#like granted liking that post does not tell me youre gonna interact w me i mean actual interaction or i'm unfollowing everywhere on all my

[stormyoceans]

hiii monica!!! hope your day is going great :)) i have so many thoughts and feelings about lt and mohkday, i thought it'd be better to tell you than make a post of my own (i feel like most of these things have been said already, but just so i can get em off my mind) hope it's not too much :D - just so much of how the plot being what drives their relationship forward than tropes. we got the 'sharing a bed' and for what! in the end, it dint act as a catalyst in any way. rather, it's the casual intimacy, of day feeling what mohk is wearing, remembering his scent and being able to recognize his touch that invokes the flutters. all of which are basically essential considering day has to rely on his other senses to be able to single out mohk from a crowd. and yet. it's how the touches start to linger, as they gain new meanings. as they begin testing the waters. all while mohk has the most smitten smile (that day doesn't see). - it's their little spontaneous outings, and mohk only selecting the most perfect spots, so day can make the best out of them with his other senses, where his deteriorating vision only feels like a mild inconvenience. a flower market (touch and scent), a bridge with a prominent railing (day can feel his way along), rooftop (you can probably feel the breeze in your face, and it's totally empty, perfect to clear your mind after a rough night). - mohk planting jasmine in HIS house, and bringing the book home to practice??? how do you even come up with the second one? day's reactions when he found out!!! lmao he never stood a chance. (also giggling, kicking his feet, twirling hair day is asdajkdhjf, every expression is. i am.) - the goldfish slippers. if day's at home, he's cozy in them and it's simply the most endearing thing (day is, who am i kidding) - anywhere day has to be and he's pondering out loud, basically about to wave it off with some or the other excuse, 'it's a hassle anyway', mohk will catch on immediately. 'what are you waiting for? i'm here to take you' something about that is just. i know you want to do this and i'm not going to let petty things hold you back - their story develops from their natural day to day interactions. but it's so immersive. seeing mundane gestures gaining magnitude as feelings come to light. someone needs to write a 50k fic is all i'm saying. - the intimacy thing? god where do i even begin. to the bed scene with them covering each other's ears, i saw someone comment 'hope day's walls are thicker' and i haven't been fine since. and if you remember, one of your tags, i guess around the ep 3 dressing room mark, you said something like 'they're gonna touch one naked shoulder and have to go lie in the grass to calm down' and i know the vibe bw those two statements are wildly different but i haven't been able to get it out of my mind. you hit the nail, because it's exactly what's going to happen. it's just SO them. and that's SO. that extent of treasuring one another, the adoration, the pure raw emotion behind finding people in life, that you want to keep forever. it's the finding someone who sees you differently from everyone else, who never takes you for granted, who is elated to be in your company every single time. who above all, makes you feel safe. - everything about them is so. for lack of better words, natural. like second nature. like falling into place. you're so right. they invented romance. and i think no one could've captured it better than jimmysea, cause no one does gentle, comforting, homely like them. but that's just me. -Skate

HIII SKATE HIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!

first of all, im both very honored and very grateful that you wanted to share your last twilight thoughts with me!!!!! i do also want to encourage you to post about them if you're comfortable with it because i think fandoms need as many voices that can bring their own uniqueness to it as possible (what you want to say has already been said? maybe, but no one else can tell it quite in the same way that you would), but if you don't feel like it that's perfectly fine and im more than happy to (hopefully) provide a safe space for you and your thoughts!!!!!!

AND SPEAKING OF YOUR THOUGHTS!!!!!!!! i absolutely agree with you about tropes in last twilight not being used to further mork and day’s relationship. we still have a few of them (the 'there was only one bed' like you said, the 'trip and fall into you', the 'wipe the corner of your mouth') but they blend into the narrative almost seamlessly: they're not the focus of a scene and the flaw of the story doesn't stagnate around them by lingering on how the characters react to the trope. rather, they're used to either give the audience a subtle clue about what those characters are feeling or give more weight to a scene. the simple fact that mork and day are gonna sleep in the same bed carries in itself a certain kind of tension because the viewers recognize the trope and with that recognition come a whole series of expectations which p’aof then proceeds to subvert. if it were any other show, we would have probably had mork offering to sleep on the floor only for day to say it was okay for mork to sleep in the bed as long as he kept his hands for himself, and still they would have somehow ended up cuddling. but the trope is only a set up. p’aof refuses to use it as a plot device and lets his characters build intimacy in a different and much more genuine way: it’s mork giving day the thinner blanket so he won’t be hot and day recognizing mork’s scent on it, it’s mork having a bowl of water and jasmine flowers at the ready to help day relax, it’s day offering mork one of the flowers to smell and getting flustered at the feeling of mork’s breath brushing his fingers…….. it’s just so refreshing to have, on one hand, tropes being used as the framework rather than as the subject of a scene, and on the other, intimacy naturally developing from day to day interactions (again, like you said) without having to rely on said tropes

last twilight is also the proof that you don’t need an intricate plot to make a show interesting: even the most mundane acts like eating a meal or cleaning a fish tank or smelling a flower can gain magnitude and keep the viewers attached to the screen if the director knows what they’re trying to tell. and while i do want jimmysea to explore and be able to portray different genres, i do think this type of story is where they truly thrive. one of the major complaints i still see about vice versa is that the fantasy aspect of the story is put in the background to favor puen and talay making movies with friend credits instead, but to me that’s actually the strength of the show, because, to quote you, “no one does gentle, comforting, homely like them (jimmysea)”. AND GOD DO I AGREE WITH YOU ON THIS. the mundanity of everyday life is often seen as boring but it’s in that quietness that their chemistry shines, giving us one of the most natural and soft kind of intimacy i’ve ever seen portrayed in television. that’s why i would love to see an intimate scene between mork and day but i also pray that we never going to get it because YEAH I REMEMBER THOSE TAGS I WROTE AND I STAND BY THEM. the kind of intimacy jimmysea can bring to the table paired with the intensity that p’aof can put on screen and the depth of emotions that mork and day feel for each other (the vulnerability the understanding the acknowledgment the recognition the seeing the wanting the care the love)??????? I WOULD STRAIGHT UP DIE

ALSO I WOULD SPEND HOURS TALKING ABOUT HOW MORK FELL FIRST AND HARDER AND IS NOW SO LOST IN THE SAUCE HE’S BASICALLY DROWNING IN IT BUT I WOULD PROBABLY END UP GETTING INVOLUNTARY COMMITTED BY THE END OF IT SO IM JUST GONNA POST THIS

IT'S THE WAY MORK IS SO ATTENTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO DAY AND YEAH HIS LOVE LANGUAGE IN GENERAL IS ACTS OF SERVICE BUT BOY SURE TOOK IT TO A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. from remembering what day said one time about people reading to him not feeling right and making sure to practice so it would feel more natural, to planting jasmine in his garden to make day feel at home if he ever visited, to finding ways to help day be more independent and places that day can still enjoy through his other senses, mork has already been saying i love you to day in everything he does for him AND I JUST. IM SIMPLY SO NORMAL ABOUT IT. TRULY

[bma-2020]

i havent made a new fancy one so we’re sticking here n u kno the drill.

[kiunlo]

anyways i been thinking about that dumbass post made by that white man literally all fucking day.

like I sent an ask to that person but perhaps tumblr ate it (like it usually does because this website was designed by fucking single celled bacteria) or maybe they just deleted it and couldn't be bothered to respond, but I said some pretty interesting and important things so I'm just gonna make a post here about it because it's important to me and I wanna add on to the stuff that I remember saying.

If you have a look at that post and you read the notes....half of them are people literally telling that guy that the information he posted was wrong. Like straight up outright wrong, and asking him to fix it. Granted, he actually went back and fixed the information so like...props for that I guess. And he did the same for using the outdated and racist term for Australian Aboriginal people "aborigine" (trust me no one uses that word anymore and the people who do are....ignorant lmfao) so it was good that he fixed that stuff.

But the whole problem is that if you as a white person are making a post about Indigenous people, and right off the bat of you making that post you've already gotten half of your information wrong AND you're using racist terminology as well (even if it is completely unintentional and you didn’t realise it was racist), perhaps you are not as well equipped to be handling these subjects in the first place. Perhaps more education is needed before you talk about stuff like that.

The biggest problem with the whole post is that the stuff this person is talking about LITERALLY doesn't happen. It doesn't. No one tries to fetishise Indigenous cultures in the very specific way this person is claiming. Myself and literally every other Indigenous person replying to that post has not seen a single white person fetishise Indigenous culture by saying that we never did anything wrong ever and that we worked in perfect harmony with the environment and we never caused anything to go extinct ever.

No one white person has ever said that, and if they did....they were probably a lot less racist than the person who made that post. You know what they do say, though? That we're savages, that we don't know how to take care of the land, that we caused so many animals to go extinct, that we completely re-did the entire ecosystem with man made bushfires for the worse etc. (and I'm specifically talking about what white people say about Australian Aboriginal people as I myself am Aboriginal)

The only times people ever say the stuff this person is claiming, the MAJORITY OF THE TIME, is when Indigenous people are trying to dispel racist myths about their own cultures, history, religions etc. That's literally the only time it ever happens. And regardless of what the original intent of the post was, every single Indigenous person who saw that post interpreted it in the same way: That this person was complaining about Indigenous people trying to spread the truths about their culture, and decided to make a massive post displaying all the horrible fucked up shit some Indigenous cultures did in history (half of which was outright wrong or just racist myths that were spread by colonisers).

The problem is that when you make a post on the internet that gets a little bit popular (7000 notes now) and the people who are seeing it are majority white people who genuinely don't know shit about Indigenous culture and history, and your post is filled with misinformation and racist myths and you're making a post about something that white people LITERALLY DON'T DO that resembles something that Indigenous people ACTUALLY DO and you shit on that specific thing that happens? You're pretty much telling every single white person who interacts with that post that the thing that Indigenous people ACTUALLY do is wrong. And so anytime an Indigenous person tries to say "hey maybe don't say that we're all savages! we were able to be relatively peaceful in the thousands of years that we existed on our land" that little white person who saw that post is going to say "well uhm actually Indigenous people were pretty fucked up throughout history"...because guess what. Regardless of how nuanced you think your post was or how nuanced your thinking is, most people who read shit on the internet take the information they read at fucking face value and don't give a shit about nuance.

The worst thing is that literally every single Indigenous person on that post is telling them "hey this is kinda racist" and "buddy no one does this" and "you are white you shouldn't be talking about this" and they are all correct, but because us as Indigenous people are pissed off and angry and have harsh tones and refuse to be polite we are not being listened to. And because like 2 fucking idiots decided to tell this person to drink bleach it has given this man the perfect opportunity to play the victim so he doesn't have to listen to the rest of us who have genuine concerns about this post and about who should be having these conversations about the misrepresentation of Indigenous history (newsflash, not white people). No one's genuine concerns are actually being listened to because it's being said in a harsh tone or they decided to use a swear word here or there, and when we ask this person to not speak over Indigenous people's voices, he just says that he's not doing that. At all. When he quite literally is speaking over every single Indigenous person in his post that refuses to be ultra polite to him.

White people do not get to dictate what is racist and what is not. So many people of different races have fucking said this a million times over, and it's because it's true. And here I am, saying it again because apparently white people refuse to get the memo. If the majority of Indigenous people who see your post about Indigenous people and say "hey this is kinda racist" perhaps the thing you should be doing instead of fighting against the community is taking a step back and asking yourself why all these Indigenous people are saying that in the first place. Trust me when I say that Indigenous people and POC know what racism looks like, and white people will never know those intricacies in the way that we do. They will miss the things we know to be racist, because they do not experience racism themselves. And it's important to listen to the Indigenous people and POC in your communities when we say that something is racist, because while you might try to fight the whole thing, you're likely missing something that you can't see because of your privilege.

There are a lot more things I could say about this, and I think I intended on saying more but I've got the worst memory in the world so thoughts tend to be fleeting if I don't write them down immediately, but please for the love of god just listen to Indigenous people when we tell you something isn't okay. Admitting you were wrong about something isn't the end of the world, but the more you drag it out and the more you fight it, the harder it is to ask for forgiveness in the end.

Anyways I’d appreciate anyone, especially white people to reblog this and share it, I think something like this should be shared. Please let Indigenous people have these types conversations in our own spaces. They are subjects we are more educated on and have more personal experience in and we truly do not need the imput from white people to help fix these issues.

[stargazer-balladeer]

Christmas Greetings from them [Genshin Impact]

Characters Included: Aether, Albedo, Amber, Barbara, Beidou, Bennett, Childe, Chongyun, Diluc Ragnvindr, Diona & Fischl.

Notes: .. AYE- TIME TO START WORKING- :DDD the child-like characters (qiqi, klee, diona, and paimon—) are all platonic. so no worries there- i also have to randomize Diona’s and Sucrose’s ;;w;; i’m just gonna imagine what’ll like if the two characters interact- some of this are long, some are short. So sorry abt the inconsistency :pp hope ya’ll like this! (Bc this is the first time i’ve done something like this- 🤧)

Ps: I have to cut this into several parts bc there is a maximum word count in one post- ;;w;; so i only added the ones that appeared here.

