#ngl i can't believe it's less than a week away

[groven4]

Markiplier Egos with an Aromantic DA / Viewer

a/n: I randomly decided I really wanna get something out for aro week, so I've got a oneshot mayhaps involving a certain adventurer in the works, but knowing me that might take a while (if I even finish it all) and these tend to be easier for me. So, that's why this exists...not that you asked.

(edit: made one for Ace hcs.)

WILFORD WARFSTACHE

He wouldn't really care, but in like a supportive way.

He may not look like it, but the guy's got some common sense.

I can't see him as the type to ask a lot of questions especially if you're visibly uncomfortable around the topic. (tho ig he might if it's for an interview, not sure)

A big part of Wil's character is just accepting shit as it is and not questioning what you can't understand because falling down that spiral is ultimately unhealthy; so if you were to come out to him as any sexuality/gender identity, he'd most likely just accept you immediately and move one.

Expect to receive a lot of aro themed stickers on pride month though.

DARKIPLIER

Also doesn't care, but it's less him being supportive (tho he is) and more: it doesn't affect him, so why should he care?

Like you do you. Your love life is none of his business.

Quite frankly, he couldn't give a shit.

Though, he might find some relatability with you.

Despite how one might interpret ADWM, I cannot see Dark as an entity with the capability to feel much of anything. (other than rage, vengefulness, etc.)

There are some vague memories of past feelings from both Celine and Damien (and possibly the house entity, idk) mostly shown through his clear favoritism for Wil.

However, I don't think he really can feel romantic feelings, nor does he want to.

Being loved sounds nice, but ultimately it would just get in the way.

So having someone around that's kind of like him in that regard is almost nice...cathartic even.

You both like to watch 'marriage gameshows' (the bachelor, love is blind, etc.) over wine and laugh about how you'll never have to deal with relationship problems. (idc if that one's ooc)

GOOGLEPLIER

He can't really feel romantic attraction himself, yk being a robot and all.

If you tried explaining aromanticism to him he'd probably just be like: "Yeah, and??".

He's supportive in a sense, that sense being: you not having a partner would mean one less meat sack he has to deal with once he manages to get admin privileges.

BINGIPLIER

Kinda stumped on this one ngl.

I just can't find a reason why he'd care whatsoever.

He'd just be like: "Oh...siiiick, brah." with total Bill and Ted energy.

ACTOR

(edit: this is pre-wkm btw. idk why I did that, it doesn't really fit with the others that way. so I probably won't do it again in future hcs. sorry ig.)

I imagine it comes up at a party.

He starts asking you about your love life.

You tell him that you've never really been interested in that kind of stuff, and you probably never will.

What does he do?

...

He calls you boring.

...

AND THEN JUST FUCKIN' WALKS AWAY- like- ????

In all seriousness, he's mostly chill about it throughout your friendship, but it's hard for me not to picture him as the type to think you're just being naive and that 'everyone has to find someone someday'. (I believe WKM takes place in the 1920s, so like, what were you expecting?)

That is until Celine cheats on him.

It was just such a world shattering thing for him, he genuinely loved her more than anything.

It's not a complete 180°, he doesn't suddenly understand your lack of attraction from this, but one night you check in with him to find him wasted in his wine cellar and he's basically like: "You had it right all along, my friend. Love...Love is not for everyone. ...Certainly not the faint of heart."

Which like, you didn't choose this, but you were more focused on making sure he was okay at the time to care.

YANCY

A part of me wants to think he'd be a little confused at first just cause the idea of having to explain aromanticism and/or asexuality to him because he's just genuinely curious is really adorable to me.

However, the rest of me refuses to believe his friend group isn't entirely comprised of both people in the lgbtq+ community and hardcore allies who would happily beat the shit out of aphobes on a daily basis.

Not to say that they think of you as child-like because of your sexuality, but it's a prison family and you're 'fresh meat' so you're their little aro-bean now whether you like it or not.

Yancy especially is protective of you in an almost older brother type way.

So if after/during coming out to them (or just him) you mention how scared you were/are because you've had a lot of bad experiences or something, he's like constantly ready to sucker punch and/or ballerina kick anyone giving you flack over just being who you are.

He's always willing to tell you how valid you are when you need to hear it, and overall is just a really great friend.

...Even with the stabbing.

ILLINOIS

In an odd way, he almost feels...relieved?

Call it a humble brag, but literally all of his past work partners had fallen in love with him at some point, and while the attention certainly feeds his ego, that kinda thing just gets tired and even annoying after a while.

So knowing that'll never happen with you is actually a nice break from what he's grown so used to.

He's never had someone around who genuinely enjoys adventuring as much as he does.

And who isn't like constantly ogling him. (I mean probably anyway, idk what it's like to be aroallo)

Having you around may also cause him to start questioning some things about himself, particularly when you're explaining your orientation.

