#my FAVORITE and the most important character in all of

[sha-brytols]

🔥 anders

🔥 unpopular opinion

man this is hard because what's unpopular to the fandom and what's unpopular to the specific circle of DA blogs i've curated are completely different where anders is concerned LOL

as a general fan: condemning what he did at the chantry should be universally understood as a cringe and politically illiterate opinion idk what to say man.

as an anders fan: i feel like it's a reeeaaally significant fact that anders sought out hawke to help him specifically because he needed the champion of kirkwall as an accomplice. i don't see this pointed out a lot and it kind of bugs me because it's one of my favorite things about him. he used you. we know based on certain choices we can make that anders was fully capable of finding the ingredients and planting the bomb himself; he didn't need hawke's help. but making someone as important as hawke an accomplice to the explosion is a statement on its own, a power move. it says that the champion of kirkwall stands with the mages. he was using you to make that statement to the chantry. it was manipulation and it worked exactly the way he wanted it to; cassandra and the seekers are convinced hawke was a willing participant and everything they did at kirkwall was done so they can smuggle their way into power and start a war with the chantry.

it's why i never really fully agreed with "anders didn't betray you" despite being one of my all-time favorite characters. the 'betrayal' wasn't that he lied, or that he blew up the chantry, or even necessarily that he made hawke help. it's that he made hawke into a political weapon and symbol of revolution whether hawke liked it or not. which. idk. given everything that happened to hawke in da2 and how affected they are by having their autonomy constantly stripped from them for other people's agendas, that's. HUGE.

i'm not even saying he was wrong to do it. like. man you know me. wheeee blow up more chantries. but like. the sheer ruthlessness and manipulation he was willing to employ to make his statement is a huge fucking character moment for him. it's something he told you constantly from the start if you romanced him. if the choice was between hawke or freedom for the mages, he would choose freedom every time. i love it and it's probably one of the most down to earth and believable character arcs in the series. love and friendship mean nothing in the face of an entire population being systemically subjugated and brutalized. you can love your friends but you can't put their wellbeing over the literal lives and autonomy of a whole class of marginalized people, especially when your friend is part of the ruling class.

[acourtofthought]

I forgot who I saw this from the other day but it really resonated with me for anyone who continually undermines the possibility of Elain (and Lucien) having the next book

Someday, the ACOTAR series is going to be sold as a boxed set. Maybe it's a gift for an 18 year old from a parent who "heard there was a lot of buzz about this series".

That person is going to start with ACOTAR and work all the way through ACOMAF, ACOWAR, ACOFAS, ACOSF, and whatever the next book(s) is / are.

That means they'll finish SF and move directly into the next book. They're not going to pause to read the CC series, they probably won't know of any bonus chapters, they won't even know to go back and scour the internet for Interviews where Sarah said "she was excited to write Az's journey" or "because she knew early on where Elain's story was going it allowed her to plant seeds throughout ACOWAR and even SF".

The only thing that will exist for this particular reader are the books. And the end of SF says the following:

"Maybe not." Eris shifted on his feet, and grimaced again. "But you and yours have more important things to worry about than ancient history. My father is furious that his ally is dead, but he's not deterred. Koschei remains in play, and Beron might very well be stupid enough to establish an alliance with him, too. I hope that whatever Morrigan is doing in Vallahan will counteract the damage my father will unleash."

That line comes before Cassian thinking:

And one day, when the time was right.....They'd take the next steps. They'd walk down whatever road lay ahead of them together.

Of course Sarah hinted at Nesta and the Valkyrie having more of a story to tell in SF but based on the above which comes at the very end of the book, it seems a clear delineation of what the focus of the plot currently is.

If you were reading SF and moving right into the next book, would you think that the restoration of the Dusk Court was a more pressing issue than what Eris is talking about? Would you really know anything much about the Dusk Court at all having moved right from SF into ACOTAR 5/6?

If you're reading these books back to back, you'll have also just finished the novella where Feyre says to Mor:

"I want them to be happy. All of them."

And that is in reference to Nesta, Elain, and Lucien. She follows that up with "And you - are you happy?" speaking directly to Mor.

Yes, the Valkryie were introduced in SF but would a reader automatically assume that suddenly their stories are more worth telling than Elain's? Than Lucien's? Than Mor's?

It's as if just because people have grown attached to those characters (which are great, of course), suddenly nobody else's story is important.....at least not until Gwyn and Az get a HEA together first. But I don't think a reader going straight from one book to the next would honestly see it that way. Not when the Elucien bond has been an unresolved issue since book 2. Not when Vassa and those other girls are still Koschei's captives. Not when Spring has been falling apart for multiple books, not when Mor was clearly not 100% happy in the novella. Just because we have our personal favorites, it doesn't mean Sarah cares more for them than she does all her characters.