Additional Notes: based on the “wishes” thing. So like,, ya know, how we believe that if we make a wish on a star it’ll come true kind of thing? So,, when making a wish or prayer or something, they do it in a prayer position and think of it- and that person somehow receives it?? (I’m still not sure abt this part ;;w;; but let’s wing it-!). Also,, I refer “wish” as a prayer- 🤧 sorry if its confusing- hshs

Warning: some of the characters are OOC ;;w;; sorry-

Aether

With Paimon

“Oh? Is it already that time of the year again?”

“Of course it is! Don’t tell me you forgot-!”

“Oh-! Of course not, Paimon. Not with you constantly reminding me..”

“C’mon! Say your wishes! Oh.. also! You should probably say your wishes for your s/o!”

“Hmm.. you know what, Paimon. You could be useful sometimes.”

“Hey! What does that suppose to mean?!”

“Wishing stars.. this is for my beloved [Y/N], I wish that we can get to spend every Christmas season together. Though I may travel a lot, and may leave you one day, I hope that you’ll still love and cherish the limited time we have together. Always keep smiling that brilliantly for me, even if I’m gone. As much as this is becoming cheesy, keep me in your heart, okay? I’ll keep you in mine in return. Merry Christmas, [Y/N].”

Albedo

With Sucrose

“Sir Albedo-! Are you still busy with your research?”

“Hm..? Oh, Sucrose. Precisely, I’m almost done with it.”

“You should probably get some rest, sir! It’s almost Christmas Eve!”

“Christmas? Eve? Eh..? Is it already that late?”

“D-Don’t tell me you didn’t notice the time..?”

“I suppose so..”

“You should probably make your wish now! The stars are still out, so it’s not too late to make right now.”

“Ah, I forgot about that. Thank you, Sucrose.”

“Y-Your very welcome, sir Albedo-!”

“Stars that grants wishes, hear my wish. This is for my (princess/prince), my muse. How are you faring? I hope that you’ll come back soon so that we can celebrate this season of Christmas, and possibly more. Can you see the stars from where you are? Can you see how bright they are right now? I really do miss your presence.. I miss the sparkles in your eyes when I discover something new. I wish to see those again. Keep shining brightly for me, okay? Merriest of Christmas, my love.”

Amber

With Jean

“Amber? Are you still patrolling?”

“Acting Grandmaster Jean! Yep! I was about to head outside to patrol the area-!”

“You’ve been working very hard. I praise that trait though please don’t overwork yourself.”

“Hehe~ don’t worry, acting grandmaster Jean! I’m doing okay!”

“Well then, have you already wish?”

“Wish..? Ah! I forgot!”

“*chuckles* Of course. Better make that wish now before the stars vanish.”

“Okay! Thanks for reminding me, acting grandmaster Jean!”

“My pleasure, Amber.”

“Wishing Stars. I hope it isn’t too late to make a wish now-! I kinda forgot, so sorry.. hehe. Anyway, this is for my partner! How are you out there? Actually, where exactly are you? I kinda forgot where you went.. hehe, sorry. Make sure to eat plenty of food, okay? It’s important to eat 3 times a day to maintain a healthy body-! Also, you shouldn’t mind your weight! As long as you’re healthy, it doesn’t matter if you weigh alot! I’ll still love you no matter what! Merry Christmas, [Y/N]! Come visit me again!”

Barbara

With Noelle

“Oh? You’re still awake, Barbara?”

“Hm? Oh, Noelle! Good evening! Hehe, yeah. I was thinking of what wish I should make.”

“Ah. The legend of the Wishing Stars. I’m surprise that you believe in that sort of things.”

“Well.. it isn’t bad to dream, right?”

“I suppose. If I may, why not wish about your s/o?”

“[Y/N]..? Hm.. actually, that doesn’t sound like a bad idea-! Thanks so much, Noelle! You’re truly a good friend!”

“Hehe.. I’m just glad that I’m a help to you, Barbara.”

“O Wishing Stars, hear my wish. This is for my beloved [Y/N], of whom I wish to see again. Please let them be unharm. I wish I could accompany them in their journey but I have my role here as well. So I wish them the best in their travels. Please come visit though, I wish to see your face again, [Y/N]. And I wish to heal all the wounds that was cast upon you. Though I cannot heal the scars, you shouldn’t be afraid to show them. For they tell a tale of an adventure you went through. Come back in one piece okay? Merry Christmas, my beloved. Sweet dreams.”

Beidou

With Ningguang

“.. huh? Oh, what a surprise seeing you here, Ningguang.”

“I suppose it is quite a surprise, seeing as we coincidentally bump into each other in a hill. Tell me, what business do you have here?”

“I could say the same with you. It isn’t everyday you bump into a Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, in a secluded place like a hill no less.”

“I believe it’s the same reason as yours, peace and quiet.”

“Ah, same. Though, there’s another reason why I’m here.”

“Oh? And what is that?”

“To see the stars. Have you heard about the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“Ah, I’ve heard about it but never really took an interest on them.”

“Well, the simplest explanation is that when you wish upon a star, it’ll come true or be sent to that person.”

“Interesting. It is quite interesting what a human mind can come up with.”

“Hm.. myth or not, I was thinking of doing one anyway.”

“Go ahead. Don’t mind my presence.”

“Kinda hard when you’re the Tianquan..”

“Do you wish to make me leave then?”

“Nah, you can stay.”

“Alright.”

“I have no idea on how to do this but- o wishing star, hear my wish..? Can you send this wish to my second mate? I wish you were here, to celebrate the holidays with me and the crew. It’ll be a blast if you were here.. Though I understand that you can’t be here because of your personal reasons. Though it would be nice to see you again.. I hope that wherever you are, they are treating you well. Your health comes first, okay? Stop thinking of others for a change.. though that’ll be impossible knowing you.. just keep smiling, okay? Your smile is a treasure afterall, a treasure that I selfishly want to keep. Merry Christmas, my second mate. May we cross the seas together again.”

Bennett

With Barbara

“Oh, it’s you again, Bennett. Are you injured again?”

“Hey Barbara! Nope, not today!”

“Thank goodness. I see that lady luck decided to give you a break atleast.. anyways, if you’re not injured, why’re you here then?”

“Ah, I came to ask you on how to send a letter or something to [Y/N]! I don’t know what to get them, and I don’t have a clue on where they are either-! Besides, it’s almost Christmas..”

“Hm.. I’m not sure if this is true but why not give her a wish from the stars?”

“Wish? From the stars?”

“You know.. the legend of the Wishing Stars.”

“oh.. Oh.. OH! I see! That’s brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?! Thanks Barbara! I owe you yet again!”

“*chuckles* I’m happy to help you whenever, Bennett. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas too, Barbara!”

“Wishing stars, can you please send this to [Y/N]? I know I haven’t gotten anything for you this year, but next year, I’m gonna make it up to you! I’ll give you the best gift ever! Hope you’re doing well! Fischl is doing great, along with the people in the Adventurer’s Guild. Oh, and guess what? I didn’t get hurt today! I guess lady luck decided to give me a break.. hehe.. you know.. it isn’t the same without you. But take your time! You don’t need to come back immediately! I’ll wait for you! Even if it takes years for you to come back, I’ll wait! So please, come back okay? Me and the Benny’s Adventure’s Team will be waiting for you! Eat healthy and smile more! Merry Christmas! Love ya!”

Childe

With Teucer

“What are you thinking of, brother?”

“! Teucer! You know it’s rude to sneak up on people-!”

“Actually, I’ve been calling you for the past minute. You just haven’t responded to any of them.”

“.. really?”

“Really really.”

“Well, now that you have my attention, what do you need?”

“Mommy is asking when we will meet your s/o.”

“Eh? They want to meet [Y/N]?”

“Yep! Their curious on who they are after you mentioning them a dozen times in the letters you sent for them!”

“.. I guess I’ve been mentioning them a bit too much.”

“So, when? When?”

“Well, not anytime soon I’m afraid.”

“Aww.. what gives?”

“Their on a journey afterall. When they get back, I promise I’ll let them meet [Y/N].”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Okay..”

“Goodnight, Teucer. It’s almost your bedtime.”

“Goodnight, brother..”

“Stars above, would you listen to my wish, I wonder? Will [Y/N] even receive this? Oh well, couldn’t hurt to try. How’ve you been? Hope you’re still alive. Actually, I’m pretty sure you’re still alive. You’re strong afterall. Anyways, my family wants to meet you. You’ve already met Teucer which made the rest of my family jealous because, for some reason, they also want to meet you. I mean, who wouldn’t want to meet you? You’re amazing in every way, [Y/N]. When you return, I’m gonna ambush you and kidnap you to meet my family. That sounds like fun actually.. hm.. might as well do that. Also, you better be getting some sleep. I don’t want to see any bags under your eyes. Hahaha.. Merry Christmas, [Y/N]. May the Tsaritsa protect you from harm.”

Chongyun

With Xingqiu

“.. oh, it’s you.”

“Eh? Aren’t you atleast excited to see me?”

“Not really..”

“Boo.. and here I consider you a close friend-!”

“Well.. you are certainly a friend. But are we really that close?”

“That’s cold coming from you, Chongyun.”

“.. did you just made a pun?”

“Yes. And I have no regrets.”

“*sigh* why are you here?”

“I came here to inform you about something I found!”

“If its a prank, then leave me out of it.”

“It’s got something to do with your s/o~!”

“..”

“I got your interest, didn’t I?”

“*sigh* on with it.”

“So, one of the books I’ve read contained a legend called the legend of the Wishing Stars.”

“The legend of the Wishing Stars? Sounds like a fantasy that someone came up with during story time.”

“Well, anyways. It says, if you wish upon a star during the night, your wish, or prayer, would be heard.”

“And how is this related to [Y/N]?”

“Well, since [Y/N] is out and about, why not make a wish for their safety?”

“But how would we know if that’s true?”

“Couldn’t hurt to try now, would it?”

“.. how would I know this isn’t one of your pranks?”

“I promise it isn’t! Most people know of it actually-! Even the traveller!”

“Traveller? Oh.. I guess it can’t hurt to try it out.”

“Hmhmm! I gotta go now though. Afterall, I just escape from home. See ya!”

“And off he goes. *sigh* he really does do what he pleases.”

“Xingqiu didn’t actually tell me how to do this so I’m gonna guess instead. Stars in the sky, is it true that you’ll grant my wish? Well, it’s not like you can answer so I’m just gonna guess that’s a yes. How are you, my snowflake? I presume that you have a safe journey in wherever you are. If you ever feel peckish, just eat some ice cream, it always works. Nothing exciting is happening right now. Xingqiu and Xinyan are their usual annoying selves, and Xiangling tried to feed me a new recipe she made. Say, when are you coming back? Where exactly are you? Maybe I can follow, wherever you are. But my duty as a exorcists lies here. I hope that pendant I gave you serves its uses to repel any ghosts that dare to haunt you. Oh, it’s almost Christmas. Merry Christmas, snowflake. I hope that next year, you would be here with me instead of somewhere else. Until we meet again.”

Diluc Ragnvindr

With Kaeya

“And what exactly are you doing here?”

“Is that a way to talk to a regular customer here?”

“Shouldn’t you have duties to fulfill, Cavalry Captain Kaeya?”

“Oh? We’re using our titles now, master Diluc?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“*laughs* alright alright. I surrender.”

“Are you really here for the wine? Or are you here to annoy me as usual?”

“Well, I will admit that I initially came here for the wine but I brought a present for you, for Christmas.”

“I hope it isn’t another vase.”

“*laughs* of course it isn’t. Do you know the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“So..”

“So?”

“Aren’t you going to make one?”

“Why would I participate in a childish myth?”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to try now.. especially to your beloved s/o.”

“.. you’re just trying to provoke me.”

“And it’s working~”

“Hrm..”

“C’mon~ don’t you want the best for [Y/N]?”

“What’s your end goal?”

“.. pardon?”

“What will you gain in the end if I do make a wish? Don’t tell me you’re doing this out of the ‘goodness’ of your heart.”

“... hm.. I still wonder that.”

“You’re just playing around with me, aren’t you?”

“Look, we all want the best for [Y/N]. If you want to do it, then do it. If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. I just came to inform you about that silly legend.”

“.. do you even believe in that?”

“Who knows?”

“..”

“I gotta go now. Merry Christmas, sir Diluc.”

“...”

“I can’t believe that I’m participating in a silly legend but, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to try. Wishing stars, shining brilliantly in the night sky, would you hear my wish? I wish the best for [Y/N]. I wish they are faring well and that they aren’t having any problems with enemies like Hilichurls or Treasure Hoarders in wherever land they are in. But, won’t you guide them back to me? I admit that I miss them dearly and I worry about them constantly. I miss everything about them, their smile, their laughter, their eyes, their hair, their warmth, everything. I want to hold them in my arms again and kiss them. When I meet them, I’ll remind them of my love again. Hopefully, next year, they would stay by my side in the winter season. This is a wish I hold dearly. May Barbatos.. or that bard.. keep you safe. Merry Christmas, my love. I’ll be waiting for you here.”

Diona

With Mona

“.. who are you?”

“Me?! Why, I’m Mona! The famous Astrologer of Teyvat! I have mastered and know astrology more than anyone in Teyvat!”

“Yeah.. and I’m a dog.”

“I- You don’t believe me?!”

“Nope.”

“Urgh-! And who are you?”

“Hmph. I’m Diona. One of the bartenders in Cat’s Tail.”

“... how are you working when you look so young though?”

“It was honestly just a joke at first but big sister Margaret decided to hire me for real.”

“.. ah, I see.”

“So, why are you here?”

“Well, this is the best view of the stars of all of Teyvat.”