But that's a topic we'll be getting into at another time! (*wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge* *stares at empty draft*)

He's still used to trying to fluster people cause he finds it funny and in general is just the kind of person to be a bit touchy with his friends (meaning: platonic hand holding, hugs, head/back pats, standing weirdly close a lot of the time just naturally, etc.), so if you're ever uncomfortable just tell him and he'll cut it out straight away.

You're both just kinda really good friends, and he's not at all weird about it like you thought he might be.

CAPTAIN MAGNUM

Supportive Pirate Dad! 10/10!

You definitely have to explain what it means to him, but he verbally accepted you before he even asked.

Kinda like: "That's great!...What is it?-"

Would have the crew sew you a flag if it would make you happy.

They are still pirates who have been sailing across the deep blue their whole lives with presumably no contact with the mainland however.

So unless you for some fuckin reason told them what it looks like, you can expect to receive a relatively small, plain black flag with the word 'Arrowmantik.' spelled incorrectly and somehow sewn on in perfect white Helvetica.

...

You hung the flag right above your hammock.

It is your most prized possession.

HEAD ENGINEER

Might be a little discouraged at first. His crush on you was a tad obvious.

But he figures it's for the best. You are the captain after all. Pursuing that relationship wouldn't have been professional in the slightest.

It does take a bit but he gets over it eventually.

He still genuinely loves you platonically/as a person, so things don't really change all that much.

You still have a strong friendship and work really well together.

He tends to go a bit overboard now about giving you personal space cause he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable. So you may have to reassure him multiple times if it wasn't an issue.

During when pride month would be on earth he might gift you little aro themed stuff, like a patch you can't actually add to your uniform for work reasons but love and appreciate anyway.

He may not fully understand how you feel, but he never stops trying to, and either way he's always gonna support you no matter what.

Your orientation could never change how much he loves and trusts you both as a captain and as his friend.

MURDOCK

He doesn't really care since it doesn't affect what you guys do, though he is openly accepting, especially if it seemed like you needed to hear that it wasn't something that bothered him.

In a similar vein to Illinois, he's strangely grateful.

He's not sure how he would've dealt with the situation had you developed a crush on him. Such emotions tend to get in the way more often than not in his line of work.

He didn't wanna have to kill you just to make his life easier. Taking a life out of necessity isn't as much fun, plus he'd grown a tad fond of you.

I like to think he cares quite a bit about your mental health, it would make sense given the whole murder thing.

So if you often go through periods of doubt or even internalized self hatred regarding being aromantic, he's gonna be there to help you through it.

He goes with you to pride parades and if anyone tries to tell you that you don't belong there, they're immediately getting put on a black list.

He got you a nifty little keychain once while you were there.

Overall, surprisingly wholesome.

a/n: I went back and forth on whether or not I was gonna use the pronouns I hc them all as using, but in the end I just said 'fuck it, appeal to general audiences, why not at this point'. I'm really fuckin' tired, dude. Just- HAPPY ARO WEEK! ig.

[folerdetdufoler]

a snippet

for @redygetsetgone, from my bang fic: one word, nine letters. this is from chapter two. for some context, isak is a second-year at nissen, and even...is a stranger. but he’s tall and handsome and there was something about him the first time isak saw him that just stuck.

i start posting this coming friday, so the first chapter will go up on the 24th! the story will be accompanied by a perfectly moody playlist and artwork by @in-wonder-underground

Isak didn’t see Even again until he opened his own front door a week later. Marianne was staying late at work to enjoy a happy hour with her colleagues, so Isak was home alone on Friday night studying. He and Sana had done well on their project, but now came the intense review sessions needed for their upcoming exams. Isak didn’t usually study with Sana after Friday prayers, so he only had a frozen pizza to keep him company, and a game of FIFA waiting as a reward once he was done. The buzz of the doorbell cut through the calming sound of rain outside his open bedroom window, and Isak jolted out of his desk chair.

The buzzing was insistent, and echoed down the hall as Isak made his way to the front door. “Calm down,” Isak muttered. He put on a politely neutral face when he reached for the handle.

“Even?”

Even was standing there, soaked through from the rain, and very much surprised to see Isak. “Do we know each other?” His voice was rough and quiet, barely audible over the rain. Isak’s home had a small overhang at the entrance but nothing that could really protect someone from the elements. Isak powered past both of their surprise and opened the door wide.“Come in, come in, you’re all wet.”

Even hesitated, then crossed the threshold. He was in jeans and sneakers and a windbreaker that did nothing to stop the rain. Isak shut the door. Even cleared his throat. “Um, is Marianne home?”

“No, she’s still at the university. Hold on, let me get you a towel.” Isak was still entirely confused about Even’s presence, but he couldn’t just stand there letting the man drip in the hallway. There were rivers running down his neck, and his hair was plastered to his forehead, barely pushed away from his eyes. Luckily their bathroom was right around the corner, so Isak lunged into it and pulled down the closest towel he could slap his hand on.

