#no silly all people are equal we see no race

[nthflower]

Sometimes I remember sense8 made a white police main character and have him help a black kid who was shot and his partner (who was racially ambitious) were against it. And then he brought kid to hospital and a black nurse said she can't help him in a rude way because idk kid was injured in gang fight and she doesn't care. And white police somehow helped kid to take help and then kid helped him to do police shit against some black group.

Then white trans girl got insulted by a terf who is also black. And her girlfriend who is also black was nothing but her extremely supportive girlfriend no other personality.

Or characters having some shared visions and see some slurs again their own community written on the wall and police characters slur was pig. And German one was nazi. While gay one was faggot and Kenyan one was n-word.

Or one Indian main character having her main storyline her being in love with German guy instead of her fiancé and it was also very tasteless to me.

Or Korean one is good at martial arts and her brother and father is evil and stole her carrier and brother made her go to jail and it's so misogynistic there in Korea.

Like American characters get very detailed and many faced storylines while poc ones get the most basic Stories based on stereotypes and 2d written side characters. .

Anyways and then I became angry out of no reason. It can be such a good show except it wasn't. It was weirdly full of copaganda and racism. And like I see no race style writing.

And then it weirdly became fantasy racism story like X-Men.

[abnomi]

EVERY REASON (that i can think of) AS TO WHY TURBO/KING CANDY IS NEURODIVERGENT 💥💥

i would like to make a disclaimer first and foremost about the obvious, being that Turbo/King Candy is heavily implied to have narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Very often, characters with these disorders are portrayed as villains, and Turbo is no exception to this. There's nothing wrong with antagonistic characters having said disorders, per se, but when the only representation available for people with these conditions are found in characters you're not supposed to root for, it can be really disheartening. i won't be erasing these parts of him because i feel it would be in poor taste to gloss over those core elements of who he is, but plz keep in mind that having any kind of personality disorder doesn't make anyone inherently evil!!!🌞 your ACTIONS make you, not your brain

Also if anyone has any suggestions or other ideas for his neurodiversity, i would love to hear them! please do share!! I LOVE PSYCHOANALYZING CHARACTERS AND HEARING OTHER PEOPLE PSYCHOANALYZE THEM !!!! YAY🎉 if u agree or disagree with any of my points I'd love to discuss them further :-]

without further ado... click read more to find out…😈 be ready for a lot of reaches

💥 ADHD 💥

STIMMING

Turbo's constantly moving around in some way; he's a very expressive character! even as King Candy, he can't seem to conceal his frequent giggling. it's a big habit of his; he seems to do it involuntarily to regulate himself, including when he's nervous or uncomfortable.

he seems to display other repetitive behaviors as well, like doing his iconic thumbs-up pose, sticking out his tongue, or hopping around gleefully. he is but a jovial court jester..

i personally like to think that his phrases, "Turbo-tastic!" and "Have some candy!" are vocal stims of his, although i equally really love the interpretation that these (and the aforementioned stims) are tics :-]

another headcanon; i think it would make a lot of sense for him to have an oral fixation of some sort (ignoring the whole sigmund freud part of the term ermm...); just lots of biting, chewing, needing to have something in his mouth. It would align with the whole idea that he smokes, too

HYPERACTIVITY

we can clearly see throughout the film that Turbo has a lot of energy, made abundantly clear by his mannerisms and general behavior. he's constantly moving, using exaggerated expressions and gestures to communicate + express himself. He's one of the most animated and bouncy characters in the movie, next to Vanellope! it's silly how a character not very grounded in reality is such a threat, but i suppose that's what makes him so threatening in the first place...

another factor in this is how he is very adrenaline-seeking, craving activities that give him a rush (sugar rush...😂😂). more on that in a bit!!

HYPERFIXATION

Turbo's fixation with winning is all-consuming for him; it's an obsession. he doesn't appear to care about much else, if anything besides it. this could be interpreted as a hyperfixation for him (or special interest if ur all about that autism lifestyle), as it overtakes all of his focus and impedes every process of his mind.

it's clear that racing is much more than a passion for him, and while that fact is due to how he was programmed, it's a major character trait of his regardless that could be correlated to neurodivergence.

HYPERFOCUS

There seems to be a big theme of "all or nothing" when it comes to Turbo. he will either be fully dedicated to something or brush it aside without a second thought. it can't be denied that he fully wraps himself up in what he wants, whether it's a conflict he can't let go of or a new pursuit he's hungrily chasing after. 

ultimately, his dedication varies depending on if it is relevant to him and his interests or not, but this aspect of him still shares patterns with neurodivergent thought processes.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION

Seeing as he has a tendency to cheat in his use of code to spawn in whatever his heart desires, it can be assumed that this could do with Turbo wanting instant gratification to fill that bitter, empty void inside of him. while this could simply be brushed aside as greed and his belief that he is obligated to have access to whatever he wants, this trait is consistent with his generally dopamine-seeking behavior and wanting to be instantly rewarded by his actions. His obsession with needing to feel good directly relates to his need for another buzz, constantly after the next rush. (a sugar rush if you will☺☺☺)

ADRENALINE-SEEKING

Closely related to the previous speculation, Turbo always seems to be chasing his next high. he loves the thrill of action and being surrounded by crowds of people below him. it's why his big thing is racing! people cheer him on, he can do whatever he wants, he can go really fast and look cool..

it's possible that a big aspect of why he does this is to distract himself from any kind of pain, because pain = vulnerability. bro does NOT know how to independently cope with his own problems.. HE MAD AS HELLLLL!!! 😂😂

STRUGGLE WITH SELF CARE

(i know this is reaching but bear with me... 🐻) going off of his appearance and tendency to make poor decisions, it can be gathered that this man lacks skill in the self care department. his yellowing teeth and sunken eyes not only serve to complement his design, but also give way to the idea that he neglects himself in favor for whatever weird scheme he's up to.

of course, Turbo does prioritize himself above everyone else, but he doesn't strike me as the type to care much about how others think he smells. him being a bother to anyone isn't a concern of his. he cares about whatever gets him the most praise and attention from as many people as possible, which is winning and racing. Who cares about how clean he is when he's up on a podium holding a shiny, golden trophy, anyway?

It's likely that he had to step his game up when he went under disguise as king candy, which is why he looks well-groomed in comparison to his more corpse-like appearance. Ugly hoe. it can also be assumed that he's had more time to focus on himself because everyone loves him without question... Well, except for Vanellope, but who cares about her, right?

also, i know he makes a condescending comment to Ralph about how bad his breath smells, but it's made abundantly clear that Turbo is a massive hypocrite. his comment doesn't erase the possibility that he has suffered from such "halitosis" as well.

💥 ANXIETY 💥

GENERAL ANXIOUS BEHAVIOR

i know, i know, this could technically be chalked up to be "Turbo is nervously giggling and shit because he's scared of getting caught," but guys. g

even in the flashback scene, we can see how easily stressed he can become in an alarmingly short period of time. he is extremely insecure, therefore i am led to believe he is not only emotionally dysregulated, but also by extension, anxiety ridden.

yes, this is purely speculative, but who's to say that he wasn't like this before? being high-strung and intense are significant facets of his personality consistently portrayed throughout the film. as long as he is getting exactly what he wants, he is happy; the moment he loses even a blip of control, however, he immediately grows extremely tense.

if Turbo wasn't anxious about his disguise as King Candy before, he was anxious about how much attention he was receiving on a given day. if not that, then he'd be anxious over how he presents himself. He hates how he can't control how other people perceive him, which is why he is constantly trying to act like he's better than he is.

its why he justifies his behavior to himself, proudly making others refer to him as the "rightful ruler" of sugar rush and relishing in the attention of his countless underlings. Any secure and stable person would NOT ACT LIKE THIS!!!!😭😭😭

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

As we can see a handful of times on screen, Turbo's instinct to protect himself is very easily activated.

 his fear manifests in anger and aggression. we can see at multiple points how easy it is to upset him or fluster him; his anger is one side of the same coin, the opposite end being his fear and paranoia.

Going off of this point, have you noticed that Turbo is either satisfied or furious without much of an in-between? how the second something isn't under his manipulation, he lashes out and fights back? I'm led to believe that this is how he responds to fear (AAUAAYAUUUUGGHHH 🐡🐡🐡🐡🐡🐡🐡). This guy is so against the idea of being vulnerable, that even when afraid, he will utilize violence to regain his dominance over the situation at hand.

CONTROL + PARANOIA

Turbo's always trying to writhe or fight his way out of uncomfortable situations, unable to exist outside of his comfort zone for seconds at a time.

his defensive, paranoid, and controlling behavior are all reflections of how deeply insecure this man is. He feels such an intense need for everything to go exactly how he expects it to go that the moment he senses any kind of threat, he instantly jumps to defend himself and what he feels that he has "earned," regardless of whether there truly is a threat or not.

this could potentially be a coping mechanism for his anxiety and sense of stability; can't forget to mention how territorial he is!! he jumps to conclusions about what others' intentions are before they even get a chance to reply, as seen with his first encounter with Ralph in the movie. 

the racer is so internally discombobulated that he seeks any sense of stability on his environment, including on those around him. his sense of self is so warped that he copes with constant distraction; being under the spotlight, being actively racing, having to be showered with attention, having others make him feel good because he doesn't know how to do it for himself. he needs to feel like everything is under control, lest everything falls apart.