With that said, Sarah could ABSOLUTELY write Gwynriel next but I have to say, if you're reading the series straight through, they would not be the "obvious" answer to me. They would actually be more of a "What??? But what about everyone else? What about Elain and Lucien? Vassa? Mor? What about Spring falling apart? And Koschei and Beron?" "Lucien still doesn't know about Helion??" "What do you mean people can time travel now?" Because those plots were not only introduced multiple books back but we were reminded of them in SF.

And that's why I say I still feel Elucien could possibly be next because they do make the most sense to me if we're looking at the ACOTAR series as a series and not just a single standalone book.

[isaysexualthingsaboutrobinavitch]

Which 5 characters are your favourites in the pitt?

IT'S LIKE PICKING A FAVORITE CHILD. I'll choose, but it's going to be a hot take (and in no particular order)

ROBBY

We stan a motherfucker who can run an ED while also experiencing a menty b, all while still supporting his staff and making sure his bff doesn’t dive off the roof. He’s seen some shit, doesn’t abide by wearing scrub bottoms, and looks like he hasn’t gotten 8 hours of sleep in years. But he’s funny, and he’s supportive, and he shows more empathy for patients in one shift that I can sometimes muster in one week. I’d trust him with my life, on his worst days, even in the middle of reciting prayer while crying. 

2. ABBOT

MY GUY. Prior war medic who you know has definitely seen enough shit to make him both funny and traumatized. We both flourish in the dark. He’s no bullshit, calling all the questionable shots, and rarely panics. You know you’re going to be waking up with some makeshift medical device saving your life in a MCI. Definitely number one on my active suicide list, but cute as a button. I would follow him anywhere and would give him all of the free therapy. 

3. MEL

A neurodivergent princess, and she’s got a bangin’ spotify playlist. Number one lava lamp fan, so you know she’s a PRO at mindfulness. Cries at the right times and is empathetic and smarter than most of the people there. Is definitely a top tier sister and I would bond with her so hard, as I also have a problem with picking up social cues. I would bet money that if you asked her how 2 and 7 are alike, she’d say, “they’re both sharp.” 

4. DANA

I can’t imagine my life without her. That place will burn to the motherfucking ground the second she retires and she’d probably watch it happen with a cigarette in her mouth. Probably has a huge dog at home and bakes a badass lasagna. Knows every patient and keeps that place running smoothly. Ain’t no finding out for Dana, because that queen does not fuck around.

5. MOHAN

She’s smart and tortured and reminds me so much of myself in graduate school. Burns the candle at both ends. She’s an absolute machine but cries in the bathroom when she’s got a free five minutes. Cares more about learning about her patients and doing good work than being quick, and I can appreciate that on so many levels. Flirts with Abbot because IYKYK. Would literally fight anyone who tries to be mean to her. Would trust her with my entire family’s life. Would bring her lunch everyday to remind her that she is important.

And an honorable mention for SHEN

I know people don’t often call him one of their favorites but I am him and he is me. A typical millennial, letting the chaos happen because some boomers made him this way. Dark humor, sarcasm, an affinity for Dunkin’. Probably has Abbot and Robby in his phone as “old dad 1” and “slightly older dad 2” in his phone. Will never attend a staff meeting but will never panic. Definitely fucks. Probably does cocaine socially. 10/10 would be his absolute best friend and biggest cheerleader.

[askcosplaysenpai]

Nice pic you got for your header image now spill the tea👀

Prepare yourself, this is a full cup.

All of this is relevant.

My earliest memory is from sometime in the late 80's, falling asleep on my dad's lap at my grandparents house while he watched Star Trek: The Next Generation. I used to run around with a headband over my eyes because I wanted to be Geordie LaForge. I have, quite literally, loved Star Trek for as long as I can remember.

My dad was a boy when the original series started airing. He is genuinely one of the most insightful people I've ever known. Put him in a room full of strangers, and watch the ripple of heads turning to listen to what he's saying. He can fix anything. He is honest and fair, but never cruel. He's comfortable being in charge because he believes in doing what's right and trusts his own decisions. And I wanted to be just like him.

My partner's dad was a teen during the TOS era. I don't know if I've ever met anyone more intelligent. Math, philosophy, art, you name it, he knows it all. He can critique with an acumen that cuts like a knife. He is fiercely loyal to those he loves, and cares not for the opinions of others. Fact, not emotion, is the way he approaches problem solving. And she wanted to be just like him.

Fast forward to last summer. It had been a while since I'd delved back into Star Trek, but I was feeling the itch and the things we love are better shared. She and I both have a great appreciation for stagecraft, and pre-digital midcentury acting is really only one step away from theatre. I found non-remastered versions on DVD, and we sat down to watch them.