Even took the towel tentatively, their hands almost touching through the terrycloth. Isak walked him through the steps. “Take off your jacket; I can hang it to dry in the bathroom. And your shoes…socks. We….” Isak did a quick assessment of the man: he was slightly taller than him but they shared a similar build. He could probably fit into something loose of Isak’s, so he made the decision right there to get Even changed. “Let me go get some clothes for you. Hold on.”

He ran to his room without thinking. He had one purpose: to make this man dry and comfortable, and any questions about why he was in Isak’s house in the first place were to be ignored. He skidded to a halt in front of his dresser, pulling out the top drawer for socks, the second drawer for an oversized t-shirt, and the bottom drawer for a pair of joggers. He drew the line at underwear though—if the man was that soaked then he would just have to suffer.

“Here. You can change into these dry clothes in the bathroom.”

Even looked confused, and didn’t take the offered bundle. “No, no, it’s okay. If she’s not home I’ll just head out.”

Isak felt something sink in his chest, a shock of disappointment at Even’s logic. Of course he wasn’t going to stay if Marianne wasn’t home. But Isak needed him to. “She…she’s working late, but she should be home soon. You came all this way in the rain. If you wait a little bit you’ll be able to see her.” It was a lie; Isak didn’t know when Marianne was going to be home. But he still needed Even to stay, and this would buy him some time. “If you change, I can dry your clothes.” Isak begged Even with his eyes, but Even’s own gaze was cast downward, still on the clothes. “I would feel like a complete asshole if I turned you away in this rain, to wait at the bus stop. I…I would offer to drive you wherever you need to go but I don’t have my license yet.” Isak’s voice had gotten quiet, a bit of shame creeping in with his plea.

And that seemed to unlock Even. “Is the bathroom right…?” His eyes darted over to the corner.

“Yes, yes, right over there.” The clothes finally exchanged hands. Even walked into the bathroom and gently closed the door behind him. As soon as he heard the latch click, Isak ran back to his bedroom again. He had to get his phone and text Marianne.

[bjornsonbrightman]

A (not-so-brief) list and analysis of the things that were changed in the set design of Phantom London, part 1

[*includes things that were changed in between the release of the infamous Planning Document™ and opening night!*]

WARNING: long, image-heavy post

The past week has undoubtedly been very confusing and anxiety-inducing for a lot of phans, I myself included, who were (and are) still horrified of what C*mM*ck has done to Phantom London.

So naturally, as someone who lives somewhere that couldn't be farther from the UK, I decided to compile a list of all the things that I've learned — through hours of shamelessly scrolling through Instagram, Twitter and Facebook tags — about the planning, creation and production of the new set design.

Hang on tight, it's a bumpy ride.

1. The proscenium

The most obvious thing that is now different from the OG. Let's take a look at the concept art shown in the original planning document:

Ahh, I remember the release of this picture and the Tumblr/Twitter/FB explosion that ensued like it was yesterday. Good times.

The new set design by Matt Kinley is mainly derived from what he did for the UK tour, which introduced the cracked, sculpture-less proscenium and the separate proscenium frame/boxes that appear only during the opera scenes. Unlike the greatly simplified UK tour design, however, this design for London appears to have the original lyres and garlands at the top, as well as some structural elements of the OG proscenium (see the outward curved trimmings on the top sides). The surrounding areas of the auditorium are also shown to be restored to their original colours, the most interesting of which is a new false wall in the area behind the top part of the proscenium. These areas were previously blacked out with black paint and black masking.

Despite hewing closer to the OG than the UK tour did, this was still a sacrilegious bastardization far cry from Maria Björnson's design, and I guess the creatives were aware of it too, as they seemed to try to soften the blow by:

using actual pieces of the original proscenium that weren't a part of the OG plan such as this satyr-riding angel...

including an "homage" to Maria (according to ALW) in the form of a new sculptural bust that fills up the Golden Angel's spot (picture from @mariussansmerci) ...

The design of the false wall behind the lyres on top was also changed to... something that I guess gives off the impression of a false dome?? Not too sure about this one but I kinda like it ngl:

Something that the planning document mentions is that the removal of the side sculptures and the installation of a "cracked" proscenium allows for sound equipment to be installed behind the sides of the proscenium, which frees up the two side boxes to be "used as originally intended". And that's exactly what happened. Surprise, C*mM*ck now has 4 extra seats that he can sell overpriced.

And here's the finished result (photos from here):

With the safety curtain that was brought over from the UK tour and without the inner proscenium/boxes:

To be honest? I kinda like the final result. Those (possibly face-saving) changes really saved the design from looking like a bad copy of the original proscenium; now it just looks like a mediocre copy. But don't worry, whenever I get too comfortable with this new design I just pull out pictures of Maria's OG proscenium and my fiery anger for the new one is reignited.