"...if there's ONE thing I can't abide, it's ANYTHING out of order!"

💥 NPD 💥

INFLATED SENSE OF SELF IMPORTANCE

Turbo's most in-your-face trait above all else. It's made more than crystal clear in every scene he's in that his arrogance is a determining factor in how he interacts with others. This is exactly what drives him to desperately crave admiration, to chase after others he's envious of because he thinks he is obligated to take what they have.

he seems to genuinely think he is entitled to get whatever he wants, just because he is inherently "special" or "better" than everyone else. Why else would he have made himself a king, a step above princess?

EXCESSIVE NEED FOR ADMIRATION

Turbo's self worth is COMPLETELY dependent on the opinions of children and teenagers. I think i don't need to say any more than that, but i will. (Evil).

As cartoonishly massive as his ego is, i think that it's fair to assume that Turbo has a very unstable sense of self, distorting his perception of his own worth down with it. his near-constant flaunting and need to be the best is a dead giveaway to his deeply-ridden self-doubt. The foundation of his stability is built around how "good" he is (at racing and winning), how powerful he is, whether or not he is being prioritized above everyone else, whether or not he is the absolute best, etc. etc.

The racer outright manipulates others to shower him with admiration and undeserved appreciation. He is incapable of forming a true sense of internal value, instead heavily and codependently relying on others to form it for him. if he isn't the best, he may as well just be nothing.

INTENSE JEALOUSY

He reacts so severely to what he perceives as others taking away what is rightfully his that it only goes to solidify my previous points even further. the second someone else is getting more attention than him, Turbo will bend over backwards to rip back the praise he believes he so rightly deserves.

being extremely competitive, he will one-up against anyone he thinks of as a threat, dedicating himself to taking them down to the best of his ability, and making sure they STAY down to top it all off.

INABILITY TO HANDLE CRITICISM

if we really dissect the entire one-off joke with Turbo insisting that his stolen pink castle is actually "salmon," along with all of his other domineering behaviors, we can garner that he is very persistent in how he wants others to view him. i wholeheartedly believe that this would translate into him not only being defensive over his supposed "ownership" of Sugar Rush, but also over himself and his own insecurities.

He needs to feel good about himself or else he will die and quite literally try to kill everyone.

LACK OF EMPATHY

He appears to have a fondness for making jokes in very poor taste. Turbo has a big sense of humor, but it's always at the expense of others. Be it a pun about a "fungeon," or jumping to protect himself with a joke about "hitting a guy with glasses," he has a tendency to take serious situations very lightly. It's not that he's unaware of the weight of it; he simply doesn't take it Seriously.

its admittedly impressive how he was able to feign empathy so well for Ralph; it goes to show how he is very capable of understanding that what he's doing is wrong, but ultimately does nothing to change his behavior because it doesn't impact him personally. 

i would like to honor this part of him, because even in the possible alternate path of a redemption arc, his struggle with empathy can be explored in a variety of interesting ways :-] he can understand complicated emotions and situations on an analytical level, but he doesn't feel for them unless it has to do with him specifically. (this obviously doesn't make him inherently evil, his ACTIONS make him evil)

💥 ASPD 💥

LACK OF REMORSE/GUILT

One of Turbo's core characteristics is just how far he is willing to go for his own self-interest with lack of regard for how it impacts everyone else. he has absolutely no concern for how anyone else feels besides himself, willing to go so far as to attempt to mutilate a 9-year-old to achieve his petty goals.

Turbo is shameless when it comes to how he goes about getting his way. While I'd like to believe he isn't fully incapable of feeling regret, he doesn't showcase feeling it in the movie itself. The most regret he'll feel is when he slips up and exposes himself. anything else is the fault of everyone else; he is untouchable in his eyes.

DECEITFUL TENDENCIES + LYING

Where do i even start with this one.

well, first of all, let's acknowledge the... erm, horse? in the room? 🐎😅(Please someone help me there is a horse in my room help helphel) being that Turbo went under disguise as King Candy for at least a decade. Even before this, there's a good chance that he's already had plenty of experience with lies and manipulation. i'd be willing to bet on this!!

one of his specialties is being proficient in manipulation, be it the code of games or the minds of people. theyre basically the same thing to him, anyway... I'm sure you all know the scene where he uses 16 manipulation tactics against Ralph and wins. this was Obviously not the first time he'd done this.

REPETITION OF HARMFUL BEHAVIORS

Time and time again, Turbo can't seem to help himself when it comes to poor decision-making. he never internalizes that his bad choices aren't JUST bad for others, but also for himself, continuing to escalate further and further into very dangerous behaviors until he literally dies.

Here's a list of bad decisions he has made! (at least, that we know of)

Pinning himself above his peers

Harassment + stalking

Carelessly charging through GCS with his car, endangering countless civilians

Attempting to take over a game that isn't his x2

Vehicular manslaughter

Implied mass murder + attempted murder, attempted mutilation

Mass endangerment

Breaking and entering, theft, usurpation, plagiarism

and more!!!!!!!

AND HE LEARNS FROM ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THIS!!! with some of the items listed here, he's attempted to do multiple times! Absolute buffoon.

RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR SAFETY OF SELF AND OTHERS

Considering how he was willing to charge into a game that wasn't his own with the awareness that it could permanently kill him, going as far as to recklessly crash into another car (albeit it's possible this was unintentional), it's easy to gather that he doesn't seem to consider anyone's safety at all in the spur of the moment.

IMPULSITIVITY

his impulsivity and disregard for safety both go hand-in-hand. When it gets to a certain point, Turbo's emotions will boil over and blow up in a cold rage, thus causing him to spiral and act on impulse, becoming a detrimental force to himself as well as everyone around him.

What's interesting is how much restraint he is capable of; he typically is very strategic in how he orchestrates his plans! but once he reaches his breaking point, he snaps and leaves all of his hard work behind in favor of something that calls for his immediate attention.

💥 ETC. 💥

extra tidbits i didnt have enough energy to fully delve into :-]

BPD

Fear of abandonment

Blurry sense of identity

Feelings of emptiness

Self destructive tendencies

Emotional instability

Explosive anger

ODD (oppositional defiant disorder)

He seems so infatuated with his own autonomy that he gets to the point of being resistant and defiant

Resisting against the rules of the world that he directly caused as a result of his own actions, being that one shouldn't "go Turbo."

Enjoys upsetting/getting a rise out of others. this is more speculative as i am going off of the assumption that he thinks pissing people off is funny, based on his other behavioral patterns. (cruel sense of humor, wanting to feel above others via control & manipulation, enjoyment of inflicting pain onto others)

Forcefully defends himself and refuses any kind of criticism

Lashes out when he feels slighted

Excessive persistence despite all odds, whether it's beneficial to him or not

ok bye!! thank you if you managed to read this far ^^ peace and love take care of yourself! all in all turbo is so neurodivergent ok please Okay <3 get this thing his meds

[toomanybrainrots]

I really liked your fic with Jessica rabbit reader and swerve can you do something like that but with whirl?

I’m glad you like that one! I hope that doing this with Whirl is easier cause he’s equally as goofy and silly but also very unhinged.

Whirl with a Cybertronian S/O with the dynamic of Jessica and Roger Rabbit

Whirl eternally smitten with you

Any chance he gets, he will gush over you and/or praise you, he sometimes does it on purpose to be annoying and fuck with people

Honestly, he’s both in disbelief and pride at how he pulled someone as fucking beautiful and amazing as you as his conjunx but he is not complaining one bit

He is an unhinged bot and he will do anything for a little smooch from you

Sometimes you have to be his self control before he does something too stupid

Whenever he does get a smooch however, he always melts and gets all giddy

He’s so smug about it too

You find it adorable at how terribly he flirts and his terrible pick up lines

“Quick, we have to save my conjunx!” You said. Whirl had gotten kidnapped by some alien race because - primus knows why - he had angered them.

“What do you even see in him?” Rodimus asked, sounding genuinely curious. Whirl was a…unique individual, an individual no one would even imagine getting a conjunx like you.

“He makes me laugh”

Whenever Whirl gets drunk at Swerve’s, he sometimes mistakes you for someone else when you drag him to your shared quarters

You appreciate his loyalty, and love him…even if he doesn’t realize you were his conjunx.

