrapped around your finger." you teased with a big smile.

"Still....I'm not sure if it's a good idea" you stated biting your lower lip looking down, thinking.

"It would mean a lot to me" he replied not letting go of your hand as his other gently lifted your chin.

He wasn't a man of many words but the silence between the two of you was so comforting it felt like he needn't to say anything his little actions spoke more than words.

Though you only just met him he made you feel safe and special.

"God dammit this whole thing between you two is getting annoying. Either you convince her to come or I'll just drag her to the ship" Kid blurted out, slowly getting up.

You both were startled, your eyes widening at the last part.

"Don’t you think I should have a say in this too?" You complained but he waved you off.

"No cause if you stay here I'm the one who has to listen to his complaints" Kid taunted dramatically, as you looked surprised.

"Shut up" Killer hissed clearly embarrassed.

"Would you yearn over me" you asked curiously and he nodded.

"Well in that case - i guess i can't leave your side"

[asm5129]

Sort of an essay, but curious as to your thoughts, this is regarding the idea that Cinder doesn't seem like a serious/believable threat to some, first off:

I do find it funny how the attitude towards Cinder went from "Villain Sue, can't hinder the Cinder!" to "Fail-Villain, I can't take seriously!"

Anyway, the people who feel Cinder lost a step aren't strictly wrong, but it also makes sense for her character. She did everything "right" at Beacon and got completely fucked over. Of course she's not got faith in doing things slowly or carefully anymore, that failed!

She's not stupid, she's traumatized, rattled and angry.

What's more she finally does have sufficient power to force issues, & let's not forget the second she had half of Amber's power she went and bullied Adam into submission. She also kept Roman in line with threats, Cinder was always a very heavy handed, the fall just turned the sultry filter she use off, the force was always there.

I think its also worth keeping in mind Cinder's Haven plan would have worked if not for a couple of factors she couldn't account for.

One being the Faunus militia, which was a whole situation brought about by Adam basically being left to handle things himself by Salem & Hazel. Two being the presence of Yang & Weiss which she may not have known of making the fight less one sided than she intended. Three & most integrally, Vernal was not the Spring Maiden.

Keep in mind if she had been Cinder would have gotten double Maiden powers, the lamp and likely blown Haven up herself. She lost because Salem is rather hands off (With Adam in this regard) and because the intel she received was bad.

As it is, she and Raven were nearly equal, in that both have moments where they got one up on the other and while Cinder was over all losing out during that fight she very nearly won and Raven still felt pressed enough to rely on a trick to get the final blow in.

Some might highlight her initial fall to Penny but I think it is worth keeping in mind again factors she likely couldn't account for. Namely, Emerald's Semblance being useless against Penny's sensors. IE, Cinder charged in with her guard down for a major attack, thinking Penny couldn't see her & got blasted. If she'd known that was a risk she might have been more careful.

I dunno, it does kind of irk me that CRWBY put a lot of thought into Cinder's wins and defeats but it never seems to get much attention.

This doesn't strictly address the potential narrative issue of a villain who can't win, but the thing is this is hardly uncommon, most villains can't meaningfully win. Frankly Cinder probably has a better W ratio than a lot of villains in fiction who might be considered her betters.

Like hell, let's look at Vegeta, that guy spends most of Z talking the maddest shit only to get humiliated time and again but he's still wanked out at the biggest badass ever. MCU Loki fails in functionally every appearance he has, but people still treat him like a mastermind. Yugioh's Marik did nothing but lose with every appearance & his one legit win only happened because his god card had a magic anti activation trick to it meaning Mai couldn't use it after stealing it.

So while I can see why her arguing against Salem, failing when going rogue and generally being impatient does diminish her somewhat, I don't think its nearly as bad as one might think if that makes sense.

I absolutely agree. At one point I had sort of fallen into the groupthink “Cinder is a boring character” but since then I’ve come to fucking LOVE her as a character.

First of all, as Miles said in one of his cameos he sees Cinder as a sort of reverse Shonen hero who gets back up every time even when you think she absolutely should be finished and that’s a FANTASTIC way to create a villain—and specifically an underling that the main villain doesn’t really value beyond their use as a tool for their own gains.

Cinder is a deeply flawed, broken person who sees the world divided into the powerful and the weak. If she is not the most powerful, then she is weak and she cannot accept that after what she went through as a child.