I'd seen TOS before, but watching it anew with her was a completely different experience. We both fell in love, with the franchise and the characters specifically. We realized how much we related to Kirk and Spock. Soon after, we realized we'd been grandfathered their personalities from our fathers. We decided to take them to our annual trip to Yama-Con in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

I teach costume design at the Portland Fashion Institute. Accuracy is important to me when it comes to making a cosplay. I did my best to source original patterns and materials, and made what I couldn't find from scratch. My partner has a brilliant hand for makeup and hairstyling. She even cut my hair to match Kirk's.

I've been a guest panelist/cosplayer at Yama-Con every year since it started in 2013. My partner has joined me there as a guest in her own right since 2021. We coordinate our costumes to each other and to the panels we run.

The convention is usually the first week of December, so the con offers photos with Santa. Professional Santa and professional photographer. We have become friends with both the Santa and the photographer. At the convention, we schedule a (santa-less) photoshoot, then use those photos for our guest announcement for our next year of conventions.

The photographer and his partner have season passes to Dollywood, and we all went together after the con last year. He took photos when I proposed to her. A minute an a half later, he took photos when she proposed to me. Neither of us knew the other was proposing. I tell this side story to showcase how in sync we are, as no one who knows us was surprised by this.

So to answer your question: My header image is from our Kirk/Spock photoshoot from last year's Yama-Con, three days before we got engaged. I'm posting that image in full, as well as a few of my favorites from the shoot.

@tumbleofdorks is my partner<3 Here is the photographer

[office-anomaly]

someone thanked me today for drawing velma with clothes and that really made me...sad. like really sad. (more under the cut if you care)

idk where else to put this without being dogpiled but it genuinely makes me sad that people only think of velma as a character to be sexualized. obviously i know she is fictional, but she does mean a lot to me as a person, and i wish more people engaged with her in earnest because i do think that across iterations, she can be really funny and endearing.

getting responses in the vein of "rare art of velma clothed" makes me incredibly sad because this points to how warped people's perception have become about the character, and the franchise as a whole tbh. sometimes i'm convinced that most people only remember the gang through memes and porn and it's such a shame bc scooby-doo has so much to offer and yet it keeps being reduced to that.

i've had people who oversexualize velma disrespect my boundaries. i've had people tag me in porn, or reply fetish art under my art randomly/without my consent, all because i liked velma as a character, and i don't think i need to tell you how shocking that is. there's really still a whole lot more i wanna say about this, but im just not articulating myself as well as i would want.

this wasn't meant to be a puritan, self-righteous tirade, and i don't intend to scold anyone. no, not at all, that is not the point of this. i just needed to get this off my chest because when people are thanking you for drawing your favorite character clothed, it feels like the world has really lost the plot.

addendum: ig it's also important to mention that im a firm believer in time and place. like i don't mind the ocassional cheeky drawing or fic given the appropriate context (this mostly pertains to shipping), but if you engage with everything through the lens of indiscriminate sexualization, that's when it is a problem for me, especially if the character isn't even doing anything remotely sexual or even suggestive.

[hyperch1ptune]

with the recent rise of popularity of modern Doctor Who from Mr Ring A Ding/Lux, it’s thankfully given me a good oversight over the franchise BESIDES the Daleks (them being my only view beforehand lmao)

& with that given oversight, it’s had me realizing more & more how much this franchise has similarities to something I hold dear to me personally..especially with the recent cast of “Whoverse” Gods even with my minuscule knowledge on them - SO SORRY if I get anything wrong or off with them btw

a setting with the impression on finding dopamine from a constantly changing face? both for the protagonist AND antagonists??? this just feels like an open area for me at this point

I wanna take this chance to finally give me an excuse to ramble on - hopefully even indulge people of the story involved in:

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS

& ITS ICONS

Although I know the event itself isn’t all that niche, I never see that many people focus on the building blocks on how these houses & house/event characters came to be.. it’s a yearly fixation of mine to be one of the ones who study in what’s deeper to all these gross-out experiences; 5+ years & counting, I think next year might be 10 years of me doing this holy hell,,,,

Even with all of this “knowledge”, I know that this event has been relevant for years before the 2010’s - being in its mid 30’s currently!!

Because of this, it’s had time to build on itself, find a structure to keep balance whilst adding onto its ongoing plot, or hell, adding new ones into the mix for continuation. With the addition of me knowing how much longer Doctor Who has run for, its developmental schedule is such a good format for people new & old to the franchise can jump into any period of time & still have an understanding story; just like with HHN! There can be people either broadcasting their trip nowadays whilst people looking for traces of lost media (clips, in-house footage, etc) in means of ingesting more content..honestly a fun ride.