[skulls-soul]

Are there any fanfics in were Bowser signs a peace treaty because he wanted to date Luigi…

Like imagine Bowser is trying to get Mario’s blessing to date his brother because Kamek told him to (do it right this time you’re impatientNess)

Mario, of course says “ over my dead-a body. Will I allow-a you to date my brother”

It was only once he was talking to peach (he took Luigi and himself to the castle for Luigi’s protection that, and he was worried that the princess was gonna get kidnapped again) when she gave him the idea to give him trials and so throughout the entire afternoon Luigi just sat there, watching Mario and peach and daisy who they called up specifically for this conversation on what kind of things Bowser can do to prove himself

Although, at some point, Daisy mentioned about when exactly did Bowser get feelings for luigi, which intern cause everyone to turn to Luigi to see if he had any answers 

Luigi begrudgingly admitted that him and Bowser  would strike up in conversation during sporting events, party games and racing competitions, growing into being a bit of a “situation ship” ( say thanks to @silly-inky for the “Situationship” they mentioned it in a post of theirs, and I loved it too much, that I couldn’t not implicate it into something of mine)

Anyways flabbergasted, they started questioning Luigi on why he would strike up a conversation with the king Koopa. only for luigi to respond with “ you want me to ignore the koopa King or something? I don’t have a Deathwish!”

 They were shocked to hear that Bowser of all people would start up a conversation with one of the Mario brothers, although, in hindsight, it is just as equally as impossible for Luigi to start a conversation, if not more. Not letting the conversation go they poke around for more information

Luigi, without getting too into detail, tells them that it started off with a simple question. Bowser had asked him what he was doing in the sidelines instead of with the others in which Luigi responded with how he wasn’t as popular as the others, and would only be in the way

Mario and princesses didn’t appreciate this “fact” and was quick to tell him

Peach: you could never be in the way!

Mario: you have fans!

Daisy: yeah, me!

Luigi simply just shook his head in which the others were ready to tell him off once more if it wasn’t for the fact that Luigi spoke, saying how Bowser said something similar

Luigi: “ he said how he couldn’t believe someone who fought him was anything but popular”

 once again, the other three humans are caught off guard by Luigi’s words, or more specifically this time by Bowser’s. each of them having the same thought about how oddly kind that was of him

Luigi decides to forego mentioning about how his face immediately went hot with flustered embarrassment at Bowser’s words and instead mentioned that he intern, asked Bowser why he wasn’t with a Koopalings. After all his mama raised him right, if someone strikes up (somewhat) polite conversation with you then you should recuperate if possible

 Mario nods in response to that, the Brother ‘s were nice to the fault for a reason although it seems Luigis kindness surpasses Mario’s by a hair

Luigi: “ so after that, we just kind of started talking more and more sense we seemed to be on the sideline together a lot”

Luigi refuses to give more details, they don’t need to know about the copious amounts of time that the reptilian caused him to blush

Or about all of the flirty comments and what if scenarios that would slip into their conversation

Anyways, (I got a bit side tract sorry) by the end of the conversation that Bowser should sign a peace treaty with a Mushroom, Kingdom and Sahara desert that would lead Bowser in to doing charity work

Princess, peach and daisy were hoping for a an alliance(tho hopes were low) while Mario was hoping for Bowser to stick with his pride for once, since the Koopa king would never!!! Do charity work

 luigi on the other hand was sweating profusely as he hoped that Bowser would pass this trial that will allow them to be happy and open together 

Soon they will see who gets there wishes

[azgfggf]

For a while I’ve been trying to articulate why XWP means so much to me, and I think I’ve figured it out. It seems to come from a bizzaro world where everything is just. Equal. It feels like a real feminist show because the women are so respected.

I realized this when watching episode 6 (or seven maybe?) there was a scene where Xena was imprisoned, feet chained to the floor and hands to the ceiling. A group of men came in with the express purpose to harm, and in a moment of clarity I realized that I didn’t fear for Xena in the way I did for every other female in fantasy. Fantasy (as a male dominated genre) is full of sexual violence towards women, often used as story beats or just shock. It permeates women’s real lives and bleeds into what they read for escapist fantasy. For a long time I’ve felt as if nowhere is truly safe, because most fantasy media eventually has a scene or two where a woman is violated, or a costume that’s glorified lingerie, and I have to remind myself that this genre was never made with women in mind. But that scene ended with Xena beating the shit out of them, because they tried to beat her. Not assault or grab, just punches and kicks, like men would fight in fantasy. And she fucking won because she’s Xena and she’s awesome.

Again, in many episodes men want her. But they’re never violent towards her. In the show she is treated like a man would be treated in any fantasy setting. With respect. That’s true escapism for me, some world where that kind of violence either doesn’t exist or isnt prevalent. A world so easy to make, and yet so often thrown aside because of “historical accuracy”. In fiction. The specifically not historically accurate genre where you can pull anything out of your ass and people just kinda have to vibe with that.

I’ve also mentioned this before, but it’s so rare in fantasy for women to be…carefree I guess? Most of them are jaded from past violence, or future survivors, or meek healers, or old wise women. None of which are very allowed to be silly like their male counterparts. They’re always serious, always the voice of reason. Always so reigned in from what male characters are allowed to be. Xena has a dark past, but she’s still kind. The story is still light. Women are allowed to be happy without being victimized.

XWP is fantasy first and foremost, and it works wonders. There are POC everywhere, and nobody calls attention to it because, well, that’s just how it is in Xena-land. There’s no sexual violence toward any strong women, because, well, that’s just how it is in Xena-land. People fight on bamboo poles and race chariots in rivers and the steaks only go up to “Ooooo she has to marry the big bad” which never goes anywhere because we all know Xena is gonna stop them.

Xena Warrior Princess is always gonna be my favorite fantasy show, because it’s fantasy that’s finally geared towards women. A fantasy where women are safe, are capable, are treated in the same regard as men with no quippy girl-power one-liners because nobody needs to quip about the status quo. In a genre where women are so often demeaned and violated for minor story beats or shock value, seeing a work that actually feeds into a more female fantasy is what I’m obsessed with. It’s wonderful to see a magical world where women don’t have to live in fear. Or they do, like because cyclops’s n shit but everybody else does that too.

PS: this mostly applies to modern fantasy. Tolkien and Lewis were two authors I grew up on who I largely blame for my fantasy obsession today.

[listening-to-thunder]

City Hunter 2024

Don't mind me I just watched a live action adaptation of the show I absolutely imprinted on as a little fan sprout in the late 80s/early 90s and I have feelings?! (Tl;dr - the adaptation is so faithful I am so happy.)

So yeah. I watched the (censored) French version of the City Hunter anime during summer vacations and then languished as Sweden did not have City Hunter (or anyone who had heard of City Hunter, other than my little brother). So I did stuff like...record it on VCR, pause the VCR, and trace character portraits off the prickly cathode-ray tube TV. (Screenshot technology has come a long way!)

Later on I read the entire un-censored manga (with the original names restored!) in French, and downloaded the Japanese songs from some pages I found on AltaVista (which took forever on modem), and brough the full set back in Japanese after I lived there for a while. And then I found out there is an official "megafan gets transmigrated into the story"-manga about City Hunter, and I read that, too.

Basically: I have had this story in my life forever, and watching the live action movie now gives me echoes of all those feelings I had as a lonely fannish kid. Which is a weird feeling, but not in a bad way, because the live action adaption (not the first, but the first Japanese one!) is...good? It's fun! And it's as faithful to the original story as it could possibly be while also being updated for the 21st century in the best ways?

Okay, I'm just gonna dive in!

I love how prominent Shinjuku is in the live action. It's gorgeously shot, and you can really feel a sense of place. The characters always talk about "this city", and Shinjuku is that city.

And right off the bat Suzuki Ryohei gets to shine in a fun, fast fight scene with a manga flair to it!

Everyone in Shinjuku knows Ryo-chan! And here's where I will admit to my own ignorance, because reading in translation at a young age I honestly don't know if the manga touched on how Shinjuku as a place where the queer community meets? But here the owner of the bar Ryo rushes through is a glorious okama!

Saeba Ryo and Makimura Hidekyuki and HI MY FEELS. (I will probably get back to how much I adore that Ryo is played by an actor who's hit 40 - but Andou Masanobu is nearly 50?! HOW.)

YES GOOD the iconic coat from the manga (that I like a lot more than the silly little anime jacket) running down the streets of Shinjuku as the equally iconic red car (an old Mini Cooper?) races past the neon lights.

Oh man I have cried about this scene so many times. And here I just love how they got the dramatic rain in, despite the circumstances and setting of Makimura's death being different. That's what a good adaptation does: keeps things recognizable to the existing fans, while transforming it to something new and exciting. (I almost didn't see it coming because I kept thinking "It's not raining"...!)

Not to be shallow or anything but...HOT DAMN. Suzuki Ryohei!!!!

This was so delightful! Everyone was having such fun with the Mokkori Dance, and I am thrilled that they found a way of showing this side of Saeba Ryo without making him a sex pest. The mood whiplash from drama to the most frivolous silliness is extremely City Hunter, and the movie wouldn't have felt right if they hadn't nailed this. (With Ryo nudity. I am. Not complaining at all.)

Kaori's stare. Ryo's confidence. Perfect. No notes.

And then we get some T&A... and it's QUEER AS FUCK?! Instead of a strip club, in 2024 the Shinjuku nightlife scene is beautiful people voguing with a fabulous drag queen MC!

Showing off Ryo's impossibly good aim by following the bullet through a crowded nightclub was fun but again: look at this Shinjuku!! It's queer and diverse and I love it.