“Ah, I guess so..”

“Say, do you know of the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“My dad used to tell me stories about that.”

“Well, I supposed it could be use as a bed time story.”

“Wait, it isn’t just a myth?”

“Who knows? There’s no proof of its existence but some people swear they could hear the person’s voice in their head. It’s still unclear on how this things happen, but that’s what makes it wonderful, don’t you think? So many mysteries yet so little answers..”

“.. I don’t think like that.”

“Really?”

“Hmhm.. All I wanted to do is to make a wine so disgusting that nobody would want to drink it. I don’t really see anything else besides that.”

“Ah.. I see.”

“Say, if I make a wish right now, would they receive it?”

“Well, it’s not certain but it wouldn’t hurt to try. Afterall, we humans just keep trying, never giving up. That’s one beautiful thing in humanity.”

“...”

“Why don’t you make a wish right now?”

“Hrm.. okay.”

“Just put your hands in a prayer position and close your eyes and wish in your mind.”

“O shining, wishing stars. I’ve only heard about you through dad and this random lady. But would you hear me out? I just want to know if my friend is okay. Their name is [Y/N]. I wanted to know if their safe and alive. It’s only been a few days, but I’m already missing them. They better be alright or else they’ll be in trouble when they get back! I want them back so that I can finally achieve the dream of ruining the wine industry! Hehe.. I hope they aren’t overexerting themselves out there, I know what their like and I’m honestly worried. Please bring them back to me in one piece. I still have to teach them the bow-! I want to give them the present I have for them. I made it myself, a bracelet! Dad help me make it! Merry Christmas, [Y/N]! Come back and be my partner in crime again!”

Fischl

With Bennett

“Hey! Fischl!”

“Hm? Ah, why isn’t it Bennett from the Benny’s Adventure Team. To what I owe a pleasure to?”

“I was just wondering if you’ll be going to the party that the Adventurer’s Guild is hosting. So, are you going?”

“Hm. If one has time, then perhaps. Not everyone has free time afterall.”

“Ehh? You’re still busy? Shouldn’t you relax for a bit? Whenever I talk to you, you always seem busy.”

“It is, afterall, a Prinzessin der Verurteilung noble duty.”

“Ah.. I suppose.”

“Is there anything else you would like to say before we part ways?”

“Oh yeah! Do you know of the legend of the Wishing Stars?”

“I am aware of it but how does this have any interest in our current predicament?”

“.. uh..”

“What mein Fraülein is saying is, how did this legend became an interest to you?”

“Ah! Well, it’s becoming popular among the people around this time of year. Maybe you can make a wish for.. [Y/N]?”

“.. perhaps.. we’ll try to find some spare time later on to do the wish.”

“Alright! Well, I gotta go. See ya later, Fischl, Oz!”

“Farewell, young lad.”

“Farewell..”

“Are you, perhaps, planning on making a wish right now, mein Fraülein?”

“There is no impending dangers around us, correct? Then perhaps, I can spare some time right now to get it off my mind.”

“Whatever you wish to do is what I’ll abide to, mein Fraülein.”

“O great, shining Wishing Stars, hear thy wish, one that is coming from heart. One wonders how the other fares? Have the Gods and Goddesses gifted them protection in wherever they are? Because making the Prinzessin der verurteilung worry like this is unheard of. Still, I would be utmost be grateful to find any sign of them still active. I, Fischl, Prinzessin der verurteilung, want them to return immediately in whatever journey they are in. Though I would still understand if they need more time to search for what they need to search. I.. honestly miss them and their warmth. I want them to hold me again, to reassure me that I don’t need to be perfect always. Ah-! I broke off of character! My apologies-! Anyways, since it is the season of winter festivities, I wish them a merriest of Christmas. May next year come and let us celebrate it together as one. I’m forever in love with you, please come back to me in one piece.”

[vermillionbones]

I'd love to hear more of your Phobditor HCs!!

ohoho thank you for enabling me anon i am going to kiss you directly on the mouth /pl

also slight warning for spoilers to the new(??) ending of project nexus!! i don't talk explicitly about what happens in general, but the stuff involving phobos is mentioned in the very first hc so for those of you who don't wanna be spoiled you can just skip that one lol. grab sum popcorn lads this one's a long one snbcnkcnvmv

Phobditor HCs!!

rbs very much appreciated 👉👈

---------------

so i hc that phobos didn't actually get banished at the end of MPN, but he did get his ass handed to him to the point where he was so injured and drained of energy that he couldn't use most of his abilities. he went into hiding for a while and eventually found the AAHW, which he proceeded to join since he didn't really have anywhere else to go. after he'd healed and returned to his full strengh the auditor recognised how potentially useful he could be as a second in command, but ofc he'd have to earn her trust first. normally i don't try to make things make sense like this but since the auditor isn't actually in MPN i thought i'd at least try lmao

the auditor: ruthless girlboss by day, feral spouse-adjacent shithead by night

phobos is basically the same but instead he's manipulate mansplain by day and malewife manwhore by night /hj

before they got closer they'd never really physically interacted w/ each other, so phobos kind of assumed the auditor would be at least slightly painful to touch [cuz yknow. she's made of fire lmao]. plus he'd witnessed her setting things and people on fire with her bare hands before and he'd rather not get turned into a walking bonfire, thanks. the closest she'd ever been to touching him previously was like flicking the antenna on his helmet to piss him off

but like way, WAY later he finds out that audi can actually manipulate the temperature of their flames to an extent, so when they touch his hand for the first time he's really surprised when they're just like. pleasantly warm. kinda like the fuzziness you feel after you drink something hot but on the outside of your body

however this has also resulted in phobos using her as a mobile safety blanket lmao. sometimes if it gets too cold in the office he'll wander up to her and bug her until she folds a wing around him and tucks his head under her chin

when he's being a shithead sometimes she'll just pick him up by the back of his jacket and drag him off like a disobedient kitten lmao

They don't really have a super crazy height difference normally [i hc that audi is around 6'3 and phobos is 5'10 if he's not slouching] but sometimes she just morphs herself to have a several-foot height advantage just to fuck with him. like she'll appear in his office as this 9-foot-tall behemoth and he'll just be like "?? excuse me?? ma'am?? you can't do this to me???"

before he got to know her better, phobos had no idea the auditor preferred she/they pronouns over they/it like the agents around him seemed to think. he never made a big deal out of it and never explicitly brought it up, but he remembers to switch it up for her every now and then. plus whenever audi overhears him doing that she gets all fuzzy inside sfbfnckvj

phobos really likes her wings. he actually might be a little jealous of them, but he'd never tell her that sfvngk

ever since audi found out about this, they tend to subtly unfurl them and use them to gesticulate more when he's around. occasionally she'll use the claws at the peaks of her wings on touchscreens in place of a finger n stuff. she's also [gently] swatted him upside the head with a wing a few times when he was being a dickhead, but it doesn't really hurt him lol

she also lets him pet them when they're not busy. contrary to what he'd assumed, it doesn't actually feel like a whole lot to her - she's described the feeling as something similar to how it feels to have someone tracing their fingers along the back of your hand

phobos stims sometimes!! he has a bad habit of masking while he's working since a few of them are vocal and he doesn't want to distract anyone, but if he's just hanging out with audi he's totally chill. one of his more common ones is when he thinks out loud, either quietly narrating his current train of thought or saying unrelated words - usually confirmations like 'yeah' or 'mhm' - out loud cuz he thinks they're fun to say. occasionally he'll start humming low in his throat kinda like a microwave cuz he likes how his voice feels in his chest

also when he's standing idle sometimes he holds his arms closer to his chest and fidget with them

the auditor doesn't stim, but to people who know them well their wings are like big signs that can wordlessly describe how they're feeling [which is like my favourite thing to write cos wing emoting is really fun skdjbknk]. occasionally they might subtly flutter their wings when they're very pleased or receive good news, or flare them out when they're irritated/stressed

i always forget that phobos is actually like super powerful in canon so i hc that audi does too lmao. like it always slips her mind that he can teleport too so she'll dramatically disappear after telling him off for doing some dumb shit and fuckin scream when he somehow appears in the same room as her less than a second later

phobos has a red and black lava lamp in his office!! he'd never admit it but he got it cuz it reminds him of audi :]

phobos loves watching audi in combat for some reason. i mean he already likes watching them do stuff so he can backseat drive, but he's also quietly admitted that her fighting style is interesting to watch

he can't really put it into words, but it's because the way they fight looks incredibly effortless and fluid, mainly due to them having so much time to adapt to and understand their powers [both their original powers and the ones granted by the halo]. when phobos' own abilities started to surface he was incredibly unstable and struggled to properly harness them for months, so he thinks it's nice to watch someone who actually knows what they're doing for once.

much to the auditor's surprise, phobos is actually a bit insecure behind all that confudence, particularly about scars. after being close to her for a while, phobos came out of his shell a bit and explained how he managed to grant himself his powers/abilities, which is something i'll absolutely go further in depth with later [via a longer hc that i'm gonna post eventually lol] but to summarise he basically infused himself with raw madness in what he's eloquently dubbed 'the incident'. Of course, doing that to himself didn't come without consequence, and he's permanently scored with a variation of lightning & burn scars on his forearms, thighs, and most of his torso.

for the longest time, the most casual thing he'd wear even around just her was the long-sleeved sweater he wore underneath his trench coat, and he refused to change even if he was literally overheating. though eventually after he told her about what happened he felt way more comfortable and now whenever they're in their shared room audi practically has to throw a shirt at him to get him to wear one sbkcjcnk

the auditor has a sort of subspace/pocket dimension where they can store different items and recall them at will. normally it's pretty empty, but ever since she grew to like phobos she's started keeping miscellaneous things in there for him. sometimes she pulls out a drink or snack that he likes, sometimes she pulls out a little water gun with phobos' name scrawled on it and shoots him with it when he's being a shithead

they are both,, SO fucking touch-starved. like they will not let go of each other [at least if they're not currently in the middle of something or around agency employees] cuz internally they're both just going "wow!!! that's a hand i'm holding!!!!! there's a hand holding my hand!!!! wow!!!!!! i love this!!!!!"

having one eye isn't exactly the best thing for depth perception, especially when you're really tired, so sometimes audi has to hold phobos' hand and guide him around in the mornings because he can [and has] walked into walls and counters

even since before they became a thing, phobos had been a little envious of the auditor's halo and the powers it granted her. he used to subtly try to yoink it from her, maliciously at first but far more playfully later, where he'd like lightly grab it and give it a gentle spin above her head like a mobile. but his infatuation with the halo kinda died after she decided to let him borrow/try it out once by allowing him to link with it

by linking i essentially mean like wearing it, but the halo is so powerful that you can't just 'wear' it without letting it bond with a part of you

long story short, he went into it with far too much overconfidence & cockiness and the halo violently rejected him, kind of like how it rejected the auditor once. he wasn't at all prepared for the sheer amount of power that surged through him the moment it started to link with him, so it essentially short-circuited his brain and knocked him unconscious for the better part of a week. when he woke again, the auditor told him he was lucky his head didn't explode and calmly suggested they never tried that again, and he felt inclined to agree.

of course, he still toys with the halo while the auditor's properly linked with it since he knows it can't link to more than one host at a time. and despite his seeming ease and "it's in the past" sort of mentality about the whole event, if someone mentions the concept of him actually taking the halo and linking with it again, he'll shudder and shake his head, saying it's not his place to do so.

the auditor has no doubt it delivered a pretty harsh blow to his ego [being rejected by the thing that would make him a god would prolly do that], but knows he's too prideful to admit that.

audi likes listening to phobos when he goes off on super long monologues, especially if they're like those super cheesy villain monologues. like he could literally be talking about anything and she'll sit there to hear him out, especially if it's less related to work and more about himself

the auditor is super deliberate in the way they pronounce things and they tend to casually drawl their words out to further cement their cool, unbothered boss persona. however the way she talks doesn't really intimidate phobos anymore since he's also been next to her right after she's been woken up, when she's mumbling quietly & slurring some of her words together. he knows the big scary boss side of the auditor is just a persona used for everyone but him, so he feels a lot more at ease with them even when they're trying to be scary

even after being together for a while, phobos still has no fucking idea what the auditor is made of. like he's admitted to her that he's genuinely clueless, and if she lets him he'll spend like 99% of their downtime quietly interacting with her flames [read: curling his fingers through them and petting them] while he muses about his hypotheses for how stuff like her liquidy-shadow form works. they were a little suspicious of his motives at first, but after they relaxed they realised he was just genuinely curious and willing to share his concepts to see if he was right

they have like. the smoothest banter anyone at the agency has seen. like it's super cheesy back-and-forth stuff that wouldn't sound out of place in an 80s sitcom, but it just kinda flows out when they're both comfortable. and ofc they'd deny it if anyone mentioned it but they literally banter like an old married couple lmAO

-----------------

[justalitlecreacher]

Anakin Skywalker Deserved Better

Ive made this post before but it was really rough and i meant to edit it later and its later now but its been so long that i don’t feel like finding the og post so here we are. If it’s not obvious i care more than a normal amount about Anakin Skywalker.

Tl;Dr: I firmly believe that there are so many points in the prequel series, the clone wars, and even the comics that some level of intervention could have steered Anakin away from falling in Revenge of the Sith.