She has this fascinating mindset where she sees herself as the Big Bad, not Salem, and to me all of the above is what makes her losses interesting.

Sure, she loses a lot. But the point of her is very much to be a cockroach that as much as she loses she’s never gone and no matter how much of a threat she might be to the heroes in that moment, you know anytime she’s on screen she will be causing PROBLEMS.

Even after her biggest defeat at Haven, the VERY first thing we see her do in v6 is kill an innocent women just for her clothes. Whether or not the heroes can stop her immediate plans, she is a PROBLEM and I appreciate that about her. I think she’s a very unique villain in that regard and I think it adds to her more than it undermines her.

[shabbytigers]

charles dickens: how can anybody tolerate reading him

it’s not the uncontemporary prose style i object to. i got super into the early novel in college, like samuel richardson and i mean his real doorstoppers, not pamela, which kind of sucks tbh, clarissa and sir charles grandison are much better. i also have a thing for old english. victorian prose still has new-car smell to me, and i like it just fine in general

i will concede the scrooge story but that’s basically one gimmicky short-story-length bit

and that’s the problem

all of dickens reads to me like a bit that’s fine as far as it goes but really should be over in twenty minutes tops. it’s like watching someone act out a comedy routine with hand puppets. there are some nice cutting passages about like socioeconomic shit, and some excellent quips, but i’m not sitting through a novel-length puppet show for that

forster’s distinction between flat vs round characters is the top-level read on what’s “wrong” with dickens: he does a lot of one-dimensional characters. really caricatures, not people. but like, that’s fine, sort of? jane austen also has some flat-ass characters. mr elton, mrs norris. mr collins! a great ‘caricature’ character, very much one long bit play-out. and he’s hilarious. idk though, i should probably try to articulate this better but basically he’s funny in a way that matters. mrs micawber isn’t. i’m done with her after one appearance. why is she still here? because dickens is saying something interesting with the plot twists that are inhabited by caricatures like mrs micawber. well, great: i don’t like that. it’s a puppet show. write me a blistering ass thinkpiece on what’s wrong with the economy or legal system directly, it’ll be more interesting. if you want to write a novel maybe write one where i can be bothered to give literally any kind of a shit what happens

i didn’t like fielding back in my early novel era, either. or candide and rasselas. picaresque is a puppet show too and i can’t live on just plot and atmospherics. i wouldn’t even say character is my biggest thing: what really drives me as a reader is worldbuilding, i read austen as much or maybe more for the window into how social shit and daily life work in this particular milieu as for the character arcs per se. writers in the mode i’m talking about aren’t trying to paint a world at all, a puppet-show stage is plenty sufficient for their purposes. i get it. but it’s excruciatingly boring. to me

[my-sun-m00n-and-stars]

Cad Bane Character Analysis: Part 5--Darth Maul Issue #3, #4, and #5

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In this blog series I will be going through all of Cad Bane's appearances in Star Wars Canon, and making commentary on what each piece of media reveals about his character.

Picking up right where we left off, Maul, Bane, and the rest of the crew are strategizing on how to kidnap the Jedi padawan from the auction.

For the first time, we can see his brilliant mind at work. His greatest talent is his planning, and we can see that he does not like leaving things up to chance. He's definitely matured a lot since Tales of the Underworld, where he was blowing shit up willy nilly. He learned the hard way that acting too rashly can have bad consequences.

Now Hondo, what are you going to do with that underaged girl? Sit your stupid ass down. You already have one strike against you because of what you did with Ahsoka.

Ahh, now here's that suave rogue. What a gentlemen, calling them "ladies". Even the little mosquito. That little mosquito is just as much of a lady as Aurra is to him! Cad don't discriminate!

I like this juxtaposition with Maul. Maul is so intense, ready to lose his shit, and Bane is just like "oh boy here we go". It's funny, because when Bane was Maul's age, he was just as bad of a crash out. That need for revenge runs deep, baby.

Ooh, Aurra called him "honey". I know she calls everyone honey, but they just seem so familiar with each other. And look at him hitting the biggest manspread that the galaxy has ever seen. They totally fucked. And look at him, he can be calm and collected when he wants to be. When there's nothing personal in it for him.

"No such thing as easy money." That sounds like it comes from experience. He's been putting in that hard work, for sure.

Ah, so they definitely are a little band of bounty hunters. And it seems that Bane actually does discriminate, putting the two non-humanoids on carcass duty all of the time. Oh well, nobody's perfect.

