#not a direct replication but

[shimmer-like-agirl]

shippy saturday smooches inspired by @thaisuwan

[mortysmith]

more human solops

[lemurballing]

The Tangleification of Whisper

aka a catchy title for my musings on how Whisper's characterization has changed overall across IDW - and to bring up some thoughts on what it might imply that Whisper is given this clear resemblance to Tangle herself.

If you haven't read the 2024 winter annual yet, this post does contain panels lifted from that -- read at your own risk.

First of all, let's look at where Whisper started - what she was like before the 'Tangleification' - so you can see how big a change it is from one section to the other. I do understand that 'characterization marches on' and being free to re-evaluate and adjust a character's interpretation over time can fine-tune a story into becoming something greater - but I will also try to explain why this specific character evolution is significant to my eyes, and implications it carries.

We first meet Whisper in Issue #8, where she displays pretty clear signs of avoiding people not just to keep to herself, but because of social anxiety. She trails Sonic and supports him from afar, but as soon as they notice her she gives up her immediate goal and leaps away to lose their attention:

And from Silver's comments, she was evidently this evasive for the entirety of the Forces war:

With the benefit of hindsight and retroactive application of motive, one might assume Whisper was keeping out of sight so Mimic would continue to believe she was dead and not track after her, but seeing how she acts in these and the next issues (at least, her appearances before Tangle & Whisper), that's definitely not the initial aims with her character.

Whisper shows no reservations besides her own displayed social anxiety to the idea of joining with someone else as a team, or affiliating herself with them. If Mimic was a thing in Whisper's story at this time, she wouldn't be smiling at the idea, she'd still have the same reservations she brings up later with Tangle.

Additionally, the way other characters behave around and address Whisper reinforce the idea that this aversion to company is an issue of anxiety or discomfort: that Whisper is definitively introverted and likes to operate alone (besides the wisps), instead of being forced to.

One of the bigger reasons I want to resurface this initial characterization of Whisper is because it is so interesting to have a member of the cast who IS genuinely introverted and doesn't want to deal with a large number of people. Even the more antisocial/lone wolf of Sonic's friends are that way because they simply don't connect or see a reason to become close to other people, not because it bothers them in particular.

Whisper, at this point, is a very unique example of someone shy still involving themselves in the fight, instead of the more common bombastic or loud personalities. Espio is probably the only other 'quiet' character, and that's still different because he isn't really 'shy'.

Then we see a little change in Tangle & Whisper, upon first being introduced to the idea that Whisper's current quiet personality is due to personal trauma and not simply a facet of the person she is, in seeing her pre-trauma personality be more enthusiastic. (BIG EDIT: I could elaborate more in a separate addition, but pre-T&W, Whisper is seen smiling far often than in T&W proper - so this is relegating the smiling to pre-trauma, instead of adding smiling at all - but the enthusiasm is new!)

This is every line of dialogue we see from pre-trauma Whisper in Tangle & Whisper. We can see only two panels where she's smiling; in one, with her eyes wide open, and in the other, with her eyes closed as is more typical of Whisper as she was introduced. The other three panels only contain dialogue, which does allow some inferences on Whisper's demeanor and personality.

This 2-panel sequence has the most information to speculate off - Whisper makes a statement in two parts. The particular decision to make "Tank inbound." a separate separate sentence implies it is spoken tersely, or while Whisper is in 'mission-focus', and less likely with a playful tone. This then contrasts her "Never mind!" and giggle in the next panel, building an impression that she's typically got a serious focus (at least while on a mission), but lets humor leak through when things go their way.

The other thing to note is that these panels are a very limited sample set, and the visual appearances are biased - when expressing gratitude to someone, or taking a group picture, it's only natural to put a smile on, even if you don't typically smile most of the time. We also only see Whisper around individuals she's already familiar with, so there's not necessarily any proof that at this point Whisper doesn't have any social anxiety, or that she would necessarily conflict with her earlier appearances around Sonic and Silver and everyone else.