And that's all I have on the proscenium!

Next up we have something that I believe had the most confusing and troubled development out of all the new set pieces:

2. The Chandelier

Man, this poor thing has been through a lot.

When it was originally designed for the UK tour, the chandelier was intended to utilize much of the same technology that the r*staged tour chandelier used, namely the drapes that are "magically" sucked into the chandelier itself and the straight-dropping mechanism. Hence, the new chandelier was made to be circular and non-collapsible, featuring a decorative spike on the bottom. According to pictures of the model and the concept art shown in the planning document, I suspect the drapes were to be sucked in through the decorative lyres (see the circular openings):

But this mechanism was precisely the reason for the downfall of this design. Come opening night of the UK tour, and this chandelier was nowhere to be seen. My suspicion of what went wrong? Either the drapes were snagging on the lyres (kind of like what happened to the short-lived garlands on R*staged Tour Chandelier), or the retractable frame that held up the drapes wasn't working properly.

But whatever the reason for the failure of this mashup chandelier, the designers must've realized and abandoned ship pretty late, because pictures from one of the prop makers showed that it was still being made with frames that were very much non-collapsible as late as February this year:

Once they realized it wasn't going to work, I believe a series of last-minute actions were made. My theory: they brought back the OG chandelier in all its missing-bulbs glory less than a week away from opening...

... and stripped it of its lyres, which were transplanted onto the new chandelier, as is evident from the final product (photo from @soulsoaringphan):

This hypothesis is bolstered by the fact that the new lyres were originally going to have holes in them for drape-sucking (ew), and so once the decision was made to have the chandelier work more like the OG, the logical step would have been to just borrow the lyres from the old one instead of making new ones in less than a week or two from opening.

Also note the gaps in the beading that would've had the rigid golden frame trimmings seen in the model and the in-progress photos above; the designers must have removed them hastily to allow the chandelier to collapse, but unfortunately they just... left it empty. Oh, and the absence of the spike on the bottom, which is now just a huge gaping hole (again, ew). There's also an additional tier on top that wasn't present in the OG, model or any of the concept art.

I'm actually quite relieved that the new chandelier is pretty similar to the OG and the Palais Garnier one, but if I have to nitpick: I miss the horizontal decorative beading, the ones that were on the top tier and in between the lyres in the old chandelier. Maybe it's just me, but the chandelier looks... incomplete without them.

And that's all I have on the chandelier!

3. The Orchestra Pit — wait, I can't upload any more pictures??

Welp, guess I'll have to make a part 2 then. Thanks for reading this long, long rant post, I hope it was at the very least entertaining and slightly informative!

And lemme know if I forgot to credit anyone whose pictures I used!

[lovespelt]

OK I JUST WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND MY DREAM WAS REALLY WEIRD AND IT GAVE ME AN INSTANT GOOD KUSH AU—

Ok so— Mermaid and Pirate Au.

BUT—!

mermaids are the size of their fish genetic ×2.

If you're mixed with an angel fish you are the size of a human child when you become adult.

Sharks mixed genetics makes one the size of a average boat, bigger than humans.

Mermaids are mixed with fish genetics ×2 while sirens have simple but colorful tails only (and they're the size of a average human)

Ok now Imagine this—

Whale shark! Mer! Izuku x Pirate! Katsuki

Whale sharks are known to be the most largest sea creature in the ocean, imagine a mermaid twice that size LMAO.

Ok so whale sharks can be the size of a large koi fish when their babies so Izuku would look like an average baby mermaid, he sometimes get mistaken as a siren as a child. (Also a whale shark is very fitting for Izuku coz of— y'know, the dots on the whale sharks.)

Ok BACKSTORY—

Izuku likes to swim near boats as a kid.

Katsuki was born in the ocean, on the boat he was standing on coz both of his parents were pirates too (not mitsuki and masaru, I don't think they're good parents ngl.)

He also wants to be captain one day, leading the best ship and the best crew and all that jazz like his parents, like the legendary pirate who had crossed the 7 seas and lived, All Might.

He was kind of Isolated bcz they were always at sea but he was a pretty smart kid and his parent's crew were nice (ft. The whole UA staff coz why not—)

While Izuku's mom told him that he shouldn't ever go near a island coz Izuku's mom is really big and she could easily be spotted so they stayed in the deep waters. (Aka where the Illuminati thing kinda is, but we'll just call it the 7 seas mmk)

But Izuku is a very curious child, he follows is mother's rule ofc but she never told him to stay away from ships nearby.

So when he saw this really big ship, he was amazed by it. He followed the ship when they steered their sails for a few days, he's still close to his mama so it's ok.