Enough with the overhauling background, what’s up with the story?? why do I think of this comparison?? it’s a much longer story than intended…but I still wanna start off in anyway I can.

Not only does this event revolve around houses, scarezones, IP’s, and anything scary, but it has a special addition to make the experience all the more remembering: Icons.

Icons (characters) are the center point of attention of the given year, being promoted like crazy to be seen as something you’re supposed to be afraid of; the whole reasoning as to why there are certain houses or events that you have the misfortune on stepping in on, and the main face of the overall event - not plural, given how many leaders and mascots have had the role prior. There can either be major or minimal in roles, the minimal ones more so being house-specific characters who were expanded on to be given more personality and depth to have it stand out compared to the rest of the line up; sometimes interacting with the major ones!! HHN’s character lineup is ever growing being given this information - and with the addition of “foreign” add-ons from Singapore, Japan, and Hollywood compared to Florida, there’s a huge array of almost personalized tastes being spalled out to be a favorite!

..But with me saying that there is a vast variety of characters, it’s almost TOO much characters to be infodumping about….even with that said, my purpose isn’t to immediately dunk down deep into what HHN has to offer, so I wanna at least talk about characters that I feel compare the MOST to certain Doctor Who elements whilst having importance.

Firstly: Boris Shuster

Boris is the proclaimed protagonist of the event; as much as one as he can be compared to the Icons at least.

He is very similar to the Doctor for his role as “protagonist”, being a private investigator and supernatural detective who dares to go deeper in the strange in means of destroying its origin to put an end to it. Additionally, wanting to give himself a “anonymous” facade.. do you know who else may wish to do that? I got a hint, & it rhymes with numbers 1 through 15

His role is one of the more crucial to the story of HHN overall - being a building block for creative reasoning as to why or how the event began to structure. With his adventurous footprint, he’s had very close dealing with the legions of horror & their totems - the legions are a future highlight, so keep that name in mind.

Having discovered a totem in 1948, he journalized his sighting as means of being able to archive the current paranormal event for him at the time; doing so with each of the legion’s house totem in means of keeping them “in shape”. Wasn’t until 1957 where his mission was finalized, trapping off the wickedness of the legions within the totems in safe keeping, not wanting the energy to be released back into public once more to torment anybody anymore.. it wasn’t until 1991 where a kid by the name of Tim Foyle got ahold of Boris’s now aged writings, almost following it as if it were step-by-step instructions on getting the totems for himself. Tim was just a geek not knowing any better on the grotesque and sinister, so his curious mind ended up reopening the legions from their tyranny.. accidentally killing himself in the process of the released monsters “hosting” Universal’s Fright Night that year!

Now, the Legions of Horror aren’t exactly a single character, but rather sections that group together multiple characters as a way or organization (as well as interactivity from these being used as a flash game when first announced).

Each legion carrying they’re own role, involving The Necromancers/Iniquitous (surrounding death & cemented imagery), The Vampires/Strengoits (surrounding well.. vampires), The Beasts/Cerebins (surrounding predatory creatures who’s only instinct is primal), The Warriors/Baccanoids (surrounding medieval horror), The Prisoners/Maschorians (surrounding revenge-thirsty captists close to death), The Traditionals/Morphans (surrounding the playfully sinister nature of twisted facades), and The Walkers/Kerezans (surrounding the ghoulish undead).

Why bring them up? I wanna bring the focus over to The Morphans, being one where most of the more notable Icons are stored - but also that group overall reminding me of another stored pair of characters under the same influence: The Gods.

Even with my little knowledge on the modern antagonists, I have still seen enough characterization from each to say that The Toymaker, Maestro, and Lux resemble the most of what HHN has for famous characters: Dr. Oddfellow, Jack Schmidt - and his doll-born lackey hypegal, Chance.

Beginning with: Dr. Oddfellow

A strange man, really, for he always yearned for power for as long as he lived.

..Having lived to see both the 2020’s and early 1900’s, it wouldn’t be until 1920 where he’d found a rare artifact skull connected to the Zodiacs that’d granted him immortality whilst his time as an aspiring sorcerer - as well as tampering with souls to do as he pleased; manipulating anything and everything in his path to have it flow his way. Alas, there was a toll for him to keep his powers, needing to “feed” the zodiacs via sacrificial gifts through the deaths of innocents, leading up to his mutations and homicide whilst running a carnival to hide the deeper operation, removing any signs of himself from the crime.