Next Issue! They are shot down, and crash land on the moon.

Bane always looking for a way to get his money up.

"Well, you kind of brought it on yourselves," says the padawan "Your friend's got fire in her belly. I like that."

Without his tone, it's hard to determine whether this is a flirtatious comment or not. However, given his sassy demeanor throughout this comic, I would wager that he was.

He like's 'em fiery, hmm? Interesting, because I would not describe Arin as fiery. Definitely brave, but she was not partcularly spunky. A man can like more than one thing, I suppose. Arin was also his first girlfriend. Probably the first girl he ever encountered. I wouldn't exactly call them a good match based off of their interactions. I think they were drawn to each other out of a desperate need for comfort.

Bane was definitely asking this because he was considering leaving him there, lmfao. He wanted a reminder as to why he should be going through all of this trouble for him.

BARK BARK WOOF BARK ARF ARF BARK

What a dishonorable cad. It seems he only values a fair fight when it suits him. More cognitive dissonance, baby.

Next Issue

Seeing the way he works with a team is so fascinating. He and Aurra work so well together. Also, I just want to point out that they end up stealing Hondo's ship. I bet that's how they became acquainted with him. Perhaps Hondo tracked them down for some revenge.

He also lets Aurra fly the ship. Not the most notable thing, but just goes to show that he trusts her.

That's the end of his appearance in this comic. It was suprisingly insightful to see how he works in a group setting.

Up next is the clone wars! his prime!!

Next

[mysebacielblog]

In Depth Analysis: Sebastian and Elizabeth

I love the relationship that Lizzy and Sebastian have. If you know the fact that Sebastian is the Main Character of Black Butler (it’s in the title) and subscribe to the romance/intimacy that he and Ciel share, then this would make Lizzy one of the Biggest Antagonists of all of Black Butler. On the level of antagonism to the Undertaker, perhaps even more! Which is funny because, just, just LOOK AT HER. She’s just this preteen girl!! Who the heck would consider her an antagonist?!

These two have gone up against literal immortal forces that pose a great threat to them physically. The only person who holds this kind of sway is the real Ciel. However. I would consider him to be more of an antagonist to both Ciel and Sebastian, whereas Lizzy is an antagonist and a threat to Sebastian alone. And while Ciel’s Brother (R!ciel) reminds Ciel of his past, Lizzy reminds Ciel of his Future that he will never have. Although she is a bit of a nuisance and a hindrance to Ciel and his plans, Lizzy isn’t a full fledged antagonist for him.

She’s even a sweetheart to everyone, even Sebastian, despite how weird the entire Phantomhive estate is. Their cordial passive aggressiveness and pleasantness between them compared to more direct characters (such as Aunt Francis) is fascinating to watch.

But she has him absolutely TREMBLING in his leather boots, because not only is she the Main Antagonist, but no, a Love Antagonist Even. Because even though our Ciel still keeps her at an arms length and treats her more like family than a proper fiancé, he still cares tremendously about her and her emotions. She represents a life where our Ciel Lives, grows up, has a future, and doesn’t pursue his Revenge. Which is the biggest threat to their contract entirely. As a narrative foil, she’s sweet, loud and angelic, and based on the original story, could be the very salvation that could Save Ciel’s soul.

And the best part of it is she is also really, really good at fighting and can go toe to toe with Sebastian in a fight- and he Can’t even lay a finger on her!

The envy these two have for each other is palpable- each wants what the other has of Ciel’s Time and Affections. It’s the difference between wanting a Public Relationship for Appearances and desiring a private relationship for sharing one’s secrets.

I think the most interesting aspect of their relationship is that even though they’re rivals, Sebastian Lets Lizzy GO, going completely against Ciel’s Wishes, knowing that was “impossible to shackle one’s heart”. Was this some small mercy of growth or sympathy, distance the two from interacting, or simply a way to move the agenda forward?

The only character that would consider her an antagonist of any type would be a demon.

[lucasposting]

Unpacking Season 3

Sorry for the clickbait title but this just has to be said. Yolo Rainbow Trinity was not good. It wasn’t horrible but it wasn’t good either, it lacked a lot of heart. You’re going to see me typing that out a lot because it’s true.

So let’s start off with the season premiere.