I could not believe how Suzuki Ryohei somehow manages to move like a manga character? He is so fast and so believable as a supernaturally good shot! I also liked how Ryo hid his gun as soon as he'd fired it - the enemy had already spotted him, so it wasn't that he was afraid of giving himself away? But he doesn't want to have a gun out at a queer nightclub, where it could start a very understandable panic.

Again with the Shinjukuness of it all...! Ryo's car is parked outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (it was my favorite place to go hang out if I had time to kill in Shinjuku) - I think they're up in the observation deck, too?? The layers of nostalgia for me... it hits hard...

SPEAKING OF HITTING HARD I love that they gave Kaori her mallet!!! YES. (And they made up a cosplay event for it, where there was a tiny bit of T&A - but where the cosplayers themselves were making sure they looked as good as possible, showing off their assets!)

This is art to me.

Saeba Ryo. Stallion of Shinjuku. Blocking creepy otaku and audience alike from getting panty shots while not peeking under her skirt and also the horse head is his penis and...

This will take some processing. (While I giggle.)

THE most City Hunter shot of the entire movie. The crosshairs! Ryo shoving someone (Kaori) out of the way of a bullet! The bullet grazing his arm!! SHOOTING BACK AT THE SNIPER. Everything. Everything is perfect.

I am looking...respectfully...?

Their poses, the city... this whole scene felt like watching the manga come to life. Kaori needs a hug and Ryo hasn't gotten to the point where he can do "emotional support" in any other way than "revenge". Ahhhh the angst.

The movie's fights are so much fun to watch, because they have Ryo being a superhero with a gun (or: several guns), and then Kaori running around terrified but also so determined to actually fight. She shoves things on people! She hits that one guy with a pipe!! I love her so much.

IT'S THEM

FEELS ARE HAPPENING

(Ryo still doesn't do "hugging", but at least he's letting Kaori sob on him this time?)

Yes shooting a guy with an upside down revolver pointing behind you is exactly what I want from City Hunter, thank you! (Also the intensity Suzuki Ryohei brings out for Ryo's protective streak... It's so good...)

I just know that I am missing a ton of Easter eggs...! (I would be surprised if the framed drawing of a revolver isn't Hojo Tsukasa's art, though.)

And here we go! Now they're roommates! Kaori has her mallet! And her 80s manga outfit...! Aaah!!!!

Though they both wear shoes indoors which... I suppose even though they live there, the building isn't..."home"-coded? (I mean having that much real estate in the center of Shinjuku actually requires more suspension of disbelief than the gun magic...).

Anyway: it's THEM!

Sequel when? I really, really want one. They did such a fabulous job with this story, I want to see them do more!!

[skaruresonic]

What the fuck do neurotypicals smoke in order to reach the conclusions they reach? As an autistic person myself, even I know not everyone under the autistic spectrum is gonna enjoy Sonic. I've seen autistics like Pokémon, mainly for the cute monster designs, the number games with battling, and so on and so forth. And I've seen autistics like Pikmin for similar or different reasons.

When you meet an autistic person, you just met one autistic person. Autistics aren't a conglomerate of people, they're just average people who have a rough understanding of social cues.

tfw other video games don't exist

Honestly, Sonic is the outlier among my interests. The others are much darker by comparison, and despite their own occasional moments of silliness, don't share the same aesthetics or narrative tone at all.

Pyramid Head kart racing. PYRAMID HEAD KART RACING.

For some reason, outside of maybe Paper Mario, I find it difficult to get into similar colorful mascot games. Sonic fills that need for childish joy too well to permit anything else in, I guess, lol.

also, as I read that ask, I kept thinking "yeah, you probably don't mean the Deadly Gang brand of neurodivergence, we just get called stupid" lmao

Been seeing "Sonic appeals to neurodivergent people" takes float around recently - though it's not a new idea by any stretch of the imagination - and, well. I don't want to step on anyone's toes since I'm not autistic myself (as far as I know; strongly suspect ADD though), but isn't it equally reductive to say you must belong to a certain demographic in order to have good takes?

You don't need a PhD or a diagnosis to have accurate takes on the series. All you need is to have paid attention to the games. That is literally the only "barrier" to entry. The bar resides in hell, and yet folks continue to cha-cha slide right under it. Two hops this time.

Besides, they always mean a certain kind of palatable neurodivergence, not the kind of brain spiciness that causes you to "over"analyze the games and gets you branded an extreme game purist.

Because deep down, liking Sonic in the "wrong" way is still weird to these people. You can't be into Sonic NSFW, you're ~lewding minors~. You can't be so attached to the games that you prefer that other media follow suit, you need to make concessions. You need to espouse the "correct" opinions, and those opinions had better be transformative, lest you be considered a stick-in-the-mud who hates fun.

And it's really ironic too, because it's like well what did you expect, this is a Chili's and I'm still waiting for my shrimp tacos a place where people who like Sonic express that like. Do you also go to the aquarium and complain that there's too many fish?

[titan-god-helios]

can we stop using euphemisms to describe fat bodies please. "cuddly body" just say fat. "chubby" just say fat. "teddy bear-like" just say fat. "heavy" just say fat. "big-boned" just say fat. "well-fed" just say fat. "large" just say fat. "shorter than their weight" just say fat. "they've got a bit of a belly" just say fat. "lean challenged" (yes this is a thing i have seen used) JUST SAY FAT.

the more we use euphemisms to describe fat people and fat bodies, the more taboo being fat becomes and the more stigmatised it becomes. the use of euphemisms and dancing around saying plainly and simply that i was (and still am) fat harmed my relationship to my body so much in the past. i started to see the descriptor 'fat' as a morally and generally bad thing to be, when it really is just a descriptor with no moral weight or inherent goodness/badness.

and adding on to that, fatphobia in general doesn't make sense to me. it's the same basic principle of all discrimination - ostracise someone for something they can't control. discrimination by extension ALSO just doesn't make sense to me. if i was to put it into the context of something everyone can see as normal regardless of race or heritage or orientation or weight or whatever, like for example having brown hair, it just sounds silly. imagine living in a world where people treated people with darker hair like they treat fat people.

"look at her hair! it's so dark, she's let herself go." "oh my goodness his hair's almost black - he'll die any time soon, surely." "ugh my hair looks too dark today, i wish i could make it lighter, its so disgusting like this." "wow! his hair's so dark, i bet you he's so sad and chronically online lmao." "their hair is so brown, i bet you they have the tiniest dick known to mankind." "you know, you can get that dark shade lighter in two months flat if you really try hard enough - it'll come right off!" "ewwwww that's disgusting - look how dark their hair is. that's so repulsive."

it sounds stupid, no ?? and thats not even touching on people who can't lose weight due to general body type or a medical problem or because it's a side effect of their important medicine or whatever it is. personally, i've been fat as a relatively young kid all the way till now, and that's WITH me doing a shit ton of sports as a kid and eating well too, as well as relatively regular exercise and still eating well now. i don't lose weight easily, and i'm tempted to say that i *can't* lose weight. and as long as i'm healthy, i don't actually care too much about that. because being fat is just a natural state of the self for me, and for many others. i don't need to "fix" it, because being fat does NOT indicate me or anyone else being unhealthy (unless its sudden and there have been 0 changes to your lifestyle recently, then of course go see a doctor about it but otherwise a person's weight is in no way an indicator of their actual health) and that's that.

anyway fat isnt a bad word destigmatise the word fat please weight does NOT equal to or indicate health in the slightest stop targeting fat men and calling them incels or chronically online or making small-dick jokes - it not only hurts the fat guys themselves but (fat) trans guys and intersex people too and stop being mean to fat people

[russilton]

Im new here and i must say that ur blog is a treasure to me (no dramatic). I enjoy ur postings a lot and I admire you sooo much!

It's a fascinating ship BUT sadly not a lot of people have realized this point i may say. and Im wondering when did you start to ship them? (cuz u know, the No1 gewis fan i may say? lol). Like when george came to merc? or even before? or it's like some special moments and everything suddenly clicks?

(feel free to ignore this if you don't wanna answer(but im lookin forward to it 😜)

Well anon you got me blushing at 10am, thank you very much

Wildly, I can give you the exact moment I started shipping it, because I documented it on discord.

See I’d sent @thatsmemate a gif of Bono earlier that day while explaining f1 to her, and she’d said Lewis and Bono looked like they were carnally in love, which to be fair in that gif they absolutely did. Then she went to bed, and I, a man with the flu and access to an ao3 account, did what any normal person does, and went “huh I wonder if there’s fic about Lewis on ao3”

And there sure was (fic is censored because I didn’t end up personally enjoying it but that’s not the authors fault, I just didn’t vibe with top George)

As we can all guess, it did indeed open Pandora’s box, because nobody reads just one fic when they’re sick.

I do truly wonder had my first f1 rpf fic been sewis or galex if I’d be here now- I really don’t know! I can explain to you all the reasons gewis is so vibrant and important and meaningful to me, but I also know I imprint like a duck, and it may have been the fact that it was the first fic I read and I went “well, this is awesome, I would like more” and then when I tried other ships it just… didn’t do anything for me? I mean I was well aware of and still follow the sewis sub reddit but never felt inclined to the fic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (I also blame @hamiltvn and @danielssmile for having posted fics that knocked me on my ass when I started reading gewis , like can’t argue with quality)

Whatever it was, it clicked with me, and while I tried to go “this is weird they’re real people we can’t read this” I just… kept going back all while watching the races. I’d already gotten SO fond of George at Merc as it was, I was a fan of his before he signed with them, and while I was sad when he was signed over Val, I was also excited as all hell. Val seemed like Merc was taking a huge toll on him, and George was so silly but incredibly committed.