The Phantom Menace 

This is our first encounter with Anakin, and it does a decent job at introducing us to him. This movie sets up his tragic backstory™️ and gives us a good look at his personality; Anakin appears selfless and eager to help complete strangers in return for nothin when he first brings Qui-Gon and crew to his home to give them shelter, and then risks his life in the podrace to help them afford the part they need to fix their ship. Aside from introducing and developing Anakin not much else happens until Qui-Gon brings Anakin before the Jedi Council where they decide he is too old and there is already too much anger in him to be trained as a Jedi. Qui-Gon disagress, but we move on to Naboo where 9-year old Anakin blows up a very large ship all; by himslef w/ autopilot ( they grow up so fast), Qui-Gon dies, and we get our first look at Palpatine being creepy in hindsight, “And you, young Skywalker, we will watch your career with great interest.” not all that weird out of context but uncomfy when you remember who Palpatine is.

Before we move on i actually want to flashback to Anakin’s first encounter with the Jedi Council. For a group of people who constantly take in and raise children, the Jedi seem to do a poor job interacting with them. A kind of infuriating thing about this scene is that the Jedi seem to shame Anakin for being afraid (no matter how much Anakin himself denies that fear). This scene does a really good job at setting up how the Jedi consistently fail to take into account that Anakin is fundamentally incapable of being a “normal” Jedi. Anakin has had a fundamentally different childhood than any other Jedi and absolutely needed more help and support than the average Padawan from the very beginning. Granted it is possible that the Jedi tried to get him the help and support he needed, but if they did we can infer they failed from Dooku’s line in Revenge of the Sith, “I sense great fear in you, Skywalker. You have hate, you have anger, but you don’t use them.”

Obi-Wan And Anakin Comic

The Obi-Wan and Anakin comics take place sometime between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The story focuses on Anakin and Obi-Wan investigating a distress signal on a planet that has been destroyed by war. The comic also flashes back to reveal that Anakin is thinking of leaving the Jedi Order after Palpatine shows him the dark side of Coruscant, and tells him that neither the Jedi nor the Senate will be able to do anything about it. We get more creepy (not just in hindsight this time) moments out of Palpatine here. The first one is when he uses his position as Chancellor to gain access to Anakin under the guise of “helping” him.  “Why young Skywalker is a Jedi, is he not? The Jedi are under the Senate’s jurisdiction. And as I am the Chancellor of the Senate...”. Palpatine proceeds to take Anakin to a club of some kind where they see a corrupt senator gambling; Palpatine also mentions how “Lives are bought and sold here everyday” he then makes a show of apologizing for bringing it up considering Anakin’s past.Without context this would seem harmless enough, but with the context of Palpatine’s true identity it is more likely a ploy to subelty remind Anakin of how the Jedi and Senate are unable or unwilling to intervene on Tatooine or the rest of the Outer Rim. Palpatine reminding Anakin of the Senate and Jedi’s inability to help everyone seems to be a running theme in their meeting as the series continues. 

Aside from Palpatine being a creep; we see that Anakin is still just as willing and eager to help as he was in The Phantom Menace. His skills in mechanics result in him being briefly kidnapped so that he can fix weapons that will help one side to win the war that has destroyed the planet. Seriously Anakin is just so ernest in these comics that i shed tears because i know how his story ends. 

One character that Obi-Wan and Anakin team up with to reach the distress signal first mistakes Anakin for Obi-Wan’s son, and then tells Obi-Wan, “He [Anakin] doesn’t think so. Kid idolizes you. You can see it” when Obi-Wan admits that he’s not sure he is the best suited to teach Anakin, and fears he has failed him in some way. As the story progresses, it is revealed in a flashback that after Anakin told Obi-Wan he wanted to leave the Order, Yoda sent the two of them on the mission they are currently on to give Anakin a chance to reconsider his decision, and Obi-Wan tells Yoda that if Anakin returned from the mission still wanting to leave the Order, Obi-Wan would leave with him to continue his training and keep his promise to Qui-Gon. 

Attack of the Clones

Back to the movies. Attack of the Clones reunites Obi-Wan and Anakin with Padmé Amidala when they are assigned to protect her from an assassin. One of ( if not the) most important elements to this movie are Anakin’s dreams/visions of his mother. Towards the beginning of the movie Anakin doesn’t explicitly say what the dreams are about, but it can be assumed that the dreams are unpleasant as he says, “I don't sleep well anymore.” in response to Obi-Wan commenting on him looking tired; going on to claim that he cannot sleep because of his dreams. Anakin later admits to Padmé that he worries about his mother. This is one of the key moments in Anakin’s life that set him up to fall in Revenge of the Sith. There is no reason i can think of that Anakin should not have been allowed to check on his mother if he was having dreams about her that prevented him from sleeping properly and made him worry for her safety. As Anakin says, “Compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life, so you might say we're encouraged to love.”. If compassion truly is central to a Jedi’s life, then surely they could at the very least send one of their 10,000 Jedi to check on Anakin’s mother if he could not? Is it compassion to deny someone the help they need? I find it hard to believe that Anakin would not have told Obi-Wan that he was worried about his mother going off of how close they appear to be in the previous comic. Especially after Anakin responds to Obi-Wan joking about Anakin being the death of him one day with, “Don't say that Master... You're the closest thing I have to a father... I love you. I don't want to cause you pain.” 

Anakin and Padmé arrive too late to save Shmi, and she dies in Anakin’s arms. This is a crucial moment leading up to Anakin’s fall as it shows Anakin that his dreams have a very real potential of coming true and likely results in him blaming himself at least partially for not insisting on checking on his mother or getting there sooner or doing anything different that may have allowed her to survive; it’s also the first time we see Anakin really lose control. There have been instances of him lashing out in anger before (turning a pair of padawans’ lightsabers against them when he hears them making fun of him behind his back), but nothing like what happens in the wake of Shmi’s death. Anakin wipes out the entire village of Tusken Raiders; children included. And while Anakin does express genuine remorse for his actions, he never faces consequences for them. It’s not even clear if anyone but Padmé ever finds out; Yoda claims to feel Anakin’s pain in the wake of his mother’s death, but does not appear to see Anakin’s actions, and is not shown to discuss what happened on Tatooine with Anakin at all.

Some light googling on my part revealed that in the novelization of Attack of the Clone, while Anakin did tell Obi-Wan about his mother’s death it was Padmé who told Obi-Wan how she had died, but Obi-Wan is unaware of what happened afterwards. “Anakin had told him of Shmi’s death; that was why he and Padmé had gone to Tatooine, he said. Obi-Wan had talked to Padmé later, and she had explained that Shmi had been kidnapped and killed by Tusken Raiders. Neither of them had been willing to go into much detail, and from what Obi-Wan knew of the Tusken Raiders, he didn’t blame them. It was no wonder Anakin seemed shaken, if his mother had been tortured and killed. One day, perhaps, Anakin would be willing to tell him the whole story.” Obi-Wan appears to know that there is more to the story than he has been told, but it content to wait until Anakin is ready to talk about it. I wonder if they ever had that conversation.

Anakin’s inability to save his mother even after the warnings he receives in his dreams likely leads to his desperation to save Padmé form the danger he believes her to be in later in Revenge of the Sith. He has been shown once before that his dreams can easily come true, and he is desperate to prevent this dream from coming true no matter what the cost may be. 

The Clone Wars

This is gonna be a long one; it’s gonna have to cover the most relevant episodes of The Clone Wars and oh boy that’s not a small amount. Im gonna try to go chronologically but bear with me (if you actually read this far you know what you got yourself into)

Assassin s3ep7

In this episode Ahsoka begins having visions of Padmé being assassinated similarly to how Anakin dreamed of his mother’s and later Padmé’s deaths. The difference with Ahsoka is that she is able to prevent the visions from becoming reality.  What i want to focus on in this episode is the reaction Ahsoka gets when she tells Yoda about her dreams. Yoda explains to her that her dream may be telling her something and provides her with the means to act on her visions to prevent them from becoming true.

When Anakin approaches Yoda about his dreams in Revenge of the Sith, Yoda simply tells him that death is natural and he must train himself to let go of everything he fears to lose. We could chalk this up to just a writing inconsistency, but i dont think i will. I would instead like to wonder why Yoda treats Ahsoka’s visions like they are something that can be changed but then treats Anakin’s like they are set in stone. Anakin has already proven himself capable of having true visions, and is more force sensitive than any other living Jedi. It makes no sense to dismiss Anakin’s feelings like this. All this to say looking into and helping Anakin to examine his dreams instead of telling him to let go when he has proven over and over to be incapable of doing so would likely have been significantly more helpful in the long run.

The Mortis Arc S3 Ep15-17

Honestly i dont have a lot to say on this arc aside how much psychic damage it dealt to see Anakin briefly turn to the dark side because he was so desperate o avoid the future The Son had shown him ( really hope everyone had the common sense not to bring that up to Anakin after the fact though).

 The Deception Arc S4 Ep15+18

In this arc Obi-Wan fakes his death in order to go undercover as the bounty hunter Rako Hardeen and uncover a plot to kidnap the Chancellor. This wouldn’t be a problem if they had brought Anakin in on the plan; instead they use Anakin’s reaction to Obi-Wan’s “death” to better sell the illusion. Obi-Wan even says, “Keeping Anakin on the outside was critical. Everyone knows how close we are. It was his reaction that sold the sniper. I'm sure of it.” Obi-Wan and the Council are fully aware of how much Obi-Wan means to Anakin, yet they all decide to use those feelings to their own advantage with little regard for the consequences.

On top of betraying Anakin’s trust; this move leads Anakin to doubt the Jedi Council and wonder what else they may be keeping from him if they  were willing to let him believe that Obi-Wan was dead as long as it suited their interests. “How many other lies have I been told by the Council? And how do you know that you even have the whole truth?”. 

I just cannot imagine why they thought they even had to use Obi-Wan for this plan. In the Obi-Wan and Anakin comic, Obi-Wan claims that there are 10,000 Jedi; surely there is someone less connected or with less attention on them who would be more suited to go undercover without the element of faking their death. Or if faking their death was necessary, surely they could have picked a Jedi who was not closely attached to arguably the most emotionally unstable Jedi in the Order. Anyone else would have been better. I don’t doubt that Anakin was telling the truth when he said, “If it was up to me I would kill you right here! But lucky for you, the man you murdered would rather see you rot in jail.”.

The Deception Arc just really grinds my gears because it really is almost like the Council wants Anakin to fall. There really is no excuse for how they use his bond with Obi-Wan against him for their own gain. The Council and Obi-Wan know full well how much Anakin loves Obi-Wan (see Anakin referring to Obi-Wan as the closest thing he has to a father in Attack of the Clones), and chose to use this vulnerability against Anakin in the worst way possible. 

This arc really sets Anakin to later doubt Obi-Wan and the Council in Revenge of the Sith, and make it easier for Palpatine to convince Anakin that no Jedi would understand him and that they would likely kick him out of the order and not help him. ( heck he even has a recent memory of the Jedi expelling a 14 year old from the Order for the sake of not looking bad in the eyes of the Senate. “I understand your sentiment, Obi-Wan, but if the Council does as you suggest, it could be seen as an act of opposition to the Senate. I'm afraid we have little choice.” i might go more in depth on this one later but this doesn’t feel like the right place as this is a post about Anakin and i don’t want to make and Ahsoka centric arc all about him).  

That wraps up the Clone Wars! Finally!

Revenge of the Sith

Ok big finale. Revenge of the Sith; so close to being my favorite Star Wars movie, but it almost made me cry in the library so its my second favorite (Attack of the Clones is my favorite). 

I’ve already touched on the dreams Anakin has of Padmé’s death in the Clone Wars segment, but it bears repeating and i have more to touch on. Im not 100% if im misremembering or not but i cannot recall Anakin ever explicitly telling Palpatine about his dreams, but Palpatine knows that Anakin fears for Padmé’s life anyway. It’s possible that Anakin just told him off screen but a fic i read recently ( It’s called give me one more night by Spongyllama on AO3 and it is so worth the read) introduced me to the theory that it had been Palpatine sending Anakin the dreams to begin with.

This theory has a good amount of legs to stand on honestly. As mentioned previously, Anakin never tells Palpatine about his dreams, but Palpatine still knows exactly what to tell Anakin to best manipulate him. Furthermore; Anakin’s dreams very likely would never have come true if Anakin hadn’t fallen; Padmé reportedly dies of heartbreak, something that could not have happened had Anakin not fallen. All signs point to Palpatine being behind the dreams (and we know that Anakin and Palpatine are close by the time Attack of the Clones occurs so it’s not out of question that Anakin may have told Palpatine about the dreams about his mother, giving Palpatine the idea to use those dreams against him later)

Conclusion

Honestly the biggest thing i think the Jedi could have improved on was just trying to understand Anakin better. The average age for entering the order is 2 to 3 compared to Anakin’s 9. Anakin entered the order years after any other Jedi, and because of that was able to remember his mother and had formed attachments (or attachment but i digress) before he had even reached the order. It should have been obvious from the start that if Anakin were to ever become a successful Jedi he would need significantly more help than the usual padawan.

We frequently see Anakin scolded for forming attachments or being too emotional (see Clone Wars s1e6-7 where R2-D2 goes missing and Anakin suggests taking a squad out to look for him “Anakin, it's only a droid. You know attachment is not acceptable for a Jedi.”(Obi-Wan) “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.”(Yoda). etc etc)  But, to the best of my knowledge, we never really see anyone showing Anakin how to let go. Anakin lacks the tools he needs to properly deal with his emotions, so the best he can do is shove them down and pretend they don’t exist because to him that’s what a proper Jedi does. No one has ever told him otherwise. The explosion was inevitable.