Love Heart <3 Fun Times at the Festy Gong -- Fest Wooooo

Already it starts with sort of a continuation of season two. “aren’t people at festivals cool? I don’t feel cool.””you’ll be fine. Maybe if it was old basic Sarah you wouldn’t fit in, but knew Sarah would be all right” obviously from the dialogue it’s directly referencing the growth that Sarah had in season two. And we have to remember how Rachel was in the second season so this is also Rachel growth as well. Also they nearly kiss in while they hold hands. A lot of things are being set up here like a lot. Maybe I’m looking too deep into things but comparing this episode with episode one of season 2, it’s clear that they are building up a bigger narrative. This episode though… not really. Don’t get be wrong I liked this episode but it felt kind of aimless? If that makes sense. The only thing they really implied (because it’s literally never brought back again!) is when Lucas sees that figure with a cape and his fedora. I mean when it premiered I was excited and when I saw Lucas being normal my heart literally stopped. But rewatching it now it feels like they didn’t know what to do after the season 2 ended. What was the biggest disappointment was the fact that Lucas turned from normal back into a creep on a dime. Really? Did you guys hate continuity so much that the thing you literally built up last season gets thrown away just like that, for a joke. And mind you Lucas barely appears after this we really only get episode 2 and 4.

Speaking of episode 2

Winery Crawl Slip and Slide Ride

Okay already we have, what a like to call, adding in a random character trait. This episode starts off with Sarah not knowing how to retell events (the only highlight in this episode is this quote from Rachel “babe, I love you but you really need to be more specific when you tell stories”) ndjdj This episode is so all over the place and not in a calculated way. So they go to this winery festival with Sarah’s parents and go to a club on her dad’s back. Okay if they were just going to be in a club environment why bother establishing the parents, why even bother having them in a wine festival. It really feels like Sarah and Rachel’s are side characters in their own show. Don’t even get be started on the C plot with Lucas. He doesn’t even interact with Sarah, the whole reason why he’s there. His plot also doesn’t even have enough time to really entertain because the episode is too busy. The only thing connecting these three plots together is literally the announcer but remove him and these three plot points could’ve easily been separated episodes or better yet removed entirely. Like I love Lucas but did we really need him in this? It’s like they wanted to make the bee episode without understanding why that worked. Just an overall mess of an episode with only two Sarah Rachel moments (the second one is when Sarah says “do you think that guy is cute?” “No” we love a lesbian icon)

hiiiii, watchu doinnn :) nm u?

(Tumblr deleted the review for this episode and the next so I’m just gonna be brief) peleeken episode YIPPIE! This episode was okay. I laughed a lot at this episode it was so funny watching the small Peleeken murder these normal guys. Rachel was a little out of character because I know she would’ve kicked as in that fight but instead they literally just make her hide behind a bush and kiss sapphire peleeken. This one was by far the funniest out of all of them but character wise it’s alright.

All Night Gaming 2

I’m going to be honest I feel like this should’ve been a season two episode and not a season three episode mainly due to Lucas‘s characterization as well as Sarah‘s Epiphany towards the end. Also due to the fact that there’s no underlying narrative in this season. If this episode aired after high school reunion, then it would’ve been so perfect since it aligns with the underlying narrative of that season. Season three does not help this episode. It’s just sort of there. It’s kind of an outlier. I really like the whole nostalgia aspect, Sarah looking back and letting nostalgia cloud her memory. I myself have felt this way and related a lot to Sarah. We don’t get much of Lucas character development but again part of me is starting to speculate this might have been a season 2 episode reworked for season 3.

Someone Come Bring Me Food

I like this episode as well although I think it should’ve been maybe episode two of season three it has a lot going for it and the sense that it gives us a glimpse of Sarah‘s past friendships and how she was always used to people stepping on her and taking advantage of her passiveness. We also get some new characters! I’ve seen this episode is for Rachel shines the most. She immediately comes to Sarah’s defense, and it’s just very protective of her. THIS is the Rachel that grew from the events of season 2. I’ve said it before in my other post where I was watching the episode for the first time, but the subtle character growth is just amazing. Michael has an knact for that. I love the influencer and the nightcore girl. The rap scene was funny as hell I love Rachel rapping. We get a scene towards the end where Rachel hugs Sarah and she’s looking at Rachel with such loving eyes. (Right but they’re not end game)



Our Lovely Jubbly, Wovley, Bubbly, Zubbly

Very mediocre this has no direction at all. Like the message of corporations draining creativity to fuel themselves was a neat commentary but besides that it feels very empty. I’m glad that we know Rachel can draw but the story just felt very generic to me. The goddess being real was funny and I liked her design but this feels like the girls are being dragged into this they didn’t get into this mess like the other seasons or even the first episode of this season. The progression just wasn’t natural. It’s really just there.