Here’s where things begin to develop: before Oddfellow influenced the idea of gaining power, in the midst of the 1800’s, 2 brothers by the name of Jack & Eddie Schmidt were born in “Shady brook Rest Home and Santiarium” - in other words, an enclosed asylum. Oddfellow was under the influence of Jack escaping his toxic living scenario once he’d gotten older, becoming the main event of the circus as Jack The Clown.. his younger brother Eddie was left behind whilst Jack played a friendly facade while having a grease-covered face tinted fresh with his victims blood, later becoming a chainsaw maniac from his fascination of slasher films & his revenge after a “harmless” prank amongst his cheap horror house leaves him with permanent burn scars over his face.

Over the years, Jack had gotten worse & worse at hiding his own evidence, eventually leading the FBI to the carnival with the assumption of “missing children” being the cause. Oddfellow could only fear for the worst seeing at his own plans were seemingly on the verge of foiling from some insolent maniac, killing Jack on the spot not long after his confession. Unknowingly, Oddfellow’s blood did get infused into Jack’s from him scratching at the Doctors face; hence the scar in his design, foreshadowing Jack and his return for the near future.. for now, he’d been stuffed into a comically large lettered box that’d soon turn his name into a pun the moment he was reincarnated.

Once Jack had the ability to get to work, he got to WORK, i’ll say that. Taking over Oddfellow’s now abandoned carnival since getting his revenge kill, and traveling worldwide through his carnival of carnage for the pure purpose of entertaining through tortuous horror! And with his connection to Universal, it’s made it much easier for him to reunite with his younger brother, and befriend many freaks - no matter the variety. One of his more notable sidekicks would have to be one born from a simple ballerina music box: Chance.

Chance is like Jack’s Harley to his Joker, being his main assistant throughout the years & finding more & more development as time goes on. If it wasn’t notable from her personality, she’s freakish. Almost more loud than Jack is, and he’s already overwhelmingly obnoxious enough! She is very childish & happy-go lucky, almost the perfect balance for Jack & his default sadistic nature. Having been around him since the 2000’s, but it wouldn’t be until 2015 where all of the fun had to come to a halt for poor old Chance; having the death of their hostages luring in the police in means of catching the culprits. Jack abandons the scene at the moment, almost purposefully leaving Chance behind to have it seem as if she was the one who’d cauce all of the blood shed. Needless to say, she did NOT take any of that well, being sent to a mental institution as public isolation and for the crime she’d committed, Chance had surely gone mad given her growing spite..and growing hallucinations hearing her own voice talk to her. Chance had grown fully dependent by 2016, encouraging all of her equally “manic” peers to take over & run down the asylum she was put in, seeing out Jack in any means necessary as he kept himself hidden.

I may just be speculating too hard, but I’ve found a lot of connections between the Gods and the Icons listed beforehand.. even with me not knowing much of the story, I do know that Lux & the Toymaker have had their banters every once in a while; to the point where it traps him i’ve heard?? This makes for a fun comparison, really.

The Toymaker is similar to Dr. Oddfellow in means of powers and motivation, putting on a stand-up facade whilst twisting the boundaries of anything they can think of - all the while laughing like it’s just some sort of game.

Lux is similar to Jack in ways of how they’ve been treated on they’re ends mostly, hiding a deeply sinister persona over a cheerful and entertaining mask in means of getting through to manipulate and find the dopamine they’re looking for faster.

Maestro is similar to Chance from the ways they both express themselves and execute certain tactics, almost being the most preppy and playful when it comes to their tricks.. even with their own restrictions and flaws.

I haven’t even gotten to the REAL meat & potatoes HHN has to offer, I mean hell, there’s entities like Adura who’s the main embodiment of Fear itself - paralleling well with Sutekh and it being the God of Death.

As well as the twin sisters SINIST3R & SURR3AL being hinted descendants to Adura in means of showcasing fear either through physical means, or mental mind games.

& my favorite favorite FAVORITE ICON: The Pumpkin Lord; being the embodiment of Halloween itself & feeding off of fear to become this disgusting mutated pumpkin-like monster.

….but dude this really was just an excuse for me to ramble on about something that I would’ve assumed some people could find interesting.. wait till people hear that Jack kinda counts as a hidden sexyman as well with how often people fawn over him.

Most of where I got my intel is here.. the wiki is such a fun read PLEASE LOOK DEEPER INTO HHN THANK YOOUU

anyways I wanna thank this bluefuck for giving me this idea so ROUND OF APPLAUSE MR RING A DING

[swaps55]

I'm probably going to sound ramble-y, apologies in advance, but Opus has rewired my brain chemistry and the limits of fanfiction and I need you to know.