Anakin Skywalker was a traumatized child who was most likely never taken to therapy or told how to deal with/ healthily show his emotions in any way other than to ignore them or push them aside on top of being manipulated by Sith Lord from a young age. With all these factors is it really a surprise that Palpatine was able to turn him?

ok im done; see yall next time ig

[mystxmomo]

100% AGREE!!! as someone mentally ill it feels just as alienating to insist that a clearly mentally ill character is Capable of an entirely healthy relationship all of the time like. writing a mentally ill character to be struggling isnt fetishizing or demonizing anything its just realistic and genuinely so much of komahina is them repeatedly frustrated w the process of understanding each other!!! jumping right 2 domesticated shit like damn fluff is cute but u Know it takes them a while 2 get it

Yeaah

Now full disclosure, I’ve been trying to change the way I view characters as less “A bag of Strengths and Flaws” and more “A bag of character traits that can be both a strength and a flaw when tested by the narrative appropriately.” I forget where I put the post I pulled it from, but it makes sense to me. A trait you have isn’t always going to be inherently good. Your loyalty can have you defend horrible people, your stubbornness can help you get out of really bad situations without fail. The only reason I mention this is because it’s gonna fuck with the language I use, so stick with me.

Now, having said that. 

The one hit I will give is that most people do narratively make Komaeda the Bad Guy of the relationship. I’m not someone who minds rougher interpretations of his character, at least to the degree that a lot of people seem to. I don’t think people play into Hinata’s worse traits a lot. Like I said in the original post, I think Hinata (At least, post game) has some amount of control issues and a little bit of a god complex. It’s something I’ve talked about in the past, but the fact that he just Knows Everything, and the fact that so much of his life has been taken from him probably leaves him with issues regarding his own agency and letting people give him direct orders. He strikes me as someone that would be independent and distant, and that doesn’t always lead to the healthiest interactions. 

I do not think the solution to either of these problems, however, is to lessen the flaws Komaeda has, or worsen the flaws Hinata has. I think the best way to play into these traits is to have them test eachother, while forcing the narrative to play both of their hands. If that makes sense. Again, I don’t think their relationship would start off healthy because neither of them would start off knowing how to deal with the worst sides of eachother. 

To give an example, just off the top of my head. Hinata tries helping Komaeda post game because he’s trying to help heal everyone post game. Komaeda does not like this so starts picking into Hinata being part of the reserve course. Hinata is bothered by this, but tries to ignore it, leading to his agitation on the matter building as Komaeda continues to pick because he’s not getting a reaction why isn’t he getting a reaction out of hinata. Eventually Hinata snaps at him, and whatever he says does make Komaeda feel bad. But Komaeda feeling bad doesn’t result in him telling hinata he feels bad, it results in him trying a different tactic to attempt to push hinata away further. 

To kind of roll back around to the original topic at hand. Mental illness is sort of a rocky slope to handle overall. It’s easy to say Oh People that are writing the mentally ill character to be bad are just demonizing mental illness. But I think it’s always just a little more complex then that. I don’t think anyone that likes Komaeda as a character actively is attempting to characterize him as Bad Because of His Mental Illness. People that like his character like him for a reason, you know? That reason might just not be “I think he’s a polite boy with a few issues.” it cold be “He’s an impolite lad with issues of idol worship and irrational views of how the world and people function and work” or smth smth.

Now granted. GRANTED. I have read some fics where this is obviously the case. I remember seeing a Hinanami fic a while back where Hinata spent the entire time calling Komaeda crazy. And that, yeah thats got absolutely no tact or basis in Hinata’s character in my opinion. Even if you don’t ship the two of them, you can’t just write off their relationship as Hinata Hates Him. And at that point, it’s like. Less about the fact that he has a mental illness and more that they don’t like his character. And in that case, I’m in the “don’t write for characters you dislike if you’re not going to be able to separate yourself from them.” camp

(Note; I have nothing against Hinanami as a concept, I was just using that as an example.)

Then again. There are still people that sincerely think Hinata is a genuinely and sincerely a moron, despite the fact that we play the games from his prospective and get lines like “Yeah I guess it has the ambiance befitting of a final island” and has Studying as the best option at the library in island mode. So like?? // Shrugs. People will read characters the way they want to. 

I acknowledge I’m tangenting a lot on this post, and I apologize.

I think the two main problems are less “He’s bad because he’s mentally ill” and more “There are a lot of amateur and young writers in this fandom that play into tropes often found in anime and fandom, or even just don’t know how to appropriately handle these topics in execution” and “The things that make you uncomfortable to handle in fiction isn’t going to be what makes everyone else uncomfortable”

To which I don’t think the solution is to accuse the authors of demonizing mental illness. Honestly, my main argument for not using group and strawman claims like “These authors are demonizing mental illness” or “These authors are homophobic because they made Komaeda a creep in their fic” is like. To put it bluntly, Danganronpa fandom [at least on tumblr] is a dying community made up of at large mentally ill, neurodivergent, and lgbt content creators and consumers, and using straw man arguments to express your dislike for a certain trope or popular interpretation accuses these authors of being against the very thing that they are. 

And my lesser argument is, strawman arguments are inherently just nonproductive because when you approach situations with them, it’s going to result in conversations that end up inherently combative. You don’t just accuse people of being something, because it creates a situation where they feel they have to be on the defensive. And people won’t pay attention to your point, if they’re on the defensive.

Idk man. I do wish there were more fanfic that made both of them out to be like... not bad people, because I don’t think thats a realistic portrayal of them as characters. But just, not the healthiest. 

[sunsetsover]

Talk about yesterdays episode.. tell me everything you enjoyed in detail lol.

first of all lemme just say i’m SO SORRY this took me so long to get to i know i said i’d answer this like last sunday but sometimes shit happens!!! but you asked for me to go into detail so i very much went into detail so!!! buckle in!!!

i’m doing this in bulletpoints for clarity otherwise it will just be an incoherent mess lmao

(also for reference this is abt the 8th nov ep aka the ‘you’re my boyfriend’ ep!)

ok so let me preface by saying i fuckin adored this ep it’s like god tier for me rn i love ben and pam’s relationship so mf much i hope she comes back soon

like the fact that she just knew!! she knew smth was going on w callum and ben more or less straight away and ok granted those two were not exactly being subtle what with the domestic they were having in the middle of the albert but u know... for all she knew callum was straight and had just broken up w whitney so the fact that she knows ben well enough to just be able to Know smth was goin on despite all of that?? i love that it says so much abt their relationship!!

and then her being the nan that she is and taking it upon herself to fish for information with jay like ‘callum seems nice.... shame abt whitney 👀’ and then jay covering for their asses by not saying anything but pam is Not Stupid and jay was also tellingly vague so she was instantly like i see 👀👀

and then ben entering the parlour shouting about ‘bring out your dead’ or w/e it is he says like the little shit he is and pam rolling her eyes and just the easy affection of that whole interaction like her gently slapping his face and calling him a little devil like ur damn right he is!! almost literally!! but there’s sm overt affection and love there and it’s so nice to see bc ben doesn’t really get that from anyone else (he does from callum now, and jay in certain situations, but it’s just different u know?? like u dont even see that energy from his own mum v often so it’s just... nice to see idk)

like i just love her she has such nan energy and it’s so comforting and warm and she needs to be around forever not just for ben but for jay and lola and also callum like ? pls come back forever pam

ben innocently trying to help callum out by getting him promoted to manager when he hears jay is gonna take a step back like!! he was really just tryna help bc he knew callum was struggling w money... and alright, he probably shouldn’t have meddled and i get why callum wasn’t happy abt it (i’ll get to that) but i also truly believe that that wasn’t him tryna control the situation or interfere or whatever but him genuinely trying to help out his bf and jay was gonna take a step back anyway so it wasn’t even like he was the one to suggest it or anything idk i just thought as misguided as it might have been it was very sweet and thoughtful

also the fact that ben’s reaction to jay being like ‘i suppose callum could be ready to be a manager’ was basically ‘yeah man have you seen him in that suit!!! he makes my dick hard!!!’ like !!!!!!! he was so sincere and enthusiastic as well like he’s fucking diabolical i love him sm ..... pair that with jay’s reaction basically just being like ‘........................ anyways’ sdkfjsdkfsl iconic scene

and then later!!!! you’ve got ben practically chasing callum into the parlour when he sees him go in there!! he’s so excited to see callum and tell him the good news abt the promotion!! bc he’s done good!!! he’s helping!!! bc he knows damn well he’s in the doghouse bc of what had happened with pam and like the energy he radiated when he walked into that parlour was very much ‘i am coming to u w my tail between my legs bc i know i fucked up but instead of saying sorry i’m going to give u the sad eyes and hope u relent’ and like u can see he was practically buzzing out of his skin as he waited for jay to tell him abt the promotion and he’s looking at callum like ‘look! look at what i did!! i’m fixing it! i’m making up for my mistake!’ bc this is obviously how he thinks he can fix things instead of idk having a conversation and talking abt things but!!! i love it ben’s so cute

but ofc it backfires bc callum doesn’t want ben to fix things!! he doesn’t need ben fixing things!! he can look after himself! and we the audience know it wasn’t like ben went to jay and was like ‘you need to promote callum bc he’s struggling with money’, it was more of a two birds one stone situation. but ofc callum doesn’t know that, and it comes across very much as ben meddling and also - as callum says - very hot and cold. like ben can’t tell pam abt their relationship and will ignore him for hours but will (seemingly) wade in like some kind of knight in shining armour bc callum said he’s having money troubles? nah. i said it at the time but i completely agree w callum’s reaction, i would have reacted the same way if i were him. and maybe on any other day callum wouldn’t have reacted so strongly, but after what had happened that morning w pam it’s completely understandable why he goes off on one.

and like poor ben is so confused like he obviously really thought this would be good news and put him back in callum’s good graces but ofc it doesn’t bc what callum needed was an explanation and apology. and you can see how confused and crestfallen he is bc he doesn’t want to fight w callum and he really didn’t want to make things worse but he evidently has and not only that but jay is there witnessing his massive fuck up in action. and u can just tell from the body language that he straight up doesn’t know what to do or say so he’s just kinda floundering bc he really thought he could fix what had happened with pam bc what? he half talked jay into giving callum a promotion? bless him lmao

then he goes full grovel mode - even if he is still very ben about it - and is leaving him voicemails (meaning he’s tried to call him multiple times, he probably tried texting too lmao) and moping abt in the cafe looking all sad and stressed and it’s just so good bc he knows he fucked up and he’s trying not to let it fester which is a v good and v adult thing to do. plus the juxtaposition of ben being like ‘u know ur gonna forgive me so stop being a diva and call me back’ and then that soft little ‘please 🥺’ tacked on the end??? delicious

and then pam walking up to him and standing there and just sighing. like not a word, she just stands there and sighs like dkjfkjsdkfjlsdkf mood !!

no but ok that whole scene of ben and pam in the cafe really had me welling up like just. everything about it. the layers to it all. and i won’t sit here and dissect every little thing even tho i probably could bc we’d be here all day but like just. all of it.

like pam’s exasperation at ben not telling her about him and callum (bc obviously she’s found out from someone - probably honey, who wouldn’t think to lie abt it if pam asked outright), ben not even being marginally surprised that she knows bc even he must know how obvious he’s been, and she was bound to find out from someone. the fact that he jumped when she raised her voice and pointed at him - i could make a whole separate post about that honestly that just. says so much about ben. but yh.... the fact that she knew without him even having to open his mouth that ben was gonna say it was to spare her feelings (like that’s essentially what he says to callum later in the ep). the fact that he didn’t really have a good excuse to offer her and he knew that. his sad little face and the fact that he made himself smaller and ducked his head like just his body language in general (max bowden is SO good at playing on that shit, he has a way of making ben seem physically smaller in certain situations and i love it sm). ben being like ‘idk i thought it’d be easier’ and pam immediately being like ‘yeah for u not callum!!!’ like the ‘u silly boy!!’ was so heavily implied throughout this whole scene u can practically taste it.

and pam! pam manages to effectively have a go at ben and call him out on his shit without belittling him or being cruel or nasty (and no naming names but like. certain mothers could learn a thing or two 👀) and actually have ben listen to her. because she listens to him and hears him and respects and loves him and he respects and loves her so she can have a go at him and his back won’t go up and he won’t lash out because he knows she’s not going to try and hurt him or be unnecessarily harsh. and that’s why their relationship is so special. also i’m still v bitter abt the way kathy handled calling out ben’s shit as opposed to how pam handled it but 🤷🏻‍♀️

like it’s such a little thing but it’s the way she waited for ben to speak. ben said ‘i didn’t-’ and then cut himself off, obviously either struggling to find the right words or struggling to say them out loud, and she just waited for him. waited for him to find the words, to figure out how to say it. she didn’t rush him or try and put words in his mouth or anything, she just sat there quietly, patiently waiting for ben to explain himself in his own time. that is the difference between her and everyone else, and that’s why ben listens to her. because she listens to him - and i mean really, actually listens rather than just hearing the sound of his voice ygm

and then they get too the root of it all: paul. he says he didn’t want pam thinking he’d forgotten paul - which is only half true, imo. i think he was (and maybe still is) just as scared that he’s going to forget paul. i think he has a lot of unaddressed issues when it comes to paul and what happened in general. and i think he definitely needed permission specifically from les and/or pam that it was ok for him to move on now - bc other ppl have tried to tell him that but u can tell from how he’s reacted in the past that he doesn’t like ppl who didn’t really know paul talking abt what he would or wouldn’t want. but pam did know paul, probably better than anyone. and she’s telling him that it’s ok. that she wants him to be happy, and that’s exactly what paul would want too. and she would know - she’s his nan. so ben can allow himself to listen to her. he trusts her, trusts that she would know what paul would want, how he would feel. and now he has permission to let go of the past a little bit and finally start moving on.