I can also give you the moment it clicked. I was on IG, recommended to me between races, Merc had posted a clip of Lewis interrupting George’s Australia interview to hug him, and George’s face just… wobbles. When he comes back to the interview his lip quivers and he has to take a breath, he looks happy but so very ready to cry… that was it for me, I just sat there and though oh, you adore him, of course you do.

I have shown this clip to so many gewis people who do not feel the same way about it I do, which is fascinating but I spose we can’t decide what our spark is can we? This was just it for me, and it’s only gotten worse seeing George flourish as his own person, he’s not just… chasing Lewis now, but valued as his own person, WHILE still putting Lewis at the centre of his focus and admiration. He’s no longer standing within a shadow- he’s growing out of it while remaining firmly rooted in that emotion of respect.

AND Lewis gives it back hand over fist the more he describes George as the push that helps keep him driving, the more he sees George as an almost equal

I only get more in love with them, even if they frustrate me and their team frustrate me and their fans… sure are loud. They bring me joy.

[inchidentally]

(not gonna post the link you sent bc I don't wanna tread on other people's stuff since we're all out here in the tumblr wild to talk about these rich men and their problematic silly sport in any way we want to. I'll reply with my thoughts but remember that they're my own and I am NOT telling someone else how to feel)

okay so fully removing the ship lenses and assuming they're not wishing any hostility towards Oscar or any future teammate of Lando's at McLaren: holy SHIT no. fuckballs NOOOO.

ok from a purely practical/realism standpoint Carlos will not be taking any steps backward. based purely on Ferrari's overall performance and the fact that Charles is a damn good match as a teammate (hi Singapore) Carlos is exactly where he should be for WDC contention. McLaren are out there competing hard with them and with the Mercs but to see them outpacing those cars would be solely down to the youth and combined competitiveness of Lando and Oscar they've invested in - so still no dice for Carlos in the foreseeable. I'm not F1 smart enough to know how likely it would be that he'd go to RBR but even there I'm not sure how he and Max would work together again with Max's dominance and ummmm Carlos' least favorite thing being following team orders to concede to his teammate. followed by what would become Carlos' first least favorite thing which would be to drive Max's car since development only works one way at RBR. and that's all assuming that Lando stays with McLaren and that Oscar chooses to leave. the first being reasonably likely and the second is too soon to tell. then there's the fact that by that point Lando would not be considered McLaren youth anymore and they'd be highly unlikely to bring on someone even older to partner him. ((add to that the fact that Carlos will never be an Alonso and will definitely get married early in his thirties and move on to different types of racing or maybe even a different field in racing)) Lando will be a Lewis and stick with F1 competitively chasing wins and WDCs (especially if he can outlast Max's boredom threshold) and he won't be interested in nostalgia hires unless they can help him with that goal.

but moving on to the more parasocial fandom side of it…

honestly the biggest surprise to me is seeing people think that they were equals ??? during their season together?? Lando was a tiny baby who has talked about how being partnered with Carlos fed his anxieties and insecurities! he saw this seasoned driver learning the car faster than him, knowing the circuits better than him and speaking to the team with more confidence than him. lbr when his "trophy" was Carlos' champagne while Carlos celebrated his podium, Lando did NOT look completely happy being forced into that celebration (and I seem to recall later on him even ruefully saying "it wasn't my celebration but anyway"). Carlos literally saw Lando as a baby brother and treated him as such but he also had no clue what to do with Lando's darker moods besides try to cheer him up (and sometimes fail).

I am someone who likes to keep the streams of real life and rpf totally crystal clear and separate and I also like to keep the reality of who these drivers are free of anything I imagine about them for fantasy. when Carlos isn't winning or at least happy with his result, he isn't remotely a team player (and with a team like Ferrari it's hard to blame him sometimes lol). I guess for some people? it's easy to think that Carlos would become a totally different driver when on a team with Lando from ~the power of love~… but that would also have to hand-wave when he actually was Lando's teammate. (it would also hand-wave that Carlos and Charles are also good friends and much more flirty and lovey dovey but Carlos still fights against Charles like a beast when he's in the car)

this man is in it to win it. if you called him soft for a teammate or said that the foremost reason he gave Lando DRS in Singapore was for Lando's benefit he would laugh in your face. at no point in the incredibly stressful final laps was Carlos going "aw shucks I hope my lil buddy can be up there with me let me rig this to make it happen" bc by that point in a race they are thinking in nothing but driving binary and /how do I cement my win against all the bastards behind me/. Carlos does NOT revolve even a small part of his racing career around Lando or any other driver. he doesn't even regard much of his team's input (again, probably for the best with Ferrari). even when he gets direct help from Charles following Ferrari strategy (see Singapore) I still can't really recall that he was overly effusive in acknowledging that fact. he's modeled himself much more on the F1 generations of more like two generations back. and why shouldn't he? so I do not get how people can still think that drivers - especially Carlos' type - are remotely friendly with anyone when they're on the circuit. sure they might get even more pissed off at a driver they aren't keen on but literally /everyone/ is their enemy and their own result is their one goal. that's literally their job.

and as Lando says himself, no one in F1 including him wants to beat anyone more than their own teammate. again. how do people think that Lando would take this entire career he's worked so incredibly hard for and make it about a guy he golfs with (in groups, folks) and occasionally goes to dinner with (which he also does with Daniel) and talks to during the drivers parade (he also consistently seeks out Max, George and Yuki) but has a thriving professional and social life that has nothing to do with Carlos? yuk|erre, maxie| and ga|ex are out there doing far more shippy type things than car|ando all the damn time but when have they ever let that affect their desire to win or beat each other??

nothing about little unseasoned raw lamb cutlet Lando with hairy alpha Carlos at McLaren at all resembles what their dynamic would be as teammates. and the fact that Lando is really liking this new feeling of being the superior favored driver bodes horribly for how he'd react to Carlos swinging his huge sexy cojones back into McLaren expecting to be the number one again by age and experience. folks should enjoy getting to see them during the drivers parade and out golfing as non teammates bc the adorable content of 2019 would curdle into something grotesque if they now had to do goofy challenges while slowly learning to hate the sight of each other during briefings as they sought to supplant the other in the standings.

in no way on this or any other earthly planes can I be convinced that having them compete on the same team again would be anything other than a trainwreck and result in them not even speaking for the next 10-15 years.

[cepheusgalaxy]

Meet the wip: The War Of The Human Throne

[PT: Meet the wip: The War Of The Human Throne /end PT.]

Sinopsis:

Three races have been at war with each other for centuries; each one fighting over nothing but the right to call themselves “the true humans”. There was, however, one small land where the war didn’t touch, the isle of Itarja.

When the isle is attacked, destroying the peaceful lives of the people there, a few dozens of habitants manage to flee, and, among the refugees, a boy sees firsthand the hellscape his world is at the moment, and decides to go on a journey to put an end to the war.

Extra info:

Tags: #twotht wip

Genre: Fantasy

Moodboard:

none yet TvT

About the setting: It’s mostly magicless, and as it is stated in the synopsis, there are three races (perhaps one day there were more) but I wanted to keep all of them pretty close to what we have as humans irl, with only a few silly changes like, “slightly stronger people” and “silver blood”. The point is that they are all equally “human” and whoever reads the story can’t use their irl knowledge to decide who would fit our definition for an actual human. Each of the races is spread around the world and the different countries are divided in what race the country is from. Basically all of the countries of the same race are allies, with a few exceptions here and there. The isle the protag is from managed to stay away from the war only by buying peace; they had an alliance with a powerful country and traded resources from their land with them in exchange for protection, and it had worked out pretty well before an enemy of their allies attacked them. After that, because of the treaty the isle had, their refugees were able to flee to there under some conditions. The worldbulding is pretty nice, because it’s one of my oldest stories that I have actually been working on consistently, but that’s basically it.

Notes section:

i really like this wip, and it started as something like “what if nobody knew the answer to the question of what makes us human and were all fighting about that” and i also want it to be a cautionary tale about dehumanization, sorta

this was also the main source for my whump daydreams back in the day. *sighs dreamily* guess i just like fucked up situations too

Previously used tags: #twotht

Cast: Zaire [protagonist], Miriam, Polaris [supporting characters], Aaliyah [minor antagonist]

Back to WIP Masterpost | OC Masterpost | Writing Masterlist | #twotht wip tag | Meet the ocs of this wip!

[luffyvace]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

No I don’t mind at all!! I’ve never been asked this question before and it’s really interesting so of course I’ll answer! <3

Btw this is anime only bc I only watch anime/read manga :)

1: Feitan

I love Feitan honestly bc he’s cool, hot, strong and just generally awesome. I love his personality and how fearless he is. He’s number one even though they’re were many before him because I’m crazy about him and he’s just generally my all time fav. He isn’t a “phase” I love him all the time think about him all the time..FOR YEARS.