I love mshenko. It's one of those ships that live in my brain rent free, and while it's canon execution has it's flaws, to see it play out on screen (the slow burn, their dynamic, the ease of it all) beyond the realm of fanon was amazing. Bioware, especially games like ME and DA2 (for example), give the illusion of character choice and development that is ultimately linear with little consequence. ME falls into this, ME2 less so, and ME3 provides maybe the most room (likely due to not planning a sequel with Shep). It's not all the time, and it's not always bad, but it's noticable if you play a lot of RPGs or wind up on your upteenth run. Sometimes the RP element falls flat, and thus the characters do, too, and you're thrown outta the loop by video game logic.

Your fic flips this entirely on its head. It's hard to explain, but the balance you've found between canon compliance and divergence is masterful. I read a scene and I'm struck by how *real* it all is, the way you've written the characters, their interactions, and how it fits into the world and the story so unobtrusively. It's the story of Mass Effect but with the characters given the first and final thought, especially Shepard, and it provides so much for exploration of what *is* canon by no longer making Shepard a vessel of player choice, but a complete character with his own goals and beliefs and development and it does *wonders* for the story of ME, everything hits so much harder because it's not "what will I do?" it's "what will Sam do?" We know him as a man and suddenly the stakes are so much higher. Maybe Opus isn't a novelization of the intricacies of the entire canon, but it's a novelization of Shepard, and of Kaidan, and I'm in awe of how you managed it.

The sheer numbers of this series astound me. The dedication, your passion, is so clear to see and so inspiring to a fellow fic writer. I too often get caught up in keeping my fics plot canon compliant that I don't realize just how much can be done in the margins of canon and still within the realm of possibility, and your work is a brilliant example of that. I applaud you, truly. To start such a project and share it with the world takes effort, drive, and you are infinitely inspirational. Opus is a masterwork, and a piece of fiction that will stick with me for a very long time. <3

Oh gosh, thank you. Mass Effect has been such a powerful experience for me because it’s impacted my life on so many levels in ways no other media has. My family, my friends, where I live, and even my day job, would not be what they are without it. So Opus, in many ways, is my attempt to put into words what it – and what Shepard – mean to me.* It’s a lot of feelings, lol.

Even though player choice often is an illusion, that illusion can be a really powerful one, and it’s part of what makes video games such a wonderful storytelling medium. You, as the player, participate in the narrative in ways you can’t with a traditional novel or a movie. Even if the story takes you to more or less the same place no matter what you do, the journey to get there feels uniquely yours. It’s exactly why I never want to see a Mass Effect movie or a TV show, because whatever linear, ‘canon’ story they decide to tell won’t look like the one that is so deeply important to me.

But that’s why fanfic is so special with games like this. It’s a multiverse where all of our experiences, all of our Shepards, all of our choices – canon compliant and canon breaking – get to co-exist. The Shepard Kaleidoscope is one of my favorite things about the Mass Effect fandom. Shepard is so many things to so many people.

Video games like this also pose some really fascinating narrative questions, because the necessary constraints that game mechanics pose on the story don’t apply in a traditional narrative. In Mass Effect, Shepard is the hero because they are the player character. Every piece of the narrative flows through them because the player is the center of the universe and the crux upon which all things turn. You don’t really think about why when you play, because the answer is self-evident – you are the player character. But a traditional written story doesn’t have that component.

So the thesis of Opus is more or less, “why Sam? Why is this guy the only person who can save the galaxy?” And Opus itself is the dissertation that makes my case. It is first and foremost a character study, so canon relationships and canon events have to be shaped and bent by him. People are messy and complicated and don't fit into binary systems like 'paragon' and 'renegade', and Sam is no exception.

It’s very important to me that Sam is the only one who can defeat the reapers not because he’s a huge badass, but because the choices he makes and the things he goes through along the way uniquely position him to do something no one else is capable of doing. I’m terribly excited about how it’s going to happen, because I will finally get the Mass Effect 3 ending I’ve wanted since March 2012 – but his ending wouldn’t work in the game because it’s designed around him.

You have no idea how incredible it is to me that Sam resonates with so many people. I really didn’t know if he would, in part because of that Shepard Kaleidoscope. We all have our own Shepards, and our own ideas of who Shepard is. Asking others to invest in a Shepard who very definitively colors outside the lines that the game drew for the character felt like a big ask. But the story I wanted to tell just wouldn’t work if I kept him to a more “default” Shepard, because that wouldn’t answer my thesis statement.

Thank you for reading it. Thank you for loving it. And thank you SO much for telling me that it means something to you. Sometimes I feel a little insane about how devoted I am to this character and his relationship with Kaidan Alenko. Having people to yell about them with is very, very special. <3  

*ok, it’s also the culmination of more than a decade of spite and rage over the ending.

