#objectively this doesnt matter

[scribblue]

Crawls up on my weirdly specific soapbox

The way Ninjago has handled Ronin in the Island minisodes + now in s15 (which i just started) is so uniquely annoying bc like... I feel like his actions aren't exactly OOC, but the way he and the ninja interact is ??

Like yeah ofc Ronin would take advantage of his position with the police to swindle a bunch of people for money. He's a selfish bastard(/aff). But he's also a selfish bastard that, despite everything, became an ally and friend to the ninja and helped them out on numerous occasions. So why is the response to his crimes essentially "ugh i knew it, you were always a despicable villain who has never done anything reedeeming ever"???? Like c'mon guys you could at least act a little surprised. Betrayed, even. Write him right or commit to the angst you cowards.

Anyway. I have so many Ronin/Dareth animatics and HCs brewing in my head rn just to spite the writers of the later seasons AHAHA

[rin-solo]

I love. LOVE. Get In the Water

It's one of the objectively best songs in the musical; I will die on this hill.

Poseidon was always, despite being pretty much the main antagonist of EPIC, a really underdeveloped character in my opinion. He just needed a little more nuance, and the fact that one (+ kind of one more) song managed to add so much to his characterization pretty much exclusively through subtext and implications is incredibly impressive writing. Because it did!

At the start, he's yet again playing games with Odysseus, the way he did in Ruthlessness. In both songs, he could kill him easily at any point, yet he chooses not to for the sake of playing games. In Ruthlessness, this becomes his own hubris as it leads to Odysseus escaping.

If you listen closely, at the start of GITW he already sounds slightly different. He's still trying to keep up this "God of Ruthlessness" front that he's so proud of, but he's no longer more or less carefree the way he was in Ruthlessness. He's been obsessing over this feud for ten years, and even if he would never admit it, it's actually clear just from his voice that he really is tired of it too. Not in the sense of it emotionally draining him the way it probably does Odysseus, but in the sense that it's a bother, a loose end in his life, a book that he finally wants to slam shut.

But he still has a reputation to uphold, and he still cannot close this book until Odysseus is dead, so he keeps up the game. Instead of just killing him, he's taunting him to kill himself. He might associate the idea of just striking him down with a sort of loss, like then he'd have to get his hands dirty. Then he's rambling about killing his people, his family. He's provoking Odysseus on purpose, likely trying to get him to snap back, to hate and fear him the way that Poseidon would think any mortal who has consumed this much of his time should. In his eyes, Odysseus deserves nothing less than to curse him with his last breath as his "darkest moment," the god who became the bane of his life.

And Odysseus replies, of all things, with ... sympathy.

Honestly, I don't blame Poseidon for being speechless for three full seconds. He literally just threatened to gauge Telemachus' eyes out the way Odysseus did with Polyphemus, and this absolute madlad of a man replies with an acknowledgment that he (might have) caused Poseidon pain too.

Now, I don't really think Poseidon was particularly hurt over Polyphemus' loss, or hurting in any way in that moment (if he were, I highly doubt he'd still be playing games, and he would've mentioned his son as opposed to speaking about his reputation.) But just the fact that Odysseus acknowledges that he might be hurting too is probably something Poseidon hasn't heard in ... who knows how long? His family is the Olympians. I don't think I have to say more.

It's actually more of a genuine apology than Odysseus' explanation in Ruthlessness ... (even though that was also a perfectly fine apology by Greek standards, as far as I'm aware.) Now he doesn't say "sorry" because he's still not sorry for hurting Polyphemus, since he still needed to do that in order to escape. But he expresses regret over the pain he caused in a more genuine way than ever.

I am convinced that Poseidon is utterly unfamiliar with sympathy or mercy. He's lived by his "Ruthlessness is mercy" motto for centuries, and he doesn't know anything else. No one would try to teach him something different. The other gods all live by this logic, even if he's the most vocal about it considering he seems to have made it his whole personality. Mortals wouldn't dare to question Poseidon in the first place. And barely anyone would be willing to treat someone with kindness who is in turn treating everyone around them with ruthlessness.