2: Aizawa

I found out about him way before Feitan and was the original number one..BUT I don’t love him any less. He’s honestly just so cool and I thought he was as soon as I saw him. He has such a calm yet self assured and strong demeanor to him. I admire him in a sense, he has morals and sticks to them. He’s also once again, strong. He cares for his loved ones and manages to be cool and a green flag- not something all anime guys can do.

3: Izuku

Izuku is under Aizawa bc I literally started loving him directly after lol. I love him with all my heart. He’s just so determined and realistic/relatable in a sense. He strives for his goals and doesn’t give up. It’s admirable. He has such a kind heart and is a green flag. Tsu should honestly be up here bc she’s the first ever anime character I found out a about but I love izuku more- osusndkjnsjd-

4: Luffy

If I knew him for longer he would be higher. I got into one piece just recently but I still love him very much. He’s such a cool and silly guy he does no harm and is selfishly selfless. What an odd balance of getting what you want and bringing happiness. Essentially what he wants is for people (specifically his loved ones) to be happy and will stop at nothing to bring that to them. Truly only has good intent. Also who doesn’t like freedom and liberation?? This guy literally stands for that!! He stand for those who don’t have a voice and that’s so cool to me! I’m so proud of him in that sense. I also love his silly goofy vibe despite the worlds cruel ways. It’s refreshing and makes one piece a less depressing place since in a sense we’re pretty much seeing one piece from his prospective. If we saw things how zoro or law sees it, it may be a lot more realistic, a bit more drab and plain in sight. That’s my take on it anyway.

5: Katsuki

katsuki’s character development is top tier. (Spoiler) I’m not talking about him dying. I’m talking about how he went from telling Izuku to ky$ and mistreating him and others to viewing people as equals/something more than competition, apologizing and atoning for his mistakes. He did something even most grown men/women can’t do these days..smh. He even did it better than endeavor. 😂 I also like how strong he is and how much he believes in himself. It’s only a problem because of the way he expresses that but if he was simply confident I feel he’d have less haters.

6: Fyodor

honestly he just freakin cool dude! Like he’s a genius, he’s attractive and he’s got a cool/mysterious power. I like when anime characters are a different race in Japan, it just makes things more fun. I love him for his imperfections too. I saw someone talk about how (spoiler) Fyodor wouldn’t have died if he just trusted his friends/allies more. I like that about him too. It makes space for character development and realization if he lives.

7: Atsushi

I first started watch bsd a long time ago. I remember loving the first ep so much. I really like how atsushi met dazai- lol. It was all really unique and there was no overused troupes. New, fresh, stuff you wouldn’t expect. I mean unless it’s mc hating on themselves..but I didn’t dislike atsushi for it or anything. Idk why I just didn’t, I’ve loved him since he first appeared on screen. I’ve always thought he deserved better. He’s such a kind hearted character and his mental and physical strength developed well. He doesn’t have any love interests either! It makes me happy when it’s straight plot and no canon romance in anime. Honestly I just love how sincere and genuine Atsushi is.

8: Nikolai

At first I both liked and disliked him at the same time. But then again I kinda simped for him so I did research (fandom, and when he got animated) and now i love em. I really love silly characters with inner problems that they project onto different things (emotions; for Niko). It gives they’re character deeper meaning than just being a silly guy. Yeah that’s fun but it gives you more to think about this way. I think his design is very cute and fun! At first I did expect to have a higher pitched voice but as time went on I realized two things. One: his voice actually fit him and I only didn’t like it at first because it didn’t meet my imaginary standard. Two: he’s a grown man, and while it’s possible, especially with anime logic, it’s more realistic this way and I’m glad his voice isn’t high pitched now.

9: Portgas D Ace

now I absolutely love Ace and while I he’s my number 2 in one piece, over all anime’s he ranks a little lower but he’s def still up there. Again I’m still in the impel down arc so his backstory n stuff is coming up for me, so when I say he needs more screen time I mean besides that. He’s an attractive man who worked on himself from a young age to be polite and respectful, he’s very friendly as well. I love and respect all that about him. He’s another silly guy but in a different way. Idk I honestly just like him, idk how to explain it this time. He’s just cool!!

10: Saiki k

I didn’t know whether to put brook or tokito here. I would’ve gone with tokito because I’ve been watching kny longer but I feel I like him more? Saiki k is a really interesting anime. It’s a comedy anime in a regular and relatable setting but with a spin; superpowers. This gives the anime more chances for funny moments and comedy. With saiki’s attitude of wanting to be normal as well? Perfect! Saiki is honestly still relatable even with powers and is not a simp. Which I really like about him, He probably wouldn’t be on this list if he got with someone. In fact he avoids what could be love interests and that makes it even more funny. I’m glad he doesn’t give in and give us the traditional wife, babies and sunset ending. 🤦‍♀️

brook isn’t on the list but top 10 is NOT easy to choose..I also wanted to add tokito but again top ten is so limiting </3😔

[wandaluvstacos]

SEASON OF BLOSSOMS

THE SECOND CHAPTER IS UP! (It’s FREE)

Genre: Fantasy Romance Rating: 18+ Elevator Pitch: Bridgerton, but gay and with tieflings. Check out this story’s art under the tag Season of Blossoms

Includes: Mxm, mxf, and nbxm romance, sibling rivalries, romantic drama, fun sexy hijinks all around. This one’s lighter than most of the stuff I write, lol. There is a scene that takes place after an attempted suicide, but I think that’s the only thing that needs to be warned for.

In the nation of Tithly, it is custom that those of marriageable age travel to the city of Philsia for the yearly Season of Blossoms– four summer months of parties meant to provide youth the opportunity to find their spouse. This year will be the first year that all three of the Tsylgahra siblings attend: Mithleem, Anli, and Lisanth.

Three years after his wife’s tragic death, Mithleem has finally decided that he’s ready to start his search for someone new. As one of the top people in his class at the Academy and a successful doctor during his time in the army, he’s a household name and a hot commodity at parties, including one thrown by Tithly’s most renowned painter. There Mithleem is called to the bedside of the painter’s equally famous spouse, Ysaika Talorilau, and it may take someone of Mithleem’s skill to save their life.

Anli’s been to Philsia three times for the Season, but she hasn’t had much luck. This time she meets a young man above her station who shows interest, and despite her misgivings, she’s willing to give him a shot, even if the family’s new steward, Thyla Daschanhildi is quite insistent that Anli deserves better. Anli’s not sure about that, but she knows that Thyla’s only ever been supportive and loyal, sometimes to such a degree that Anli wonders if there’s more to it.

As the youngest Tsylgahra and wild child of the family, Lisanth is interested in racing horses, starting squabbles in the local tavern, and worrying his parents on the nights he doesn’t come home. However, he knows he can’t put off Philsia forever, and at the insistence of his mother, Lisanth grudgingly makes the journey with his siblings to the City in the Sky. There he meets a stranger who wields charm with just a hint of danger. Only later does Lisanth come to realize that the stranger is in fact a prince– Prince Jafkar A’nesh to be exact.

Excerpt:

 “Lemme see.” Anli flipped through many, many pages of the book to get to the T names. “Ah, here we are. Mithleem Tsylgahra.” She tilted the book so he could just see his portrait, but in this terrible lighting and with the size of the print, it was impossible to make out any details beyond the fact they’d colored him pink. “Age 30, widower and father of two, acclaimed runespeaking Academy graduate and decorated veteran from the 34th Regiment, seeking ambitious and whip smart partner who likes children and can whittle a night away with deep conversation.”

            “Seems a big braggadocious, don’t you think?”

            “You’re right, I should have written what a big dumb head you have,” Anli mumbled.

            Mithleem snorted. “At least they’d know what they were in for. I’m curious what you wrote for Lisanth.”

            “Lisanth Tsylgahra, age 20, active adventure-lover seeking someone to get into trouble with. A touch of danger means twice the thrill, and if you agree, we may be well-matched.”

            “Wow, that really does suit him. And you?”

            “Anli Tsylgahra, age 25, lover of botany and set to inherit manor in Aspith, seeking partner who wants a rural way of life and enjoys learning the finer details of crop rotations. An ideal partner loves both intellectual pursuits and silly flights of fancy. Slow-gaited prospects will be given priority.”

            “How you’ve gone three seasons with no prospects is a mystery to me.”

            “Perhaps I should have struck the slow-gaited line. That must be what turns them off.”

            “Everyone knows a man is in want of a quick-paced wife.”

            Anli giggled, sliding the book closed. “A woman’s most desirable trait, assuredly.”