and that’s hard!! like as much as he might like callum, that’s still a hard thing to do for him!! you can see on his face that it’s hard for him to digest and accept what pam’s telling him - that maybe it’s finally time to let go. it’s just as hard for him to confess that yeah, he does care about callum - he gives her the tiniest nod of the head because he can hardly even bring himself to say it, but he can’t deny it either. and it’s hard for pam too, is the thing. you can from the way her voice shakes as she tells him it’s time to start showing callum that he cares how hard she’s trying not to cry. not because she’s not being sincere, not bc she doesn’t mean it or she doesn’t want ben to move on and be happy, but it’s still a hard thing. the world has moved on without paul, and now ben - the last link to him in a lot of ways - is too, and as necessary and as good as that is for him, it doesn’t make it any easier for them. grief is a weird and difficult thing and i think they both did a good job of portraying the struggle of it in this scene.

and then them having this moment right at the end at the end where they’re just smiling at each other w their heads rested together and it’s not an easy thing and they’re both obviously a bit upset and broken but it’s so sincere and warm and she just pulls him in and kisses his head and he just lets himself be comforted by her and by this point i had a big lump in my chest bc it was a very real and important and sweet moment and i was a lil overwhelmed

the tiny mick and callum scene!! i want more of them!!! we haven’t had a proper mick and callum scene since before the wedding i think and i know realistically it’s bc danny dyer has been doin other stuff and hasn’t been filming much and then when he has been filming obv the focus has been on the ollie/linda stuff but!! i miss them and it was so good to see them acknowledge that they haven’t seen each other much and for mick to acknowledge callum’s relationship w ben (calling it ‘matters of the heart’ 🥺️) it was just Good i love their relationship sm and i miss them and i need more!!

mick being so happy to see pam was just !!!!!!!!!! like everyone loves pam!!!!!!! please can she come back and stay forever pls

ben’s face when he tried to approach callum only for callum to turn his back on him like that boy was CRUSHED and he didn’t know what to do like he just stood there for a moment unsure what to do w himself and it was Gud

the shot of callum drinking his beer looking all mopey and dejected with ben staring at the back of his head obviously pining even if he wasn’t in focus and then pam telling ben to basically get his shit together and fix this and practically shoving him towards callum while ben’s lookin like he’s trying to psych himself up and mick’s just there looking between all of them trying to figure the whole thing out??? high art

ben approaching callum looking visibly nervous and out of his depth... and then callum seeming genuinely surprised that ben had come over... bye

the fact that the first thing ben said was ‘i’m sorry’!!! ben saying he understands why callum flipped out the way he did!!! callum saying he understands that ben was just trying to help!!!! ben acknowledging that callum is hurt and upset and then explaining why he did what he did and how he felt but still acknowledging that he hurt callum!!! the fucking communication!!!!!!!! like honestly it hasn’t been smooth sailing for these two so far but they always seem to be surprisingly good at communicating and talking when smth is going wrong, at least after the fact (esp ben) and i LOVE that it’s so healthy!!

callum doing the very callum thing and being like ‘it’s fine, i get it’ even tho he’s clearly still upset bc he doesn’t wanna rock the boat but then ben being like ‘no, it’s not fine! what i did is not fine! you don’t have the pretend that it is!’ and callum seeming lowkey taken aback by that :-(

(pam and mick just watching on in the background of all of this like the pseudo parents they are like honestly??? maybe the best part of the scene LMAO)

that little bit of nervousness before ben says ‘you’re my boyfriend’ like he said it in a very sure way but you could tell he was nervous bless him... and then the way callum’s face lit up but he tried to hide it and not smile and play it cool with his ‘you’ve never called me that before’ but then it cuts back to ben who has the biggest smile on his face but u can tell he’s tryna suppress it a lil too but failing miserably AND THEN shy ben makes an appearance w his little ‘well you are, aren’t ya?’ like he just wants to be sure!! he wants to ask so callum has the opportunity to say no (though judging by both of their faces he knew callum wasn’t gonna say no lmao) but he’s still ben so he’s gotta ask in this roundabout way... man it’s so cute

combine that with callum’s little pout and squint like he was pretending he really had to think abt it and the tone of his little ‘yeah’ like he was like ‘i suppose so’.... the subtle banter of it all i love it.... but he can’t keep it up for long bc then he’s the one with a massive smile on his face like bro... the sun doesn’t even shine that bright

and then ben’s little disbelieving ‘yeah?’ like he had to make sure :-(

AND JUST PAM AND MICK BEING LIKE AWWW WHEN THEY KISSED AND MICK BEING LIKE ‘HOW LOVELY’ AND JUST STANDING THERE SMILING AT THEM IT TOOK ME OUT FR

ben asking callum if he’s happy and callum tapping ben’s chin and telling him he is...................... the two of them looking at each other Like That....... talented brilliant incredible amazing etc

pam being like ‘my work here is done’ i love HER

ben making a point of being like ‘pam i want you to meet my boyfriend’ he’s so fuckin cute i love him

the whole pam and callum exchange from the hug to her holding his hand and telling him how lucky he is to have ben and then telling callum that ben has the biggest heart of anyone she knows but saying it to ben bc she knows he needs to hear that too bc like... when has anyone EVER said that about ben?? when has anyone ever thought that about ben?? but she sees through all the bullshit and sees him for the kind, soft-hearted, loving but equally damaged boy he really is and she wants callum to know and understand that but also for ben to know that too and i’m crying just thinking about it bc you can see ben’s face change and how emotional he starts to get not only bc it’s pam and everything that must be going through his head abt paul, but also just?? someone being kind to him?? saying smth nice?? god i’m broken

like pam really almost had me in tears in this scene genuinely esp when she was clearly getting emotional (as was ben) and she took both of their hands and told them to look after each other, given everything that happened with paul, and them both saying ‘we will’.... like that really fucked me up.... it felt like a Moment.... and then follow that up w pam and ben resting their heads against each other and whispering ‘i love you’ and it was so warm and full of love and adoration .... the ‘i hate goodbyes’.... the palm kiss.... the fact that ben looked like he was abt to cry as pam left... i was a broken woman truly

and then they just went on as if nothing happened and they didn’t just have a very significant relationship moment with the ‘i am lucky’ ‘i’m glad you realize it’ banter lmao

ben being like ‘u have the support of ur boyfriend 🥰️’ when callum was explaining he wanted to leave the parlour like he really couldn’t keep that word out of his mouth huh 🥺️

and the way he grabbed callum’s hand but only managed to get 3 fingers and then callum putting his hand on top of ben’s like for some reason that really fucked me up......... like gays and hands am i right

the journey ben’s face went on when callum told him he wanted to join the police.... the way it went from ‘haha good joke’ to ‘..................... wait he’s being serious’ to ‘oh god what the fuck’ was amazing lmao

and then him interrupting jay and lola w his massive dramatic freak out was so fucking funny like the way jay just shoved lola off his lap when ben come in KILLED me honestly and like ben’s on the verge of a breakdown and his brother and the mother of his child are just taking the piss and laughing at his expense.......... i love family

yeah so perhaps i went a bit overboard w this one but i did make you wait like a week and a half so perhaps this will make up for it lmao ??? but rlly tho i loved this ep sm there was so much good abt it and i want to keep pam forever thank u for ur time 💖💖

[eliphante123]

Playing tw tag game w/ my oc

I haven't been tagged, yet but this looks fun. I've seen people post this from @edda-blattfe and they're pretty honest with their answers, so why not try it, myself. Also, I brought my oc to answer with me (I want to spice it up a bit) Taniya: happy to answer ^-^

~Dire Crowley appears before you~

Question 1: Welcome to Night Raven College! Did you enjoy the trip here?

Me: i don't know how did i get here but wow

Taniya: hmmm...yes and no

Me: why?

Taniya: if you were me, you know why -_-

Question 2: Wonderful! All students here must choose one of the seven dormitories to reside in during the school year. Which one do you choose? Why?

Me: I’m mostly interested in Ignihyde because of technologies and stuff

Taniya: look at my ears and tails, it’s obvious I’m from savanaclaw

Question 3: Now that you’re officially a student, what would you like to learn first?

Me: history about magic, I luv magic

Taniya: LEVITATION! SO I CAN USE IT TO CRUSH MY EMEMIES BY LIFTING A GIANT OBJECT AND THROW AT THEIR FACES!!! *gives out a cute evil laugh*

Me: 0_0'

Taniya: also I can easily get things from up high since that I'm short and I can easily clean my messy dorm room just like one of the movies *smiles*

Question 4: I’ll leave you to settle in now. Before I go, do you have any questions about the college?

Me: one question, *fangirling scream* why did you accept hot guys in your college?

Taniya: is there a potion for making me taller? 0w0

~Crowley out~ 

Taniya: hey! I’m talking here!

Question 5: Which dormitory leader are you excited to meet? Why?

Me: ALL BECAUSE THEY'RE SO HOT!!!

Taniya: I'm fine with everyone *whispers* except Leona and Azul

Question 6: Azul offers you the chance to fulfill your heart’s desire. What is it, and do you accept?

Taniya: don't you dare go near with that sea demon

Me: why? he's going to make my wish come true

Taniya: yeah but I'm warning you that guy is bad news

Me: just because you hate fish, doesn't mean you hate him, as well. Also, what about you? do you want something in your heart's desire?

Taniya: of course not! I won't make deals with someone who can impossibly grants people's wish and I still don't trust him, especially the twins

Question 7: Which of the boys are you friends with? Why?

Me: of course, Taniya!, ortho, ace, and kalim are cool to hangout

Taniya: most of my friends are Leona, Ruggie, Jack since we lived at the same dorm and the rest are ortho, idia, trey, kalim, lilia, and silver because they're ok to talk to

Taniya: aww

Me: ur welcome~

Question 8: C’mon, we all know everyone at the school is attractive. Is there someone (or more) you’re crushing on?

Me: WELL DUH! EVERY BOYS ARE ATTRACTIVE! and *looks at Taniya with a smirky face*

Taniya: what?

Me: is there someone you have a crush on?

Taniya: me? nah I'm not interested with guys

Me: ohohoh but there is and I know who~

Taniya: oh yeah tell me

Me: it’s obvious you two are like almost a couple but you just don’t realized it. He’s tall, cunning, handsome face and he's a third year

Taniya: dude every third year are tall, cunning, and handsome

Me: but you know him, right? you're always with him whenever he needs you *smiles*

Taniya: I’ve been hanging out with bunch of guys in my life and even if I do, none of them are my type but what you're refering to....

Me: *waiting for her to realize it’s Leona*

Taniya: hmm....nope doesn't ring my bell

Me: girl you need to learn more about love life

Taniya: no thanks

Question 9: The hallways are a terrifying place to be after hours. Who’s the last person you wanna be out there with?

Me: ready?

Taniya: ok

Me & Taniya: 1, 2, 3...GHOST!!!

Me: nailed it

Question 10: Would you rather listen to Jamil’s puns, work at the Mostro Cafe with Jade and Floyd, or clean the dungeons with Lilia?

Me: I'm fine with Jamil's puns

Taniya: I'll just go help cleaning the dungeon with Lilia

Question 11: Everyone loves karaoke night at the Cafe! Do you sing? If so, which song would be your go to?

Me: yeah I can sing but I don't know which song that fits me, I guess It'll Be Alright by Cody Francis

Taniya: I can sing as well and the song I would sing is Faster Car by Anders Lystell.....wait a minute! since when did the Cafe have karaoke?

Question 12: Riddle invites you to a tea party with the rest of Heartslabyul. Do you attend?

Me: yes, I love tea parties

Taniya: me too, so we don't have to get our heads cut

Me: oh yeah....

Question 13: Choose a champion!

Me: I know who's a champion

Taniya: same here

Both: ME!!! *looks at eachother*

Taniya: actually we're the champions

Question 14: Favorite headcanon(s)?

Me: I don't have a favorite but I like all of it

Taniya: canons x self-insert/oc's

Question 15: Unpopular opinion?

Both: nope/nada

Question 16: You forgot to send Maleus an invitation. Your survival plan?

Me: pretending I'm not invited either and next time, I will invite him to my "I'M SORRY FOR NOT INVITING YOU" party

Taniya: who's that?

Me: you know that horned guy that lives in the diasomnia and always been forgetten in every invitation.

Taniya: oh that guy, was he in the party, last week?

Me: idk but it's better to not mention about it to Maleus because he might gonna zap you with his spinning wheel staff like a grilled potato

Taniya: .....ok, I'm with your plan

Question 17: Be honest, would you trust Rook to shoot an apple off your head?

Me: ohhh yes, I want to see if he really shoot that apple

Taniya: no, I would probably be dead for 1.5 second -_-;

Question 18: Lilia, Ace, and Kalim invite you to hang out with them. Do you go?