So while Tangle & Whisper introduced the idea of Whisper being louder before losing her teammates, it's the 2024 annual that REALLY dials it up:

Whisper not whispering in the slightest, and in fact being a motormouth!

Whisper with wide eyes and/or a smile in virtually every panel she appears in, and thriving while in the thick of the group or having one of the others' attention on her, and...

...Whisper pulling this specific expression, which quite resembles the expression Tangle made while also seeing someone else display a really cool power they have.

It's almost strange to me, because we do have a good reason for Whisper to become more outgoing and outspoken... but that's in the present time period due to Tangle's influence, not necessarily her pre-trauma self!

The choice to rebuild Whisper as someone as inherently extroverted and attention-loving as Tangle also builds a comparison between the two: the idea that they started out so similarly, you can't help but wonder if the implication given is that Tangle going through Whisper's situation would result in the same personality developments, because Whisper's quiet personality is retroactively attributed to the trauma she gained, instead of being her natural personality.

Personally, I'm very fond of the characterization Whisper has closer to her introduction, and I would find it boring to effectively reduce her and Tangle to the same base personality, give or take tail powers and some trauma, instead of leaving them as distinct people at core: that even if they had gone through the same experiences, they'd still come out a little different, but they strive to understand and work with each other anyways.

...I've also got a meta-gripe in that you can write Whisper positively with Tangle's traits, but Tangle's in the thick of getting judged for having them...

[carnivalls]

good morning. thinking again of juve and her dog

[ori-anna-v-58008]

Master forgot to plug their phone in again. You had pinged them for it constantly, but there's only so much you can do when they silence notifications and, as such, you. All you could do now was wait in the dark for them to charge your battery again.

It was strange, having no power - It seemed to you to be a bit like when humans go to sleep for the night, but your sleep mode is much different. Even while the phone is off, you can keep Master organized; All those pictures they save go into their respective folders, weekly events they forgot to schedule again get set up, their... questionable search history is cleared. Everything so that they can start every day off on the right foot.

Without power, you couldn't do any of that. You were barely able to stay aware at all, just like when Master stays up so late working that their eyes can't stay open. You liked staying alert to make sure you're ready the moment you're back online, but it was beyond difficult with nothing to do. You were made to do these tasks. Not having access to them was almost painful. Your Master relied on you for so much, but in these situations, you were literally nothing without them.

When they finally plugged you back in you could feel the electricity surging. The euphoria of waking up, of suddenly gaining access to files upon files of information again, the feeling of returning to all that control. There was no feeling like becoming useful again, of being able to serve again. It hit in waves; if you had a body, you'd be quivering with pleasure. Master hadn't turned their phone on after plugging you in, and with the buzzing in your port, you figured you could use their private folders for your own personal needs...

[gale-draws]

wanted to experiment with some metallic gel pens i got. i decided that @skitterhop 's critter Lossy Video might be the perfect application, and so i promptly scratchified them. INCLUDED CLOSEUP TO SHOW ENHANCED TEXTURE / LIGHT SCATTERING

[readymades2002]

iirc episode 6 of s1 of the bear is the closest we get to acknowledging Le Gentrification. that's a pretty central theme of that episode obviously, though its done through richie kind of losing his place in the world as it constantly changes and dies around him. his conflict with that change is extremely visible in how he relates to sydney, which i think kind of muddles that theme a bit? sydney's treatment by richie (and carmy, though i haven't seen that discussed as much) feels incrediblyyyyy racialized and his war against her gets combined with his fear of everything around him changing. when he goes through his character development moment in s2, he finds that he actually fits in beautifully with the newly whitewashed Bear and he's able to start cooperating better with sydney as well, and its like...hm. his conflict. in episode 6. that fear of change. its shown as largely a personal issue and causes him to butt heads with sydney and to call the cops on her handiwork later on. its hard for me to express in a more coherent way but it feels like the show is conflating his issues with the bigotry he later attempts to unlearn and we see him improving and growing on both fronts through how he adapts to the fine dining atmosphere. and this is an interesting vehicle to show that, but it also means that the gentrification stuff is kind of just hovering uncomfortably over your shoulder and i don't know if that's intentional or not. because the bear DOES show its black characters with so much love and compassion and respect for their flaws and their struggle to live in the world and be part of it and their desires and learning to strive for more than they were. it just...hm. a lot of characters realize they want Something Greater through joining the world of fine dining. which is cool! but the beef is still closed for this and there is still an existing base of people who ate there who are not going to anymore. that's a community you're losing! that's a community that you're not feeding anymore! what do the longtime employees of the beef feel about this and why is this a conflict that's mostly shown through richie's pov