[nalyra-dreaming]

Okay, okay, so I started several canon lore opinion polls The other day (still got a few days left; also Tumblr knows allowing me multiple polls on one post would be too OP), and one of things I asked people about is what they would prefer Lestat and Louis to be addressed as. So far, the canon “Prince and Prince Consort” seems to be the leading opinion amongst the ten or so people who’ve answered, but I was thinking… Lestat was chosen as prince before taking The Sacred Core, but after… I feel like he earned the right to be called the vampire king (since Mekare was queen), thus making Louis his queen (or still prince consort) perhaps. I know it’s silly, and maybe in universe, someone probably suggested the elevated title to Lestat and he said no because prince is formal enough. Yes, I’m here to speculate how they’ll go about it in the show. Vampire King Lestat is cool and all, but unfortunately some people will find it offensive to have a white vampire king (I’m mixed race and I don’t care as long as Lestat does a good job geez everybody chill) but like… I don’t know! Let the husbands be King and King Consort to shake it up? Besides, maybe we can finally see Lestat and Louis as equals finally, as intended. I mean… Louis at this point is almost as powerful as Lestat. Can you imagine, the end of the journey, together as equals in not only the quiet dark, but in the face of many? And Lestat can finally tell people that Louis is his husband? I’m sorry for the mini rambling rant. I think I need to get more sleep…

Hmmmmmm :))) (Hope you got sleep now?^^)

Ok, so... hmm.

Within the context of the tale/universe Mekare (or Amel) chose Lestat as the successor, so he literally became the "king", true. For a while :))

Louis at that later point is almost as powerful as Lestat, and I bet they're also sharing blood regularly.

There is this term in the later books, "Blood Spouse", "Blood Wife" (and, by extension there must be a "Blood Husband"), and I can see them call each other that, easily.

Anne described their wedding on Facebook, too, so they are definitely on married status.

I'm pretty sure that Louis' status as "consort" and Blood Husband was more than clear at the end. He's the only one with any real power over Lestat after all *laughs*

I know what you mean here (re the titles), but... I'm unsure if the show will go here tbh. IF they do I bet there'll be some ribbing in regards to Lestat becoming the King after the events of Prince Lestat (I'd love that, preferably by Armand *coughs*), but... given his canon reluctance to even accept "prince" I bet he'd not want to be called that.

Sooooo in regards to Louis.... I think I would also (boringly I know) go with the "Prince and Prince Consort" thing... sorry^^^. And I think the show will likely stay within that canon context as well, IF they even go there. (Not meaning the book content itself here, we KNOW they already go there after all).

But I really want Lestat to introduce Louis to the older ones, like Gregory (for example), as his "Blood Husband".

Proudly.

I'd LOVE that.

[imitation-steamroller]

*cracks knuckles* Alright, I’ve had a couple days to chill out, and I want to try my hand at rewriting BWBA. Well, certain elements of it. I was going to start a six or seven post long headcanon about Nia’s relationships with the rest of the team, new and old members, but this takes precedent.

Big World Big Adventures is a hell of a concept, one that honestly sounds really interesting on paper, but the execution left a lot to be desired. I like the movie, but it could have been better. Season 22 got off to a rather rough start, but it seemed to find its footing a bit partway through. I can only hope seasons 23 and 24 can pick up the slack.

So, starting with the movie...

The Movie

I said this in another post, but I think it’d be cool if the movie was used to expand on The Great Race a bit. Instead of Thomas suddenly deciding to follow a racecar around the world, he was chosen to participate in some big exchange program that was being held for the competitors in the Great Railway Show. But maybe due to impatience or human error at the docks, Thomas ends up on the wrong ship and goes to Africa instead of India.

From there, the movie would play out about the same, except it’s Thomas going from port to port to find a ship to India, with Nia following along so she can see the world and make sure he doesn’t get himself killed. Eventually, they end up at a dock with two ships: one bound for India, the other for Sodor. Thomas goes to India to start S22, and Nia decides she wants to settle down somewhere small and goes to Sodor.

It’s silly and unrealistic, but so are most Thomas movies if you think about it.

The Show

Okay, here’s where we get into the real meat. I’ve got a lot to say about the Sodor and international episodes, but I think we’ll start with-

The Show in General

There are a lot of aspects of BWBA that bother a lot of people, one of which being the Steam Team. Personally, I’m not as fond of the concept as I used to be. All it does is cause fan favorites to be pushed aside and create in-fighting within the fandom. Honestly, I’m torn between adding Rosie to make the team equal or just breaking them up all together. Adding Rosie would make the team even and give her some more spotlight, but breaking them up could allow more characters to have their chance to shine.

Next up are the opening and ending sequences. Dump them completely. There’s no reason for them to be there aside from regurgitating the episode plot and lesson, and most of the episodes feel rushed or unfinished since they need to make way for these segments. And like, I feel like it talks down to the child audience, too. In the show’s 30+ year run, the audience has always been able to figure out the moral - When there is one - for themselves, so why dumb down the show even further.

Next is the fantasy sequences. Dump them, too. We’ve had them before in episodes like Sticky Toffee Thomas and Other Side of the Mountain, but they weren’t very long and were easy to ignore. The episodes grind to a halt for upwards of a minute whenever these intrusive and oversaturated fever dreams play, so why not cut them out entirely?

Then you’ve got the bouncing. I generally don’t mind it as I feel that it makes the characters just a little more emotive, but the character models are all very clearly not made to do this. There’s a scene in one of the Brazil episodes where the engines are messing with a football and Raul is outright floating off his chassis, and another in an Italy episode where Gina looks like she’s about to break in half. Despite my feelings on it, I think the best thing to do would be to cut it out completely. It’d certainly make things easier for the animators.

And finally, you’ve got Thomas as the narrator. And like everything else I’ve mentioned, you can cut him out too. A Shed for Edward proved that we don’t really need a narrator for Thomas anymore when it was mistakenly aired without the narration. And personally, I was never completely sold on John Hasler or Joseph May. I always preferred Ben Small and Eddie Glen as Thomas.

Now then, let’s get onto-

The International Episodes

I think my biggest issue with these episodes - outside of the fantasy sequences and the lack of weight to the engines - is Thomas himself. The only explanation we’re given for him being in these countries is that he was ‘sent to help out on the x railway,’ and he spends most of these episodes acting clueless and causing trouble. I’ve got two ways of fixing the former, but I want to focus on the latter for a second.

Something I wish we had seen was episodes focused on the international characters. Mattel said they were trying to push for gender equality in the show, only for the girl characters to do absolutely jack shit. And the international guys don’t do much either, do they? More often than not, they’re just tour guides for Thomas.

I know S24 has Yong Bao and the Tiger and S23 has Crowning Around, but I would have loved an episode about Hong Mei being a sore winner, or an episode focused on down to earth Noor Jehan dealing with high and mighty Rajiv’s shit all day. Or hell, maybe give Ashima some time to shine! How has All Engines Go done more with her in an episode and a half than the original series did with three seasons and a whole movie?

And if you absolutely need Thomas in every episode, just make him the the protagonist’s sidekick, or give him some background gags or something. Or better yet, have him at the beginning of an episode, then transition over to Hong Mei, or Raul, or whoever the episode’s protagonist is, like the Small Railway Engines adaptions did.

Now, as for my point about his reasons being in these countries.

1. The episodes take place during the movie

I feel like when BWBA first came out, everybody assumed this was how it would play out, with the international episodes set during Thomas and Nia’s adventure, and the Sodor episodes being set after they come back. And personally, I feel like this is the best way to do it.

Maybe Thomas could be busy trying to finish his work so he can go to the docks and look for a ship to India, while Nia convinces him to stop and at least pay a little attention to where they are. Maybe they could meet the railway show engines and have some kind of conflict with them (Vinnie at the very least) or the engine could show them some region specific thing about their railway.

2. Thomas goes on a second world tour

Essentially what the show did, but this time there’s a reason for it. The way I would do it is have the international episodes set completely in India, when Thomas is doing the exchange I mentioned earlier. Maybe he could swap with Ashima so we could get some episodes of her on Sodor, or Rajiv so we could get him interacting with James.

Anyway, when Thomas comes back to Sodor, he finds out the The Fat Controller wants to send him from another country. Turns out, Thomas gained a lot of attention during his adventure, and FC wants him to go on an official rail tour, leading to the rest of the international episodes in S23 and 24. And if you need to have multiple countries a season, just have him come back part way through so FC can send him on his way again.

And with that out of the way, we can move to-

The Sodor Episodes

Okay, so I actually prefer the Sodor episodes to the international ones, if only because Thomas isn’t the focus of all of them. That being said, they’re still not great. Once again, my biggest issue with them is Thomas, albeit for slightly different reasons. Why is he here if he’s supposed to be going around the world? He outright references Trusty Trunky in Thomas’ Animal Ark. Where’s the continuity?

So starting off, I would remove Thomas completely. If the episode isn’t expressly stated to take place before the BWBA movie (i.e. An Engine of Many Colors), or during a short period where Thomas is between trips, then Thomas has no business being on Sodor. Instead, have the first two or three episodes take place during the movie so we can see how the engines got on without Thomas. Then at the end of one of them, we introduce Nia to Sodor so we can have some eps about her adjusting to her new home.

Aside from introducing Rebecca to the rest of the team, Nia doesn’t really do a lot in S22. She’s mostly a supporting character this season, then gets Counting on Nia towards the end, which is a whole other conversation. If I remember correctly, seasons 23 and 24 aren’t much different. And apparently she becomes the safari engine for the animal park in S24, which just...no. All kinds of no. The general consensus among fans is that she should have been a utility engine, and I 100% agree.