Katsuki notices some kind of thing following their ship for the a while now, even as a child he's pretty sharp. So one night he decided to sneak out of his chambers to the edge of the boat to see if the thing is still there.

He looked down and saw a pair of green glowing eyes. He froze, he didn't what they were, they might be a siren from the books he had read but siren's eyes don't glow. And the creature hasn't even sung yet.

So he decided to approach it.

Izuku was surprised. He had seen this small blond human on the ship lot's of times during the day. He was small. Like him! He wondered if they would make good friends?

And when Katsuki finds out that Izuku was not a siren he was relieved,so when they started talking he was surprised of the amount of human words Izuku's knows (wonder who taught Izuku that—*cough* all might *cough*), but as much as Izuku's human speaking is pretty good it's not enough to make a conversation. So every night, Katsuki sneaks out and hangs with Izuku and taught him how to speak like a human and read human books.

4 weeks, nearing the end of the 7 seas after going around it (no one has ever gone through it without surviving, except all might)

Izuku had learned alot, he could read and speak human! Although not perfect but still can pass! But he's sad now coz he can't come with Katsuki, he had to stay close to his pod with his mom.

Katsuki was devastated when he heard this from his (one and only) fish crush friend, he promised that when he grows up, he'd be the best pirate of all time and he would be the next to cross the 7 seas without going around it and meet up with Deku (that was the closest thing Izuku could pronounce his name in human rather than mer tongue) and go on adventures with him.

Izuku, who cried, promise to stay in the 7 seas and wait for Kacchan (again, hard to pronounce words with Izuku's sharp teeth) to come back. So they pinky promised it and pulled each other close.

Nobody would believe a child when they say that they'd seen a mermaid every night while out in the 7 seas. No one would believe Katsuki when he'd say that he had his first kiss with a fish.

Ok so TIME SKIP.

Katsuki became a really well known pirate in all the ocean. He became the new captain on his parent's ship and improved it. He found a good trusting crew who were very skilled at what they do. (Ft. The whole class 1-A with Shinsou coz why not)

He'd found lot's of treasure and gave it to the poor people on islands. Fought a couple of high ranked bad villains of the sea. To the kingdom's rules around, he was a pirate. But to everyone, he was a hero.

So when the time came, he kind of forgotten his promise to Izuku and thought of those times with Izuku were very wistful dreams.

When his ship came close to the 7seas he decided to go through it like all might and to be the best. Ofc the crew was anxious but they trusted their captain.

But when they reached the one half of it, there were really big waves, everyone panicked. Trying to turn around. Katsuki held the steering wheel tight, trying to turn the ship around. Everyone was running around doing whatever they can to make the sails go to the opposite direction.

Then suddenly.

There was a huge spash.

And a very big shadow wad towering down ship.

Everyone slowly looked up and saw.

The most biggest person (?) They had ever seen.

It had dark-green hair with very round equally green eyes, lot's of freckles spreading on it's upper body, and it had a mouth with very sharp teeth.

A mouth that was smiling.

Like and Angel.

Katsuki became breathless.

The creature looked so familiar, just like—

"...Deku..?"

The creature laughed, eyes twinkled with excitement, it swam really fast to somewhere fast and flipped himself like a dolphin. the pirates looked at him in awe.

"Kacchan! Kacchan came back!" The creature swam back to it's original position near the ship and grabbed Katsuki by the back hem of his shirt, lifting him up the ship.

There were surprised and panicked sounds coming from the crew but Katsuki held his hands up, signaling to stop. Never looking away from Izuku.

Izuku placed Katsuki into one of his very large hands and held him up to his face. Katsuki reached out his arms and touched Izuku's nose.

"you... Fucking dumbass,... How did you get so big?!?" Katsuki exclaimed with pretend anger, not that it was convincing, his face had a smile threatening to break, he slapped Izuku's nose with not force.

Izuku giggled and kissed Katsuki all over his face. (Which. His lips are already all over Katsuki's face LMAO)

"I missed you Kacchan." Izuku smiled, "I love you."

Katsuki blushed and grumbled. Forcefully grabbing what he can on Izuku's cheeks and kissed him on the nose, muttering "I love you too..."

The crew from below the ship were confused, awe and low-key scared by this.

"Uh." Denki said dumbly.

Kirishima whistled "wow. Who knew Bakugro had a lover."

"Hah, a fish none the less too, no judgement though." Kyouka snorted.

"well I think they look cute together!" Ochako exclaimed.

"maybe this is why Bakugou wanted to cross the 7 seas? To see his one true love once again~." Sero said, while still looking at the huge ass fish carrying their captain.

"Uh." Kaminari said dumbly. Again.

•°•°•°°•°•°••

Aojxnsjfkekc it's really late and my brain made it look like a fanfic ckenfjkkfv hshshshs hope you like?? It?? Sorry if there is any spelling mistakes! I'm really tired haha. Hope you like this weird ass Au I made.

sdjakjdhas this is such a cute and creative au??? i love whale sharks so much also, so izuku in this au makes me extra happy 😊!