The Wollongong Santa Pub Crawl!!

Oh boy.. what the hell did they do to Peleeken. I mean I guess it’s a joke that he’s on an open relationship with his wife and that he’s super nonchalant. I understand that it really wasn’t meant to be taken seriously but little things like this completely destroys the world and characters your building. Even if it’s a comedy I feel as if your characters have to stay consistent. If you wanted to do a club plot with Peleeken you could’ve kept him and his wife the same and build up to him becoming a nonchalant cool guy with an open marriage. That would’ve been funny because we actually get to see him change even if he regrets it later. Also the Lucas plot this is literally the last time they use him and it goes nowhere absolutely nowhere. He shrinks Sarah and then just tries to escape Sarah’s dad. That’s it that’s the entire B plot. Again what was the point? Seriously what was the point of shrinking Sarah? So Rachel can have that moment of prioritizing her (girl)friends feelings over hers? That’s amazing growth but why was it executed so poorly. I swear I feel like the show is pulling a Rick and Morty, trying to distance itself from “serialized storytelling” and just “focus on jokes” when that’s not how you initially wrote the previous season. It really comes off as big middle finger to the people who actually cared about your characters.

The Cozy Backyard Afternoon Musical

How is this even considered a finale? No seriously if you’ve watched this finale you’d understand how utterly pointless the whole thing was. Comparing this to the previous seasons finales it’s like night and day. The last two season finales did a phenomenal job at tying the themes together seamlessly. They were even paced better, but this? This was literally just a normal episode and just tacked on a season finale sticker on it. Nothing and I mean nothing was talked about or brought up outside of their debut episode. Not an acknowledgement of Rachel’s growth/ feelings for her best friend, no mention of Lucas’s vision, no mention of his evil fedora either. Everything that was set up in the first episode of season 3 and the entirety of seasons 1-2 were never mentioned. I don’t want to believe Michael would do this since he literally has canon lesbian characters in his other show but what can this be other than queer baiting? I know it’s a harsh accusation but how can you make a series where one girl canonically is in love with the other and keep building up their growth and showing us how they need each other only to then never mention it again. Even if Sarah and Rachel were not endgame even if it was just unrequited love one of them, preferably Rachel, should’ve at least confessed her feelings for her. That she sees her more than a best friend. Michele even made a picture of them kissing but no i guess it was just about really close friends right? Be so fr.

Not to mention the whole episode literally was just random for the sake of random again Rachel and Sarah are just being dragged along. Like I feel like shit would just happen and they would just so happen to be there and as you know this whole season they’ve felt like that. The characterization of these two has been off since episode 2.

They did Lucas so dirty as well like when he shrunk Sarah a pit formed in my stomach because let’s be real we know why he wanted to shrink her. And the whole time I was like Lucas wouldn’t do that? Again HE LITERALLY GREW OUT OF THIS IN SEASON 2! He realized how crazy he sounded obsessing over this one woman and made a change for the better and yet we literally got one episode where he was normal and then “oh sorry never mind he’s actually a creep again” they could’ve at least waited an episode or two?? Please!!

Final thoughts

Obviously if you liked this season I don’t blame you again this season has its moments and I personally like some episodes as well but objectively there has been a drop in quality writing wise. I feel very disappointed and duped. All this hype and love only for it to be cast aside.

Thank you for reading this far if you have, I’m going to watch wacky lesbian hour.

[sorcerersandskillusers]

Little rant about how amazing Dazai is as a character.

I am just so blown away by how much depth there is to him. He is probably the best version of a morally grey character I've ever seen, it not that he isn't too evil and isn't too good, but he has done SO many evil things and SO many good ones that he can't fit either side.

He is both the scariest and most heart-breaking, the most uncaring and the most desperate for help. Every characters perspective changes who he is completely and that's something ive never seen before in fiction

Thinking about Akutagawa makes Dazai seem like a heartless, abusive monster.

Thinking about Ango makes him seem petty and cruel, as well as unable to let go of the past.