[elysianstarfall]

under the weather (phantom busters)

summary: you're not feeling too good... what does your boyfriend do about it?

characters: shishikuno mogari, korekishi eugene, kanzaki kaoru, tamon kotaro

a/n: unfortunately self-indulgent bc i am going through it rn bro 💔 for these hcs in my mind you guys are at his house or something idk

s. mogari

immediately worries that it's his fault

"you swear you're not mad at me? say on god."

once you rule that out he's wondering whose fault it is

cause like

why the fuck does his beautiful gf look so sad

who could have possibly done this??

if it's because of a person, he's planning the most elaborate scheme to ruin their life

if it's not, he calms down and tries to see if he can help

gives you one of those super tight hugs and doesn't let go until you're literally gasping for air

even after he does let go he still keeps his hands somewhere on you

physical touch final boss i tell you

holds your face in his hands or just holds your hands or just has his arm around your shoulder he dgaf as long as he's touching you somewhere

anyways it looks like he's not listening to you when you talk

like, at all

i swear he is

you can ask him something like "what did i just say" and he'll repeat it word for word

somehow

he's not one to think of solutions though, he'll just hear you out

basically just holds you and listens to everything you say

he's never been so quiet in his life

k. eugene

the bf ever

lets you get it all out, lets you cry on his shoulder or into his chest or do whatever you need to do

and then brainstorms things to do to make it better

he's so nice about it

asks if it's something you think would work or if you want a different solution

really wants to help you, but if you tell him to stop he will

like he'll drop it right away

gets you your favorite snacks and whatnot

delays doing his homework and stuff to comfort you because

his girl is sad what could be more important than that

if you're spiraling or you're seriously getting depressed he just distracts you

he's so smooth with it too!!

like a casual topic switch to what you had for breakfast or your favorite food or your favorite color or why your favorite color is your favorite color or...

what were you sad about again?

as i said he lets you do whatever you need

he has tissues ready obviously but if you feel like sobbing into his shirt, go for it

he's not gonna stop you

he'll just stroke your hair or trace things on your back until you feel better

and you do

k. kaoru

stares at you

huh????

yeah

you're like two seconds away from sobbing your eyes out and he's just staring

he's actually so sorry

he's had to comfort his sister a couple times but that doesn't mean he's good at it

his brain starts working again though dw

not a physical touch guy but he'll reach for your hand

and if you want a hug his arms are open

the type to listen quietly and only respond when you ask him stuff

ok that sounds kinda bad but he just wants to let you get everything off your chest

and he's very much paying attention

but if you ask him for help he has zero solutions to your problem

again he's so sorry

really wishes he could help you more but his coping mechanism was literally reading manga while crying in his room

puts on an anime or a movie to distract you

but if he can tell it's not working he'll turn it off and just cuddle with you

yeah he's "not a physical touch guy" but if it makes you feel better he'd do anything

you end up just falling asleep and when you wake up he's staring again

but this time he's smiling a bit

t. kotaro

while he's trying to cheer you up, he just gets sad for you

like how is he supposed to be happy when the love of his life is going through something???

how dare he???

^ probably his thought process

so now you're both sad

great...

listens to you really closely

makes small noises so you know he's locked in

like "mhm" or "really?"

knows exactly what to say to make you feel better

are we kidding he literally helps ghosts pass on by talking to them

it's lowkey a free therapy session

promises you it'll all be ok

doesn't matter how dire the situation is, he hates seeing you worry about it so much

if you don't feel like sharing he just puts his headphones over your ears and puts on your shared playlist for you to listen to

or!!

if you ask him to really nicely he'll sing for you

he'll only do it super quietly though, he's too shy

won't initiate too much physical contact, might hold your hand or wipe your tears

just tries his best to be there for you

[chiropteracupola]

I’m looking at your redbubble store and,,,who is the king of arms,,,who is this dashing little magnet guy,,,,

Montjoy… my friend Montjoy….....

[funsizedcrow]

When the youngest sibling becomes the oldest :)

Q&A (as asked by my sister and me to myself)

Q: Why is Time wearing his kokiri clothes while everyone else is just in smaller versions of their regular outfits?

A: Time came prepared for a situation exactly like this. shrunken or not child him is not wearing that armor (i didnt want to draw it)

Q: Why is Wind lecturing Legend?

A: He tried to grab a fire rod

Q: Why are they all children except for Wind?

A: I thought it would be funny. Maybe a wizzrobe did it. Maybe blue stalfos from oracle of ages showed up. Maybe there was an incident with Purah's de-aging rune. Who knows I'm just the artist here

[qoldenskies]

the way that donnie so openly respects and appreciates raph's leadership is one of my favorite things about their dynamic. i think about him giving raph the captain's chair and letting him be the driver of the turtle tank SO much, because normally donnie makes it pretty apparent that he likes to have control especially over the tank, he fawns over that thing and cares about maintaining it SO MUCH. the turtle tank is his baby and yet he unquestioningly trusts raph to drive it, he DESIGNED it that way. he's even proud to present that to him!!! donnie trusts raph so much do you understnandd meeeeee

[carpp]

thinking about possible mnestia designs...