Me: Absolutely

Taniya: eh why not

Question 19: Where is your favorite place to chill on campus?

Me: chilling at the Mostro Cafe while wearing my headphones on

Taniya: outside the campus roof or I could do parkour for fun

Me: ohh can I come?

Taniya: sure, if you know how to climb a high building before

Question 20: Ortho asks if you’ll help him drag Idia out of his room so he won’t skip class. How does that work out?

Me: I would convince him to go out because he’ll miss everything that is going on

Taniya: why not we use Idia’s unfinished vr headset then trick him that you, me, and ortho help fixing his vr and telling that we created an adventure virtual reality game called “NIGHT RAVEN SIMULATOR” for him, as a test subject, to practice interacting with other students. We just have to remove the lenses, make very convincing that everything is just a simulator/game, and lure him out from his room to attend his classes

Me: but what if he notice our trick?

Taniya: don’t worry I’ll tell the other students/teachers that we have to play along with his virtual fantasy and not let Idia to suspect anything and everything that is reality

Me: but what if it fail?

Taniya: *sighs* if it fails, well at least we can do is getting him to experience of going out for one last time

Taniya: at the end of class, we’ll send him back to his room and tell everyone never mentioned about our “getting idia out from his room” plan

Me: ok that really is too much work but that’s actually smart of you

Taniya: well it’s that least I can do to help a friend to boost his confidence

Me: aww *hugs her*

Question 21: Who would you rather train with, Jack, Sebek, or Ashton?

Me: is it alright to say none of them?

Taniya: training with Jack, ok but with Ashton, no way

Question 22: You’re locked up in Mr. S’s shoppe after hours, who’s with you?

Me: do I really have to pick? then ace and kamil, we’ll get in trouble in the morning

Taniya: Ruggie, I guess? he’ll help me find a potion that can grow my height

Question 23: Leona fell asleep…again. This time on top of you. You have potions in 15 minutes; what do you do?

Me: I don’t mind sleeping with him, he’s kind of cute and comfy to begin with

Taniya: I’ll gently push him off and draw his face with a permanent marker while he’s asleep. When he wakes up, I’ll pretend nothing happened until someone notice his face

Me: that’s kinda devious

Taniya: that’s what he get for sleeping on me

Question 24: Would you rather go on a magic carpet ride with Kalim, let Vil give you the Pomefiore spa treatment, or play on Azul’s grand piano (with his supervision)?

Me: magic carpet with kalim!

Taniya: a spa treatment would be nice

Me: why don’t you join us?

Taniya: you know I have aerophobia! I won’t go anywhere that involves flying

Me: *whispers* you’re no fun

Taniya: I heard that

Question 25: Grimm feels a little left out. Comfort him?

Me: yes, I’ll give him a stuffed mouse to play with

Taniya: I’ll bring him along with me on a journey

Me: ohh like what?

Taniya: as a dorm assistant, I’ll hire him as my helping buddy to do the work in my dormitory    

Me: that’s nice

Ok that's all you want to see here and wow this is really long. For the tags, I bet almost everyone are already been tagged since I've been posting this kinda late so.... I guess @nerdgod555 , @ocean-water-tea , and @mint-sugar-1121 if anyone wants to do this game just go to @edda-blattfe and you can find that mention tw tag game. Hope u enjoy our crazy journey bye~ 

Taniya: good bye~ *waves her hand* ^-^

[elkian]

hey uh not to sound fake deep but after rewatching Jim Henson’s Labyrinth I gotta say

It kinda reads as (intentionally or no) being about abusive/toxic relationships?

(Sarah’s parents should have made an effort to communicate with her rather than either leaving her alone or saddling her with responsibility with no apparent in-between but that’s neither here nor there at the moment)

I’ve seen a lot of interpretations where Jareth is smitten with her or w/e - kind of read it that way myself when I first saw it as a teen - but really?

His reaction to finding out that she’s broken out of the dream and trash land (implying if not proving that Dream Jareth wasn’t even controlled by Real(?) Jareth cause otherwise he shoulda been more worried?) 

His reaction is very frantic. He thought she was dealt with - and at that point, he stopped paying attention to her. He’s not stressed about the clock - doesn’t even think about hiding Toby til the news comes in - at this point, so it’s not as if he’s overly distracted.

He only cares about Sarah when she has something he wants (Toby, etc.) or is defying him.

He’s concerned when he oversees the Goblin City battle. He visibly gets more anxious as she and her friends start to prevail and work their way closer.

Also, all of his interactions with Sarah are really manipulative? “I did what you wanted” - true, one of the few true/honest things he says to her at this point, but’s not a reasonable truth. A reasonable, decent person wouldn’t hear a teenager say “hey, can you kidnap my younger sibling right now immediately because I hate them” and go “you got it, also you owe me” in any serious way. Abetting a self-destructive impulse is not an act of kindness, but he’s playing it as one.

“You cowered. I was terrifying“ - this one is interesting - and as far as I can tell, plays less into the moral unless we go really deep. Here they’re talking about the play - Sarah-as-an-actor cowering before The Big Bad. This plays more into the fantasy imo as it’s about the strange relationship between Sarah’s life (the Escher poster, the music box, the entire “The Labyrinth” playbook, etc.) and what the Goblin King has made reality. How much of it is his realm so much as it is her own subconscious and imagination?

Anyways.

More to the main point -

Via asking for help correctly, at first manipulating and then later by communicating better and working together, Sarah gets to the Castle - with help. “I have to face him alone“ doesn’t make a huge amount of sense from a purely logical standpoint, but it’s a fairy tale, and- if it’s an allegory for abusive or toxic relationships, this is a critical point after all. Her friends, her support network who doesn’t argue, even once, that it’s better to leave Toby with Jareth (Hoggle sort of does but his motive is more “Doing this thing is terrifying, I’m terrified of it, I don’t want to help you [get hurt doing it]”), they acknowledge her need to handle this herself, but make certain she knows that any and all of them will come running if she asks it.

This really reads as a support network supporting a survivor break things off without doing it for her? to me? There’s no doubt that she’s making the calls, telling Jareth what she really thinks, breaking it all off.

Back to Jareth - pretty much all of his interactions with Sarah are deeply manipulative (which, hey, fairy tale fairy, par for the course tbh). Every time she makes progress, he jumps in to turn her around - whether with Hoggle’s increasingly unwilling help, physically manipulating the Labyrinth, or as things get more tense for him, outright drugging(??) her and bribing her. 

He’s constantly trying to deflect her frankly perfectly reasonable concerns (regardless of what she said, again, no sensible, decent person would have taken that as actual permission - hey, compare and contrast Didymus - to take a baby away) by bribing her with insubstantial promises. He’ll show her her dreams. Not make them come true, not help her, not change her, just show her - just like the peach dream. 

Everything he does is deceptive, duplicitous, manipulative. At the end, he’s wheedling, bargaining, and borderline gaslighting her “after everything I’ve done for you” to try and distract her as a last-ditch effort. The fact that he’s almost entirely physically nonpresent for this journey - even when he confronts her in the Escher Room, he walks right through her - is also a thing? Actually, I don’t think he ever physically touches her in the movie (which overall, probably for the best, but ALSO a pretty interesting point). He’s always manipulating her surroundings, her friends, and events around her - because he can’t succeed at manipulating her.

Sarah. At the start, she’s immediately remorseful - because honestly, why would she ever have thought that would actually have real consequences, let alone immediate, magical ones? She’s very polite, on the verge of tears with Jareth, trying to ask for Toby’s return. Jareth is harsher here than he is in the end scene, because he has more (apparent) power. “Don’t defy me.” (The snake-scarf is the only real physical interaction they have, I think, also?)

I’m not gonna go into everything she does in the movie bc dear lord this post is already enormous, but early Sarah vs ending Sarah?

She refuses to even contemplate his manipulations. She knows he can’t give her anything substantial, let alone worth Toby. She spends part of his bargaining trying to remember her line! Because she knows he can’t offer anything worthwhile!

Jareth backs up as she approaches. He no longer has any hold over her, no longer frightens her. He appears in something - I don’t want to say wedding-outfit, but of a taste with it? maybe? idk - and he begs and pleads, he promises to “be her slave” if only she’ll let him control her. It is absolutely his last-ditch effort.

Her final lines could, I think, mirror onto: “I’ve been through a lot [getting to this point]. I’m just as much a person as you*. You have no power over me.” 

*(re: the parents - Sarah feels like she’s not being respected as a person and dealt with accordingly which is an unfortunate reality for many children and teens, the latter of whom are even more stifled as they’re given more responsibility without an equal share of basic respect)

After an entire movie of him trying, and failing, to manipulate her directly, of him trying to slow her down, trying to demoralize her, she realizes that he doesn’t have to matter to her. He has no power over her - he cringes back as she steps forward, he desperately interrupts her game-breaking lines, he wheedles and bargains and begs, and he fails, because she realizes she doesn’t have to acknowledge him at all.

Obviously this message isn’t exact perfect, especially for people in really tough abusive situations, but I do feel it’s at least meant as a warning to those falling into abusive or toxic relationships, or are being taken advantage of in some way. 

“Here are the red flags; here is how weak the other person actually is if you don’t give them a foothold.” Maybe??

ALSO: I like that her friends’ “Should you need us” applies to just being lonely. It’s not just that they stepped up to help her in a particular time of need, but that they are, and she acknowledges them as, friends who are just friends, too.

---

(Other Key points in the movie are ‘don’t take [getting help] for granted’ and ‘you’ve gotta know your goal/know how to ask for help to get it correctly’ (the worm is a v benign variant imo). Not the most wholesome for the overall message I’m reading, but a decent and more direct message to the probable audience (middle-class teens) I think?)

---

END ESSAY

[raywritesthings]

It is interesting that you can write 10 so well considering the way you feel about him. I understand what you mean, I do, but I think there’s more going on there and 10 is my favorite in part because he has such a depth, hurt and real emotions to him, even that he hurts others (and he does). I can’t stand 12 see him as almost evil. SoI get it! I just wanna say you have mad skills to be able to write him despite your feelings. So please don’t take this the wrong way. I couldn’t write 12. No way!

Anonymous said:Whoops, I didn’t realize there was a bit of an argument going on when I sent that last comment. I was just replying to your post about shipping 10 and Donna but not liking 10 outside of series 4! Definitely didn’t mean to get into anything here... Sorry! You can just ignore me. Lol.

Haha, no it’s okay. I think the debate has blown over. And sorry if it seems like I was ignoring this; I was just celebrating my birthday yesterday and didn’t have time to get on my laptop to properly reply. And it’s probably gonna be long (sorry) so the rest of this is gonna go under a cut. Read more if you all wanna know some of my thoughts on Ten, otherwise feel free to skip.

Firstly, I want to thank you for the compliment. Regardless of how I feel about a particular character, when I sit down and write them I try to get into their head and into what they’re thinking and do it from their point of view. Now, I don’t always agree with what they think/feel/do in the story, but I present it as logically as I can.

My frustration with Ten specifically is that, while David Tennant put so much into the character and RTD clearly had certain character beats or threads he wanted to explore - they’re never really given their proper due in the narrative. 

Like, there’s this idea there that he and Rose are too reckless/careless in series 2, a bit too arrogant and uncaring of how their actions impact others (we see it specifically with Mickey and Jackie), and that it leads to the creation of an organization bent on stopping the Doctor (even though Rose was the one ceaseless bugging Victoria, but I digress). Here’s the thing, though: the initial plan for Tooth and Claw was for them to accidentally get Queen Victoria killed, thus altering/damaging history. Real consequences, not just a single moment where we see Jackie sad in the Elton episode, or Rose admitting for one second that they take Mickey for granted right before we say bye to him in the parallel world (for the time being). But without that plot, a majority of the audience completely misses that idea. Series 2 is considered the “good times” for Ten, where everything was right and nothing bad had happened yet. Never mind that there was plenty wrong with him already.

“Don’t you think she looks tired?” With one bit of misogynistic language, he topples the government that was supposed to usher in a Golden Age according to his previous incarnation. Into the power vacuum steps the Master. There’s this repeating theme that the Tenth Doctor creates his own worst problems, but it’s never really crystallized in the narrative. Again, I read that RTD was planning to emphasize that, but never quite got around to it.

On the other hand, the narrative has no problem shifting blame off of him wherever possible. “Then what happens next is your own doing,” he tells the Racnoss Empress before pressing a button he knows will drown all of her children. “You make me this,” he says to Miss Hartigan before destroying her and the other Cybermen. It doesn’t exactly matter that they’re evil; he’s still blaming the victim of his actions for causing his actions in the first place, rather than taking ownership of them. And other characters do it for him, too! “Some things are worth getting your heart broken for.” “The Doctor is worth the monsters.” “He’s like fire.” Like it’s just a natural thing that he can’t help it if you get hurt, when there are absolutely things he could be doing to mitigate the damage he causes, he just doesn’t. And almost nobody holds him accountable, at least not successfully.

Almost nobody - enter Donna Noble.

Donna was the best thing to ever happen to the Tenth Doctor’s character. I’ll be honest with you, I got into the show a bit late. DT was already gone, so I went back to watch his stuff after watching most of the Matt Smith era (what had aired of it at the time). A friend had told me to skip Rose, so I started right in on the Runaway Bride. Then, because I didn’t want to wait for more Donna, I skipped right over series 3 and went straight into 4. And here’s the thing; I genuinely liked his Doctor. I was enjoying it. Imagine when I then went back for series 3 and got to see what an asshole he’d been for an entire series to Martha. And then peeked back at series 2 to see if it was a fluke only to discover even more I found distasteful.