[xueyangs-pinky-finger]

👀👀 maybe I'm someone else though

I'm so so so so sorry about that mess up! I turned anon on but then had to put down my phone for a bit and when I got back, it has switched back to non-anon and I didn't notice until right after I hit Send. But wow, your detective work!!!

The sheer CHAOTIC GREMLIN ENERGY of Too Many Spirits!!! This has become my Saturday comfort watch.

Ohh yes I was just recently talking about Ye Ben with someone and yesss it plays in alllll the saddest scenes: after lotus pier is murdered, the nightless city cliff, the golden core reveal, when song lan is walking away on his own after the yi city story... Just hearing the music now is enough to make me want to cry.

Ooh the good place AU sounds so interesting! And it would fit them so well: xue yang as Eleanor, starting out not so good but growing as a person as he receives love and support... I can't wait to see your fanvid!

I don't write fics. I tried when I was in school but it makes me cringe whenever I think about it 😅. And no, I haven't tried any other work by mxtx although I keep hearing so much about them! Maybe I'll give tgcf a try once my work schedule gets a bit less crazy...

What was your favourite storyline in mdzs/cql? (If it was the xue yang storyline, then second favourite? 😝) And your least favourite? A storyline which you wish you could rewrite/would happen differently? And finally, a cql storyline that you liked which wasn't in mdzs, and vice versa?

-🎵🦄

i hope you don’t feel bad about it bc it’s rly fine!! if anything, i was just amused, self-satisfied since i guessed correctly (even tho that was rly just dumb luck 😝), and happy it was you ^^

omg, i know, i watch it w/ my mom and sister and they love it too. also i’m pretty sure shane reached his final form when he started cosplaying as krampus aldfk.

yesss, ye ben always gives me goosebumps!! also i just realized ren sheng is the one that plays during the rain scene, so now that one has more of an effect on me as well :’(

thanks; i can’t wait either, lmao. it took me 2 hours to edit a mere 20 second segment and now i’m rly sympathizing with youtubers who spend full days every week just editing—

same, same, like we just gonna leave that shit in the past… 🙈 occasionally i still get emails from ao3 saying someone left kudos on one of my fics and i’m just like oh god no why alskdf.

i rly enjoyed tgcf! hualian are rly… it’s like you don’t even have to worry about censorship with them bc you simply Cannot; their every interaction is flirtatious asdklf. they differ from wangxian in that way, bc i feel like they both were aware of their feelings for each other earlier~ so it’s fun bc it’s something different :)) (also the bamboo hat rain scene was rly… that shit kinda hit hard, ngl. life b like that~) aw sorry you’re so busy :((

low-key the answer’s probably yi cheng arc for the first three questions 🙃 it’s fave bc we finally see more of xue yang, and i’d loved him since that very first scene of him in ep 3~ also i was sure he rly did care about xxc and it proved me right, and i loved seeing that other side of him… but least fave bc his and xxc’s demises quickly follow 😔 if i could, i would give them a reincarnation sequel series where they get a happy ending :’) low-key while i was reading tgcf i liked to pretend hualian were xuexiao reincarnated bc i felt like there were a lot of parallels there

other than that, tho… lsz being a-yuan for fave? he’s one of my favorite characters, and bc i was a big dummy on my first viewing, i did not see them being the same person coming at all 🤦🏻‍♀️ the reunion w/ him and wn and him and wwx made me teary (i didn’t full-on cry at all on my first viewing of cql, tho i have done so many times since aha); it was just rly touching and i loved that they were each other’s happy endings~ also, the yiling laozu… painful as it is, it’s also just So Good… xz rly flexed them acting skills, and i love all the tea wwx spills during that final confrontation 👌 the cloud recesses shenanigans are also iconic ofc… the golden core reveal and overall change in behavior of lwj after wwx comes back... mastermind nhs taking everyone (including me) for a fool... idk there’s so many wbu 😅

idk about the cql v. mdzs storyline q bc i haven’t read that much of mdzs and i haven’t noticed that many differences? so i’ll have to get back to you on that ^^ oh, i believe cql added the bit about drunk lwj with the roosters? so that was pretty great haha. & i appreciate mdzs xue yang bc we get the full context of his background story~

[smartzelda]

(Wow, I wish I could kill tumblr for messing up and making me rewrite this whole thing from scratch)

Hi, bros! I've gotten so much of crit done this week, so there's a LOT to talk about

Let's start out where we left off in Toy Box.