[epickiya722]

"I like this ship, but I don't like this character that makes up half the ship."

So how you do like the ship then? How?

[oaksapling]

gave ransom another makeover dont look at me this is the last time i swear

[vulpinesaint]

kind of unfortunate that so many fantasy epics are also war novels because i will be honest i just do not like war novels that much... the grand clashing of forces is compelling obviously but it requires characters to talk about so much practical battle strategy and while i can get my brain to comprehend all these fantasy maps and kingdoms and borders and battalions and front lines and army movements it takes up. so much space in the book. feels like i'm fighting a war of my own trying to get through it sometimes

[cursed-angelic-art]

Key Themes in TGCF

Posted this to reddit, but I want to save it here as well, because I've been seeing an uptick in people coming from SVSSS or MDZS fandom to TGCF and being disappointed. Either they find it boring (fair criticism for the first two volumes honestly), or the plotting is incoherent, or they don't understand the ending, or find the plot twists too predictable. I think the key thing to keep in mind while reading TGCF is that it's about an abuser controlling the narrative surrounding a victim, and the victim coming to an understanding of the depth of that abuse and wresting back control of the narrative. So here's my rambles on that: SPOILERS AHEAD

Going to expound a little on why I love TGCF. Xie Lian's progression through the story is not the typical character arc for a protagonist. He doesn't exactly go from point A to point B, where he starts off with a huge flaw that he works on and overcomes by the end, but rather he meanders from point A through points B, C, and D, and finally back to point A. This is not because he has no flaws. He certainly does. His inability to look at the past and have an open dialogue about it with the people he loves is one flaw he overcomes. But it is not the pivotal tragic/heroic character flaw we are sold at the beginning, which is his "naive" belief in the goodness of others. This is because he is was right in his forthright and honest beliefs from the start and it's his long degradation at the hands of the abuser that makes him question and doubt and go seeking for different answers, constantly holding that belief in goodness as the mirror for all the other deeply flawed people he encounters.

Even the audience is bamboozled by Jun Wu's control over the narrative. Each MXTX novel has a "false start" in the first chapter. In Scum Villain, we get Luo Binghe's story in PIDW, which Shen Yuan carries as the "truth" about the world and people he encounters when he transmigrates. He comes to understand he was deeply wrong, and by holding the original works narrative as the truth, he failed to see and understand the people around him.

In MDZS, we get a false start in the way the cultivation world has spun the story of the Yiling Laozu and his evil deeds. This whole book is about lies and rumors and how easy it is to join the bandwagon and make someone an outcast.

In TGCF chapter one we get the story of the naive god-pleasing crown prince, who comes to realize he can't save everyone and is cast out of heaven because of his foolishness, a prince who grew up "coddled and pampered" and unable to understand reality. We are told this inability to understand reality, that people are innately evil and will always choose to do evil things, is his flaw that led to his degradation as an outcast God.

This, too, is a false narrative that Xie Lian and the book itself seek to disprove over the next several thousand pages, as we are shown story after story of gods' wrongdoings and evil choices. And where we land at the end is with this: every person we saw make evil selfish choices because it seemed the easier way out, comes to the realization that they can make a good choice, a pivotal choice, and they can make it without much ado or any acknowledgement and it was that simple all along. We see Yin Yu choose right, Pei Ming choose right, Mu Qing choose right, hell we even see Qi Rong do something good in his last moments. And none of it is to any of their benefit, but it was something good. And Xie Lian is proven right. Despite what Jun Wu did to him, despite how much he tried to force him to change, Xie Lian never needed to change his core beliefs (and he literally says that over and over as he bashes his abusers head into a wall at the end there). We see this grand epic scale battle of all the gods against this heavenly tyrant, and it's juxtaposed against Xie Lian running back and forth alone with Yushi Huang's hat to make the rain. If all of the gods had helped back then, couldn't Xianle and Yongan have both been saved?

It was never Xie Lian who was wrong. It was the complacency of those who had the power to do something if they had not written him off as naive. And it was an abuser who controlled the narrative surrounding him for so long, that he drowned in self-doubt before he was finally able to cast off his shackles. He just needed someone to believe in him to help him believe in himself again.

Tldr: I think a lot of people are expecting a standard hero narrative where the hero has one great flaw he overcomes, and that's not the story of TGCF. It's the narrative and everyone upholding it that needed to change, not the protagonist. So it's an odd story to get into in that respect.