It was like night and day! He’s quite simply a different character around Donna. That’s the only real way I can explain it. Part of it just has to do with the Runaway Bride. It is so important to their development as characters and as a relationship. Because they see each other at their absolute worst - and there’s no hiding that. There’s really no excuses for it. Donna knows exactly what he is capable of - and demands better. Won’t take no for an answer. And because he wants to impress her, wants her to like him, he delivers. That’s simply it. He cares about her opinion of him in a way that he didn’t care about what Martha thought. He wanted Martha around, but he felt he had free license to lash out and give her as much hell as he liked until she refused to take it anymore.

People like to say he’s grieving in series 3. Okay, I get it’s fine to have emotions and feel sad and miss someone. That doesn’t give him a pass to treat the people around him - people he invites into his life - like dirt. And yet, he’s largely left off the hook for that. Martha gets her goodbye speech, and Ten admits to Donna in Partners in Crime that what happened “was all my fault”, but by the Sontaran Stratagem notice how the narrative has shifted what that means. What happened is no longer “I made Martha feel unwelcome and like she didn’t matter as much as other people for an entire year (or two)” and is instead “I taught Martha how to fight and she became a soldier”. Because it’s no fun acknowledging that your main character - the through-line for most of RTD’s era - was kind of an abusive friend.

The Tenth Doctor to me is a Byronic Hero in the worst sense. Broodingly handsome and haunted by the things he’s done in the past, meant for girls to swoon over and tolerate how he treats them because he’s in pain. But Donna doesn’t give any of that nonsense the time of day, and that’s why he had to change so much in series 4. The few times he slips back into it, she’s there to pull him out or flat-out tell him “I think you’re wrong”. If he had grown out of that Byronic phase of his life, if the series 4 him had remained for the rest of his run, I might have found his character alright. There was an arc there, and he learned something and improved.

But instead, with Journey’s End, all the good is undone. He lobotomizes Donna. Full-stop. Sends Rose away with his clone and doesn’t tell anyone else what’s going to happen or that he’ll be alone, because he knows what’s best for all of them and this has to be the way. I think he likes being that tragic figure a little too much. He enjoys blaming all of his woes on inevitability and “the curse of the Time Lords”. It’s nice to have a scapegoat for all his wrongs. (Isn’t it so convenient, that Dalek Caan prophecy which declares the metacrisis “destiny”? Almost like it’s not the Doctor’s fault for leaving his hand lying around chock full of regeneration energy for anyone to touch. It simply had to happen, completely out of his control. It’s not his fault, isn’t that nice?) And then he’s killing Miss Hartigan like he did the Racnoss Empress, he’s turning down Christina because he’s meant to be alone~, he’s fighting time itself in Waters of Mars.

Sidenote, I hate the whole Time Lord Victorious title-y thing. You know why? Cause it lets the narrative push the blame again. It’s treated like this separate persona, what he ‘almost became’ - bullshit. That was the Tenth Doctor. He did those things. He spiraled out of control. The only reason he stopped was because a woman put a bullet in her head. He thinks the Ood is there to signal his death at the end and to be honest, I agreed with him. He deserved to die there.

When it came down to the Tenth Doctor’s actual final episode, RTD had to make a choice between a big, bombastic finale and a quieter, personal one. He went with the first option; had to send his hero out with a proper swan song, right? But the quiet finale I feel had much more potential to do something good to his character. Nobody watches the End of Time now for the plot - they watch it for those quiet scenes between him and Wilf, where he finally starts to admit his failings and owns up to them. It is beautifully tragic, and rightly so. The Tenth Doctor is a mass of contradiction and complexity, and I can absolutely respect people who find value in that and consider him their favorite character. My issue stems with the way the narrative chose not to properly interact with that complexity. I have an issue with characters who get off scot-free while others are held accountable in the same narrative. It bothers me. The hypocrisy in the writing there feels like an injustice. It also doesn’t help that I think any and all Byronic Heroes can go step off the nearest cliff and stop bothering women who would be much better off without them.

So I think if I tried to write him outside of that series 4 bubble (excepting some kind of post-Journey’s End fixit or, possibly, something to do with Sarah Jane because she’s about the only other character who made him likable to me), you would see a much harsher take on him. I would write as fairly as I write any character I dislike, but I would hold him accountable where the show did not. I don’t know if that counts as bashing or not. To me, it’s honesty.

I think the reason I’m much more receptive to Twelve than you are is because I feel he does learn and improve from his initial beginnings. I’ve never managed to finish series 8. Believe me, I get it, it’s sometimes painful to sit and watch how he treats the people around him in those early episodes. But, if you haven’t done it, I would recommend skipping ahead and giving series 10 a try. Because to me, that is the proof that he learned, in a way Ten was never allowed to because RTD was determined to have his “tragic hero” ending. Certainly Twelve is not perfect (no Doctor is), but I would take his interactions with Bill Potts over series 2, 3, and the Specials any day.

So, if you read this far, again thanks very much for the compliment and for giving me the opportunity to expand on my Ten thoughts. I hope I didn’t offend, as I know it’s no fun to read criticisms of a favorite character, and I hope I continue to write him well for you!

[comicteaparty]

December 2nd-December 8th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from December 2nd, 2019 to December 8th, 2019.  The chat focused on Da Pukas by Pembroke W. Korgi. 

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Da Pukas by Pembroke W. Korgi~! (http://dapukas.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until December 8th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What aspect of the world-building in the comic caught your eye and why? Relatedly, what do you think happened to the older people who left all their technology behind, and how might this fact continue to play a role in the story?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. What do you think happened to the pukas who left the village 10 years ago? Can they be found, or are they truly lost forever? How do you think Lider will handle the answer emotionally regardless of which case you choose?

AntiBunny

1. Personally my favorite scene is the first encounter with Chacal the Jackal. This is their first encounter with the villain, and they throw every idea they can come up with into their escape to see what sticks, eventually bumbling their way out of trouble and establishing what will be an ongoing menace.

2. light is clearly a big deal there. While the saying "lords of light" is a classic cartoon reference on the surface, the significance of their lantern shows that to an underground dwelling people a light source is something that could be seen as a gift from the gods, and not simply something to be taken for granted. It's never exactly explained, but can be gathered.

3. Alegre is my favorite character. I love the enthusiasm with which she throws herself into everything. She tries it all, laughs off her failures, and keeps going.

4. I think they'll show up much later in the comic with some big reveal. Perhaps they found a way to the surface, but can't come back. Maybe there's a point of no return.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. Do you think Lider and company will ever return home? If so, how do you think the journey will have changed them? Also, do you think they’ll ultimately be accepted back into their village, or will the council still exile them?

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene so far is probably when Quetz makes good on the friendship and comes and saves everyone from Chacal. For a decently comedic, somewhat light hearted comic, that was a rather gruesome fight and it made me cringe (but in a good oh no way). I also liked that Quetz didn't magically fade into the background and there was immediate consequences for friendships being made. 2) The aspect of the world that interests me the most is the whole underground thing itself. I like how its treated as this natural thing by the characters, but as the reader I have so many questions. Like where did this huge underground network come from? How is it nobody has explored things to the point most places seem isolated? Etc. But I like how the story works with the underground in unique ways, like the issues of light, how they get food, etc. As for the people before them, I'm just going with common denominator and assume they destroyed themselves.(edited)

3) My favorite character is definitely Apocado. I like that Apocado is kind of the reluctant heroine with a lot of self esteem issues that are flat out addressed a lot throughout the comic. At the same time, though, I like it's balanced by the fact she actually does have talent and can come through for the group when it counts. Mostly, though, I just find her and Lider adorable together. 4) As for what happened to the past explorers, I feel its a combination of they got lost and didn't know the way back plus where they wound up needed their help a lot more. I do think they're gonna be found, but I think it's gonna be not good for Lider. I feel like Lider is gonna have this expectation that they never returned for some noble heroic reason, only to find out that they kind of chose just to ditch their old lives to a degree after a point. Even if that's not the case though, I do think happiness will turn to anger and resentment for a while about why they couldn't go back. Alternatively, everyone is dead, and Lider will fall into depression because life is hopeless is and bleak.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. Given the story’s focus on themes such as friendship and forgiveness, what event related to the themes impacted you the most? Overall, what is your take away from the story in regards to these themes?

5) My favorite illustration is definitely this page http://dapukas.com/?comic=belmontsville. I love the amount of colorful detail in the image. But what really sells it for me is the perspective and angle. It really captures that feeling of feeling like a stranger in a big city and really puts you in the character's shoes. I love when illustrations work with the story, so definitely a great one in my book. 6) I do feel like Lider and everyone will come home. Probably with a lot more people and with fanfare. However, I definitely feel like they won't stay. I get the impression the journey will make them see there's more to their underground life than their own little village. And I feel they'll want to help more people or something like that. As for whether they'll be accepted back, I think yes and no. I think the council won't want to, but that their hands will be forced lest they earn public ire.

RebelVampire

7) I enjoy seeing Apocado and Lider interact the most. I love how opposite their personalities are in a lot of ways, so it creates lots of friction. Yet they still care about one another. Plus, their relationship is just adorable. Like how Apocado just basically jumped down a hole after Lider. XD Just precious and funny. 8) The one that affected me the most was when Artifice forgave Rumi. I think in life we often forget that accidents are a thing. And that people can hurt other people will out ill intent, and that it's easy to become wrapped up in the blame game. At the same time, sometimes that anger is a bit justified, since some accidents are bigger than others. All in all, forgiveness is hard. But I think the takeaway is that it's still good to do since focusing on what were mad at the person about rarely fixes anything.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. Do you think we’ve seen the last of the jackal Chacal, or will they continue to hunt Lider and group? If the latter, what do you think it will take for Lider and the rest to be free of Chacal?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. What do you think the device Lider was given is? Can it be fixed, and if so, what role will it play in Lider’s quest? Additionally, will Lider be able to get the lantern repaired as well?

AntiBunny

7. Right now I'm loving the interplay between Artifisk and Malo. They haven't interacted that much, but having a scene alone together shows that Artifisk is the one who's a questioner. Most people just accept that Malo is the way she is, but Artifisk actually shows curiosity about Malo's personality.

8. Probably the moment they left the village. They treat it as a grand adventure, but they also know they can't turn back. It's not unlike the moment in Lord of the Rings when the Hobbits realize that one more step will take them further from home than they've ever been.

9. Certainly the element of danger. There are villages that are safe, but it's treated like leaving these villages is a major risk. A few individuals live between, but in general the caverns are very much a sort of death world filled with hazards and dangerous creatures. It sort of reminds me of a Metroid game in that way. Isolation is the name of the game. This small crew on their journey become a small party in strange and hostile world. You really see that contrast in their behaviors in and out of a town too. Outside they're always on edge, always in danger, never able to relax. Inside a town they relax more and you see their personalities in a different light.

10. Chacal certainly will be an ongoing threat. What I wonder is if the Pukas will become better at outwitting and evading them, or if Chacal as we saw with Qwetz will continue to grow as a threat.

11. A well balanced core cast. The personalities are all just right to play off of each other. Sometimes complimenting, and sometimes conflicting. Everyone has a role to play in the character dynamic.

12. Some kind of tracker I think. When it starts working it will probably give them a direction to go in.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. How do you think Bimmy will try to scam the pukas out of their gold? Will Bimmy succeed, and if so, what will the pukas do? Further, do you think Ali will get involved again somehow?

RebelVampire

9) A detail I've really liked in the comic is the just the comic's abilities to keep plot threads relevant. For example, Rumi. It would've been super easy for the comic to just kind of drop it for 50 chapters and then bring it up again. But the comic is super good at remember to involve these plots from time to time before you forget them. And I think that's a real merit. 10) Nah. Chacal is definitely gonna show up again. I feel like Chacal is the sort of character who becomes easily embittered and revenge filled. So even if it takes a while, Chacal will always remember the offense and only become more desperate and violent. As for how Lider and them are going to be free...honestly...probably murder. Or at least imprisoning Chacal for life. I don't think theres anyway else out of the mess. 11) I think the comic's strength are its characters. They all have these kind of exaggerated personalities that are just enjoyable to read for both comedy and dramatic scenes. At the same time, though, the story is able to take a step back and show the darker sides to the characters and their kind of personal traumas and inner conflicts. And I always like when theres a good balance of that. 12) I think the device might be some kind of knowledge base. Maybe like a mini-version of Wikipedia with a little bit of GPS thrown in. And it will inevitably prove vital to their navigation I think as they get farther and farther away and start having to rely on more random tech. Which yes, by that implication, I think it will be fixed. I think the lantern will be fixed as well, though I think Lider will have to give it that extra push to get it working.

13) I am looking forward to Lider and Apocado's further relationship development cause they're just so gosh darn cute together. And I'm interested to see what sort of tests they'll face since the further they delve into the caverns,, the more dangerous it will be. 14) I feel like Bimmy is gonna intercept the tech somehow and say "Hey pay me and I'll help." and then whoops, money is gone. However, I doubt Bimmy will succeed longterm. More likely Bimmy will be hunted down, probably with Ali's help, and defeated. But defeated in a way there'll be an eternal grudge.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Da Pukas this week! Please also give a special thank you to Pembroke W. Korgi for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Da Pukas, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

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