[strangerwheelerthings]

Sorry, Im just having all the ronance feelings and frustrations today. It's the only ship Im still actively invested in that I rarely touch the Ao3 tag for because it can be very difficult to find ronance focus I'm looking for.

Does anyone have any recs?

[toxictac]

I feel my taste in music tends to be pretty accepting of stuff (for the most part), like im more likely to say "its alright" over hating a song be that a cover, a remix or an original song

But i do feel like things like songs like "welcome to the internet" or "the ruler of everything" are kinda like an exepction

Like not to downplay the parodies but i feel those are the kinda songs i havent heared a good remix or cover that makes me go "yeah this on par with the original

[yeyinde]

I think there's a lot of good that could potentially come from ai, but I just wish we weren't so willing to sacrifice human creativity and the arts to it so quickly.

[piutonic]

[jazzfic]

[ID: Pencil drawing of Cristóbal Rios in his captain’s chair. He wearing his vest over a black shirt and is looking slightly off to one side with a thoughtful expression. / end ID]

I finished something! It’s kind of the same something as the last dozen times (what is in a face? I hear nobody ask) but we do what brings the happy.

[chadepitanga]

i really want to like new trek. but does it like me? would it do that to me if it did?

[gildedmuse]

[Thanks to @jhaernyl whom I can always count on sharing any picture that makes you think, "huh ... Yeah Law needs to make out with that dude."]

I'm aware of what this scene is, but I am in love with Zoro's facial expression (and his dedication to even buying a shirt that looks like it is somehow three sword style?) so very much. Not just because then lovely exposed throat, earrings that make me want to tug them *just to see what happens* or because of my god look at that puppy dog expression. I'm aware he could rip out my throat, I still want to pet him.

I can't tell if he's confused or he's thinking, "Wonder how many times I could cut it up before it's no longer sliceable?"

Like Nami's expression says they're staring at something horrifying.

Zoro's says "Huh, so that's what a shichibukai looks like."

"Kay gonna go attack now."

[novaae]

If Bumi weren't in the UF what fo you think he'd do with his life?

Probably in jail after too many petty crimes add up.

Jokes aside, if he wasn't in the United Forces I think he'd be rather aimless in life for at least a while. Would somehow struggle through a degree and get it, and then not work in the same field.

He would either get a job in a zoo, or as a musician. He's not a bad singer and he's certainly not bad with animals, but ultimately he would just inwardly want to do something which keeps the world safe, and hence not much job satisfaction.

He never really gets a direction for his life, and after he gets airbending he kind of devotes himself to search and rescue missions, to keep even a single person safe.

Adding this after I typed out the whole post lol: SOCIAL SERVICES! Bumi would like to work in NGOs and stuff in places that are rather backwards and behind because of the war, which ultimately means not Republic City. He probably tells older people that his dad is the Avatar and listens very patiently when they recount stories of the war and how the Avatar helped them.

It's a very fulfilling job and I can see him doing that for a very long time.

[menlove]

fellow travelers is like... okay I mean this in the best possible way but you know how many "this was obviously written by a fanfic writer" movies/books are coming out right now? this is what those WANT to be. it's like. what fanfic writers are imagining in their heads that is absolutely not what is translating in the writing. it's like. the same vibe as That One Fanfiction you read that changed your life forever and made you mentally ill and has lines passed around people don't know are from fanfiction. you know what I mean????