It's very likely that Poseidon hasn't encountered anyone like this until Odysseus. Ruthlessness is simply how he treats people and also how he expects to be treated back. The fact that Odysseus doesn't, the fact that instead of hating, fearing, or cursing him, he acknowledges that they have both hurt each other and that it doesn't lead anywhere to still pursue vengeance, must have triggered Poseidon in an unprecedented way.

To him, this was probably the most outrageous thing Odysseus could have said in that moment. And it throws him off so much that he is genuinely speechless, and then simply replies, "I can't." ... his most genuine-sounding line in the whole musical.

I cannot stress enough how much it threw me off to hear this line; in the best way imaginable, it doesn't sound like Poseidon. It sounds almost vulnerable. Almost human. Because he is genuinely at a loss so much that he forgets to put up his "wrathful god" facade for just one second. Standing ovation to Steven Rodriguez for his whole performance, but especially this part.

And then Odysseus goes all out to say something even more outrageous: "Maybe you could learn to forgive?"

... Which is when Poseidon snaps.

Kind of understandable, honestly. There's this mortal whom he has likely fantasized about seeing pleading, hate-filled, and terrified, cowering before him for ten years now ... telling him that he ought to learn something. Even hijacking his own motif and his instrument in order to turn it on its head, "defile" it if you will.

This f*cking mortal pr*ck took his own "Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves" catchphrase and turned it into forgiveness ... Of course, Poseidon is no longer hesitating; of course, he is no longer concerned with getting his hands dirty or not. He yells "DIE!" and unleashes his ultimate move (which is really overkill for simply killing a mortal if you think about it) ... But he does it anyway because this time he genuinely means it.

... That, and I am also convinced he jumps to that in order to simply shut Odysseus up, fearing what he might do or think if he lets him go on. Because you cannot tell me that Odysseus didn't actually reach him for just one moment. He was far too thrown off guard, far too vulnerable in that one second. That moment of kindness did something to him, and he hated it. He also probably didn't trust himself to be able to keep listening to Odysseus speak like that. So, he abandons his (still very technically feasible!) blackmail/intimidation and just straight-up kills him.

This simple exchange (my favorite moment in the whole musical, actually) tells us so much about both of these characters that it makes me want to skitter and squeal in excitement.

Here is Odysseus—the very same one whom Poseidon specifically tried to teach ruthlessness—becoming the first person in a long time to offer him sympathy despite how Poseidon himself showed him nothing but ruthlessness. And then one song later, here is Odysseus showing him the consequences of not accepting said sympathy.

Six Hundred Strike and what Odysseus does to Poseidon would've not hit the same, in my opinion, if he hadn't made this offer, if he hadn't given Poseidon this way out, even if no one watching genuinely expected it to work (probably not even Odysseus himself.)

Six Hundred Strike is not Odysseus exacting vengeance If GITW proved anything about Odysseus, it's that he does not want vengeance. He wants all of the hatred and pain to be over, to the point where he is willing to let go of, and I am inclined to say forgive Poseidon for what he's done to him. Six Hundred Strike is simply Odysseus teaching him this lesson that Poseidon couldn't have learned in any other way, because he has proven in GITW that he genuinely does not speak any language besides that of ruthlessness (more on that in this essay!)

It's just the perfect representation of how Odysseus has now finally learned the balance between mercy and ruthlessness, which seems to be the core theme of the musical: Both have their time and place; one simply has to be willing to act in both ways and know when to use either. No one extreme is the solution. I am genuinely exhilarated that Odysseus finally seemed to have figured out that it's been both all along.

[ghostinthetumbchine]

And what if i say i dont think Mairon was even in love w Melkor, i think he just got intensely trauma bonded and by the time he realised whats going on it was "too late" and so he went into denial about this and then it just became his psychological modus operandi - anything bad we can ignore, laugh at, minimise, be in denial over

[matoitech]

*nods seriously* the webfishers

[stiffyck]

Artists on Instagram and tiktok and most other sites are the strongest people on earth because the comments are always fied with so many stupid people. I'd be murdering them if that was on my posts.

People have no idea what the fuck art is.