So like, the Riku and Buzz parallels are so good, like, the Buzz being afraid of being taken over and hurting his friends. Buzz being more skeptical of people, but trusting of his friends and just trusting Woody a whole lot. I love how he just trusts Sora, Donald, and Goofy by the end and they're friends and stuff

The Sora and Woody parallels are so good too, like, Woody trusting Sora and friends right away because they seem to be good guys, fighting the enemies (it's such a Sora thing to trust people just cause they seem good) and really trusting Buzz. Woody doing the angry sassy while talking to YMX/the organization

And bro, like...the Soriku parallels...the softness...

This has so many kh2 Soriku vibes

SAME PICTURE DIFFERENT ANGLE. YOU CAN'T TELL ME OTHERWISE.

*clears throat* Ahem, um...anyways... I was thinking about when YMX tosses Sora into the Verum Rex Gigas minigame. 1st off, I beat it a lot faster than I did my first play through the game on proud mode, so that's helpful. I'm glad that having done this before is helping me learn to be at least a little less stupid and do some things easier because of experience. 2nd, YMX's role in kh3 is very interesting. The hole time I get that he knows more than he's letting on. I feel like he, like Sora, can remember everything between the demon tornado, Riku's sacrifice, mass death, and Sora saving everyone's hearts before the timeline being rewritten and turned back to before everyone dies, and assuming the SRT holds up, he even seems to know the events of the first go around of timeline set before the kh3 we play. It's in the SRT too, but like, him saying "Not this time" and being able to dodge Sora's attacks like he already knows. Then there's YMX's line before the boss battle where he's like, "Find the hearts connected to yours." We could take it as him guiding Sora, getting him to find the seven guardians of light. I'm feeling like it might be foreshadowing or like YMX leading Sora to his end because it could be foreshadowing of remind (I mean, I won't know till I can play) or it's referring to the future of Sora saving all the hearts from the lich. Back to him knowing what's going on in the timelines somehow with that whole leading aspect, then there's during the lich segment where YMX is there somehow and tells Sora about how he'll pay the price, then YMX's "death" where he says that Sora's time in the world is over, indicating he knows what Sora's done and has to pay the price for

So, unlike the gigas thing that went surprisingly well, the possessed marionette and the flying saucer did not, and the flying saucer was the worst. I learned that, unlike in my proud run through, I couldn't just try to beat a gigas as just Sora that easily, considering a gigas could oneshot me (I kinda suck, so I honestly couldn't beat em at all without commanding a gigas myself on crit). So, it was very time consuming, considering I couldn't use a gigas to finish it off and shoot it from afar, and I had to evade all like four gigas and the scattered heartless (it was especially bad if I was about to die and needed to heal) while trying to attack it (needless to say, Donald and Goofy did most of the work in the final stretch while I was trying not to die and also attack the enemy that would warp away if you got too close). I did it though

Okay, final boss battle! Ngl, just...I enjoy the angry sassy of Woody when YMX is like, "See, look buzz fell to darkness blah blah" and Woody is like, "I don't care. Put buzz back the way he was." (Y'know, totally not a Sora attitude and totally not a parallel to CoM when Sora's telling Vexen "I don't care! Just put Riku back!") And YMX like talking about hearts and Woody like, "I don't think you've ever been loved before, because you know nothing about hearts and love." The final boss battle was easy compared to the other boss battles in Toy Box.

Also, I just...enjoy Buzz finally being friends with Sora, Donald, and Goofy and caring about and trusting them now

Now ownards to Corona!

So, starting in the forest just before getting to the tower, I opened a treasure chest with an item that gives sneeze protection (I got a shield for Goofy that does the same thing after I finished this world) which...I... Bro, I'm stupid I like didn't get this item my first run through nor did I know it existed, but playing through this world definitely was easier without sneezing Sora, especially the final boss (but we'll get to that later)

Gotta love that Flynn Rider charm.

"So, I've made the decision to trust you."

"A horrible decision, really."

Hi, I'm Flynn I hope you expect me to run away from battles and have Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who are totally my bodyguards, do all the work and make me look good Rider

Rapunzel after getting out of the tower and her enthusiasm is so Sora like, but ngl, I'd say she's a Riku parallel in this segment. Later in this world, they remark that the tower is a prison for Rapunzel. In this moment she has a lot of conflicting feelings.

"I'M SO FREE!"

"I'm such a terrible person..."

"This is so fun!"

"Oh, what would Mother think...? I should go back..."

"I'M NEVER GOING BACK!"

She's being pulled two ways. Part of her is excited to see the whole outside world and ready to live her dream, defying Mother Gothel, while the other part of her urges her to go back to her prison with Gothel where she'll be safe. This is much like in DDD with the Quasimodo and Riku parallel where Riku tells Quasi that it's not because of Frollo's rules or because Frollo said the outside world would harm him, it's because something in his heart holding him back. Most likely, it was from fear. In Riku's case, he said it from experience because he too is struggling with something where it's his heart holding him back, nothing else (probably his feelings for Sora are the thing he won't set free)

I like how kh3 is like, self aware or like, aware of the kh lore like when Donald and Goofy mention Data Sora, or in this case where Sora, Donald, and Goofy don't remember Marluxia because castle oblivion and he's like, "Such a pain. Whatever. It's not like you need to know." Kh3 shows that Nomura remembers the things he set up before.