Thinking of Atsushi make's he feel reassuring and comforting, a source of hope and kindness.

BEAST made me want to hug Dazai for a thousand years, but also hate him for what he did to Atsushi

Stormbringer made him seem both terrifying and cruel to Chuuya, but also his ultimate protector and the person who most believed in his humanity

In 55 minutes he's a source of hope and reassurance, in Entrance Exam he's sinister and mysterious, as well as super funny and entertaining. In the Dark Era, Oda sees both sides of him and chooses to focus on the side that no one else ever saw, the lonely child who was so buried inside Dazai that even he didn't know it was still there.

We have seen more of Dazai then any other character in the series, he is the only character to appear in every single light novel (minus gaiden cause that's a different story). He plays a super important role in the main series, and we have seen so many sides of him throughout the story. Infact, we've seen way more of him then Atsushi, the literally main character.

But despite all of this, he is somehow STILL one of the biggest unknowns in the series. Despite everything we've seen of him, it still feels like we have just scratched the surface of his character. and the characters in the story feel the same way, the only person to get a glimpse of Dazai's true self is Odasaku, and maybe soon Atsushi.

The deeper you look into Dazai the more you can appreciate him, the light novels especially do the best job of capturing how complicated and interesting his character is, I think most of the Dazai haters out there, are just people who prefer more shallow characters (Not saying that's a bad thing, it doesn't mean those characters are any worse, just that you don't need to think about them to understand them). and if you look at Dazai like that, then of course he seems like a terrible person, you need to actually try to understand him to see how tragic he is, that's what Oda did and that's what a lot of people need to do.

[anthurak]

So I’ve been theorizing about Rosebird Parents, aka; ‘Raven is Ruby’s real dad’ for close to five years now, and it’s funny how in that time I haven’t actually touched on what feels like somehow both the most obvious AND most innocuous bit of potential foreshadowing to this theory.

I am of course speaking of Saphron, Terra and Adrian Cotta-Arc, aka; the wlw couple raising a child together.

Now on the one hand, yeah it is really easy to read this as a potential subtle hint towards Summer and Raven being Ruby’s parents; a case of the show ‘planting a seed’ in the audience’s head of the image of two women in a relationship raising a child together. Particularly as there is no mention an ex-husband/boyfriend or other kind of ‘sperm-donor’, leaving open the possibility that Saphron and Terra may have conceived Adrian themselves.

On the other hand… yeah it’s also possible to read a bit too much into this. It’s entirely possible that if Saphron and Terra are meant to hint towards anything, they could just as easily be meant as a hint towards Bumbleby, given their shared hair-colors and the fact that Volume 6 is so pivotal towards the development of Blake’s and Yang’s relationship.

And appearance-wise, while Adrian certainly looks a lot like Terra, his design doesn’t exactly have any stand-out elements that point to him also being Saphron’s biological kid.

At least not in the same obvious way as Raven being easily mistaken for Ruby’s mom.

So when it comes to ‘the Cotta-Arcs are foreshadowing Rosebird Parents’, my honest take is pretty much: ‘They might be, and they might not be.’

That. Being. Said.

If it IS ever mentioned, especially in-show, that Saphron and Terra really did conceive Adrian together…

Then I would consider that to be THE, smoking-gun evidence that Rosebird Parents is ABSOLUTELY a thing that is HAPPENING.

Because when you really get down to it, the prospect of ‘two woman normally can’t make a kid together’ is really the biggest ‘barrier’ to Rosebird Parents. It’s just one of those things that is generally a given in most stories. Something that the audience just assumes to be true.

But, if RWBY happens to put ‘two women can make a baby’ on the table as a thing that CAN and does happen in its setting?

Then that means EVERYING myself and others have been saying is now ALSO on the table.

Ruby looks nothing like Tai but enough like Raven that Raven can be confused for Ruby’s mother?

Summer and Raven seem to have been quite close with strong hints that at least Raven was in love with Summer?

Raven has all the classic traits we so often see in “I am your father” characters?

The creators have disproven Qrow being Ruby’s dad by saying she and Yang are half-sisters which is a relationship which would be unchanged by Raven being Ruby’s other parent?

ALL of that and MORE starts being a LOT more relevant.

It effectively takes a statement that ‘if Raven were a dude, we would ALL be expecting them to be Ruby’s real dad’ and says “Yeah, for all intents and purposes, she basically IS now.”