[citrusinicake]

ppl who dont understand loving a character while also hating them fascinate me, clearly youve never stanned a complete and absolute dickhead before

[sieglinde-freud]

fav niche little headcanon is that basilio becomes the self proclaimed grandparent to any kid olivia or lonqu has. like he RAISED those two (he didnt but he’ll take credit for it) hes GONNA get grandkids one way or another. fav thing ever is olivia!lucina recontexualizing the scene where lucina begs basilio not to go fight walhart because he literally helped raised her he was the best patty cake player on the entire continent… that is HER GRANDFATHER and he is GOING TO DIE like omfg. i know im pretty deep into the tharjabelle train on this blog but there was a time where i was super into lonqu/tharja (i still REALLY like them i just ended up liking tharja yuri better sue me) and basilio and noire was like. the cutest combo ever. yes this IS my coward little granddaughter but make her mad and she could rival all of ferox’s greatest warriors. he loves her so much

[szilverer]

after about two in-game years, reisz has finally found a master to like.

some rambling + bonus unhooded bat sketch under the cut

so. evolution has put them thru the ringer. still gotta write down my thoughts about it properly but that about sums it up. (so much happened i feel like somewhat forced to move the timeline an entire year forward. all that zailing sure mustve taken time!!)

and christmas was. weird. lets not think too hard about it k? k.

so i decided to give them a vacation before moving thru any other big storylines i.e. railway.

well, turns out their ideal vacation activity is chasing & poisoning people. (<- me unexpectedly having fun with Heart's Game and trying to go for all the distinctions.) they already have two trophies and only lost twice and their favourite part is by far the feeling of personally administering the final drop of poison. they've always been more of a physical chase + tackle kinda gal but mmm. it has been. dare i say intoxicating.

...reisz hasnt interacted much with any masters at all. they were intimidated by pages (hilarious in hindsight, i know, but they knew Nothing about the masters other than them being Big Deals at the time) and has been ghosting it before they even met edward. they fooled fires & are lowkey wary of it ever finding out but thats all so far.

so this might genuinely be the first positive interactions theyve had with a master. imagine the sims ++ popping up everytime they get congratulated. hearts made this game thats sparking so much joy & it is so nice, even! who wouldve thought a master could be this nice... (⁠人⁠*⁠´⁠∀⁠｀⁠)⁠｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

fun fact they got a bat of attitude just as they left with their first distinction & its named mr trophies now.

anyway this is the first time i tried to draw a bat in my life. behold.

am personally not a batfucker sadly but i do quite enjoy the little scrunklies & i would smooch all their cute snouts. the ghostie is a mystery though only time can tell

[ebbpup]

hold on let me cook guys let me cook

[krotiation]

this soundtrack genuinely makes me so emotional like damn. the jack vs fiona scene at the end of ep 2 is already so perfect and then they had to go make this beautiful as hell ost with it too. those bastards

[lemongogo]

need 2 find myself again in 2025 . tbhwu

[heckyeahobjectbattlecity]

yesterday i decided to buy some clay because the thought of making a blorbo outta clay occured, also because i havent done it in years

[rxttenfish]

i dont know what it is but theres Something about this being the first question faulkner hears after a suicide attempt.

[freakinator]

wait realistically how successful do yall think the sb-derap-pangi plan will work

[mummer]

The thing that makes criston work as a character for me is that his whole deal is so so so fucking funny and the writers do understand this. randomly spouting disney villain monologues during his very few opportunities to speak standing around radiating sociopathic rage trying to explode everyone in the red keep with his mind beams

[dusty-pistol]

Phone head yap time!

I'm convinced you could take a man in a suit and slap a phone head on him to make him more attractive. All the people I see goin feral for phone men in suits is insannnneeee. I can't say shit obviously, but listen.

Steven, Jake, Harry, Peter, Callum, Everett, etc. They all share somethin in common. I find it's mainly desk phones that intrigue people more. Not wall phones or handheld phones like Oliver or Randy. (Though those two have their fair share of fans. Not sayin they don't.) But the phones you'd, ya know, keep on your desk.

Why? I'm not sure. My best guess is, they have a certain shape that I think people like. I find people prefer phones shaped like Steven's or Harry's head more than say Oliver's or Roger's head.