Also, Goofy: "I think the 'has-been' prefers Marluxia" 😂😂😂

The heartless chariot was just as terrible and time consuming as always because of how much I died.

I did surprisingly well at the dancing section compared to past attempts, so that was cool. Rapunzel and Sora are just so adorable though and Rapunzel with the flowers in her hair is just😔👌

Okay, I like, I love the lantern scene because it's just so beautiful. Like, I just love those shots of all the lanterns and of Flynn and Rapunzel and of Sora, Donald, and Goofy watching them. Also...Flynn lowkey being given the choice between Rapunzel and the crown and basically choosing her

"I should've given it to you before, but I was just scared."

"I'm starting to." And Flynn pushes the satchel away, focusing on Rapunzel, choosing her.

Also, thinking that this part is a parallel to Riku in the RoD because Riku got the strength to protect the one he cherishes most (Sora) and now he's not afraid anymore, even in the RoD. He feels stronger and more confident. For Rapunzel, after spending time with Flynn and traveling, she's not afraid of the world anymore and she becomes more confident. She trusts Flynn and gives him the satchel (which in the movie I believe she originally withheld and hid out of fear of him going back on their promise)

So, then, Flynn and Rapunzel release their lanterns into the sky, and they twirl around each other as they fly up

Seem familiar? It's almost like...

HEARTS IN TUNE BAY BEE

SORIKU PARALLELS

Also, rip Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They just wanted to watch the scenery, but got interrupted by nobodies

Bro, it's really sad, like, I feel so sad for Rapunzel because she really trusted Flynn and Mother Gothel framed Flynn, breaking Rapunzel's heart because she thought it was all genuine, that Flynn really wasn't going to hurt her and meant the things he said. Then, Gothel takes her to the tower

Sora still being able to be awoken from a lick to the face from an animal like in kh1😂

In my first run through of the game, I got to this part with all the heartless and nobodies on the way to the tower and the section between everyone starting off towards the castle and reaching the castle I tried to go through as fast as possible and skipped fighting the heartless and nobodies I could. This time, I managed to clear the whole area after making it my goal for leveling up purposes, so that was cool👍

And now we reach the tower cutscenes and a very niiiiiiice Soriku parallel, which I'll have to put in the next post due to the photo limit

[diomedrian]

Sometimes I think it's just my resume that is SO off putting like I have a master's (and I did get a PhD offer but for Reasons I can't do one right away) so like. surely, surely I am not like. Inherently unemployable, right?

But then Everyone is like oh you're a fresher well bye and idk how to fix that. Because internship, volunteering, and part time work hasn't counted for shit yet so.

And I have applied to SO many places. Think over five hundred applications in six months. I started with stuff like education counselor (because that's where I got selected first and did three weeks but had to leave because I was getting paid less than my commute would have been), IELTS trainer (I got a couple of screening calls but because I don't have experience, they didn't move forward with my application), subject matter expert (I almost got through the interview but because I didn't want to lower my salary expectations they decided not to move forward) and teacher (apparently you need a whole different degree for that and a master's doesn't matter). Then I think during one of my interviews, I saw this person at reception and she just. Wasn't doing anything. She just sat all day - I was there for four hours - and answered about three call and went out to take two parcels and that's it so I was like huh I could do this. So I applied for a bunch of executive assistants and assistants in general and they were either like send me a casual full picture (which is a bit creepy ngl) or directed me to sales (which led to a very bad interview). And I don't want to write, content writing is different from academic writing and I've just now gotten the hang of academic writing and I didn't want to like mess up. Even so, I applied to a bunch of places and either the pay was like £100 for 10 hours of six days a week per month or they wanted me to have experience with technical writing

So I really don't know what to do next or how to or like. What might be useful. Dad suggested I do this master's in MSW but that means another two years of post grad in a field I have absolutely zero interest in (I think this might just mess up my plans with classics as well so I am vvv reluctant)

Oh and also I was sending out cover letters to as many publishing houses as I could find in my country BC I really wanted to work in one but no one got back to me except one and they decided not to move forward with my application

So now I am just. Struggling to cope up with all of it and being directionless and so so lost. I know I want to do a PhD but that's not for another five years (four and a half now) so this time, it's just. So messy and confusing and I've had enough rejections or just no responses that some part of is starting to believe that I am like. Inherently unemployable. Yknow? And I don't know how to fix that.

I am so tired and scared and oh god

Okay I am going to do a VV BIG RANT about job hunt so like. Ignore me lmao