And 100% keep her personality from the movie. In that, she’s sassy, cheeky, and confident, but also mature, calm, and she knows when to leave when she’s not being treated right. I would have loved to see how that Nia would have interacted with the Tidmouth crew.

From there, you introduce Rebecca as the new express engine, as traffic has been increasing since Thomas' big world adventure. I think Rebecca’s episodes are fine so far, but she doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression. Maybe she could have a one-sided rivalry with James. Maybe he thought he was going to be the new express engine, only to be shown up by this eternally happy newbie.

Or maybe she could have an episode with Gordon, who’s stressing out from all the changes happening on Sodor. Have Rebecca - the engine whose life has suddenly been uprooted and has been sent to this tiny island - be the engine who talks to him during Forever and Ever. Not Nia, who had some level of agency over the changes happening in her life.

And maybe you could give her an episode with Nia, who she doesn’t really interact with much if I remember correctly. In her introduction episodes, Rebecca is shown to be a little self conscious, and gets into scrapes because she wants to stand out or be like the other engines. There so easily could have been an episode about Nia helping Rebecca find some confidence and seeing everything great about herself.

Closing Thoughts

As stated at the beginning, Big World Big Adventures is on hell of an idea, one that I honestly think could have been wonderful if it was handled correctly. And while I won’t say that this is 100% the way to do it, I do think it’s at least a little better than what we got.

A few days ago, I made a post that said that BWBA might be the worst part of the original series. And while I haven’t completely changed my stance on that, I’m hoping the next two seasons do something to convince me otherwise. Guess I’ll have to wait and see.

[skelletors]

MCYT as D&D Characters 4 - Grian

Hello! In case you don’t know what this is, this is me making various MCYTs into playable D&D characters. Today's lucky person will be Grian! The grain man. Bread boy. Before we begin, here are the ground rules:

This will not be balanced and the builds may not be very good. This isn’t for the minmaxers (not that there's anything wrong with that), this is purely based on either stories these people have participated in or their overall persona on the internet

These characters will go up to level 20, but in no way do you have to play them to the max level to get all the mechanics that make up the character

There will be no homebrew in this build.

I will be using standard array for all of these characters (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) when determining the stats for these characters for my own ease of use.

Character Traits to Emulate:

Ultimate prankster

Pesky bird man

Resistance leader/freedom fighter

Watchers?

Race, Class, Background and Stats

Race: Owlin ( I debated a lot, but ended up deciding this was the best fit. These bird-like beings have some pretty useful abilities, and being from the Feywild tend to have that trickster, chaotic personality we all know and love from Grian).

Ability Score Increase: +2 to one stat, +1 to another. Let’s go for +2 to Dexterity, +1 to Charisma.

Darkvision: You can see in the dark! Nifty.

Flight: You have a fly speed equal to your walking speed. Perfect for some Pesky Bird activities.

Silent Feathers: You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.

Background: Charlatan (There isn’t a perfect background, but I just think the skills provided by Charlatan plus the tools work best for Grian)

Proficiencies: Deception, Sleight of Hand, Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit

Class: Rogue 17 Warlock 3  (I think this one is pretty obvious, especially when it comes to subclass. I mean, rogues are just primed for complete chaos! Plus, warlocks and their patrons can have a similar vibe to the watchers and the players they watch.)

Stats

Strength - 12

Dexterity - 15 +2 = 17

Constitution - 10

Intelligence - 13

Wisdom - 8

Charisma - 14 +1 = 15

Now for once, I feel like I might actually have to explain the stat distribution, particularly with Strength, Wisdom and Intelligence. Intelligence is important for his subclass, so it was important that I keep it above average (even if Grian can be a silly little guy at times). Now the real thing is why I made Wisdom an 8 instead of Strength, and hear me out. Grian is the definition of high intelligence, low wisdom. What do I mean by that?

Well, high intelligence, low wisdom characters would see a swarm of rats and cast fireball on them, not taking into account that they are in a very flammable forest. They seek direct, smart ways of solving problems but aren’t always aware of their surroundings or all the consequences. Sound familiar?

Level 1: Rogue

Expertise - Rogues get a metric ton of proficiencies if you start with them (four out of a list of 11 very useful skills), so being able to double your proficiency bonus for TWO of them is incredible.

Sneak Attack - If you have advantage on an attack (usually from being hidden) or if you have an ally within 5ft of an enemy, you can add extra damage. This can get downright nasty at higher levels, especially if you factor in crits. This can only be done once per turn, but still. It can get insane.

Thieves Cant - This is just a coded way of speaking, and while I’m sure there’s some points where Grian speaks in code, it’s just funny for people to think that Grian’s speaking in thieves cant because they just don’t understand what he’s going on about.

Level 2: Rogue

Cunning Action - You can Dash, Disengage or Hide as a bonus action. It just makes it easier to get sneak attack damage.

Level 3: Rogue

Subclass time! Subclass time! Say it with me now, we all know it, we all love it, of course Grian’s subclass is going to be….

Arcane Trickster! It’s all in the name, I don’t even need to explain why he is that, but to summarize, you can use magic to cast illusions and be sneaky little guys. Just like a certain bird lad. You get access to a couple of nifty things right away as well, like…

Spellcasting! You can cast spells. You choose from the Wizard spell list and use Intelligence as your spellcasting modifier.

Mage Hand - You get an improved version of the mage hand cantrip. It’s invisible and you can use a cunning action to control it.

Level 4: Rogue

Ability Score Improvement. You get these every few levels and can either choose to improve your stats (either +1 to two or +2 to one) or take a feat. We’ll be taking the Mobile feat this time. You get a +10ft to movement, can move through difficult terrain easily and don’t provoke opportunity attacks. Grian’s a mobile little lad and also, frees up your bonus action so you don���t have to disengage ever again.

Level 5: Rogue

Uncanny Dodge - If you see an attack, you can half the attack’s damage. There are several points where Grian absolutely should’ve died, especially within the life series, this just feels fitting.

Level 6: Warlock

Now we’re jumping over to Warlock! And you get to choose your subclass immediately. 

We’re going with Great Old One, it’s the most Watcher-y, although none of the patron options are very good for the Watchers

Awakened Mind - You can speak telepathically to creatures within 30ft of you. This isn’t the most relevant, but it is kinda fun to think about with the whisper feature on the life series server.

Spellcasting! Your spellcasting ability for warlocks is Charisma, not Intelligence, and you have far fewer spell slots but the fun bit about warlocks is that they get their spell slots after a short rest and you always cast at the highest level you can. Plus, many, many cantrips

Level 7: Warlock

Eldritch Invocations - You can get some cool magic abilities, like being able to see perfectly in the dark, extend the reach of your eldritch blasts and many other fun things.

Level 8: Warlock

Pact Boon - You get something from your patron! I’d go for Pact of the Chain, since you can get a familiar. Along with being extremely useful (being able to see through their eyes, casting spells through them, etc), especially for rogues and acting as scouts, you can get a pesky bird for this pesky bird.

ASI time! We’re going to be adding a +2 to Dexterity, bringing it up to 19

Level 9: Rogue

Expertise - You get to choose two more proficiencies to have expertise in!

Level 10: Rogue

Evasion - You can half damage on area of effect spells or basically any effect that makes you roll a Dexterity saving throw

Level 11: Rogue

Nothing really here, just more spells known

Level 12: Rogue

Magical Ambush - If you’re hidden when you cast a spell and it has a saving throw, the creature has disadvantage on it.

It’s that time again, it’s ASI time! We’re going to be adding +1 to our Dex and +1 to our Intelligence.

Level 13: Rogue

More spell slots! Nothing else, though

Level 14: Rogue

Reliable Talent - Whenever you roll a skill check that you’re proficiency, anything under a 9, you treat as a 10, even natural 1s.

Level 15: Rogue

More cantrips!

Level 16: Rogue

Versatile Trickster - You can distract a creature with a mage hand and give yourself advantage.

ASI! We’re going to be improving our stats again, giving a +1 to Dex and a +1 to Intelligence

Level 17: Rogue

Blindsense - If you can hear, you can sense any invisible or hidden creatures within 10ft of you. Grian tends to be a bit more perceptive than people give him credit for, he susses out when people are hiding and stuff.

Level 18: Rogue

Slippery Mind - You have proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. These are usually against charm effects or spells trying to take control over creatures, so it seems fitting for Grian, despite his low Wisdom. He’s not one to listen to other people’s orders

Level 19: Rogue

ASI! We’re going for another feat, this time, Shadow Touched. We’re going to take the +1 to Charisma and you get some a spell from the illusion school of magic as well as invisibility. These don’t count against your spells known, too!

Level 20: Rogue

Spell Thief - Whenever a spell is cast that either targets you or hits you with an area of effect, you can reverse the spell and force the caster to make a spell saving throw with its spellcasting modifier. If it fails, you can cast the spell for eight hours using your spell slots. The creature also can’t use that spell for eight hours. You can use this once per long rest and really, what is a more chaotic ability for Grian? It may not be a capstone, but it might as well be.