#obsessed with people who need to feel like they’re Sticking It To The Man by belonging to fashion subcultures

[fandom-oracle]

you people are insane. having dyed hair has not been a Weird Thing since 2009

[sandyferal]

I genuinely think Tootie’s behavior towards Timmy would improve dramatically like. The second Vicky moves out of the family house. It’s clear that Vicky is severely inhibiting Tootie’s ability to have friends, much less have them come over and spend time with her. And it feels likely that the main reason her crush turned into an obsession is because Timmy had shown himself to be the only person willing to be nice to her. It doesn’t justify the way she acted, but let’s be real it’s not like she has good role models to teach her better.

I feel like once Vicky isn’t around to ruin her social life she’ll be able to have other friends over and like, have someone around to seek comfort in that isn’t her crush. She could actually start growing as a person. Which could happen as soon as like, 1-3 years after the events of the show?

I also really like the idea that even if she isn’t obsessed with Timmy, that Crimson Chin doll he gave her holds a special place in her heart because like. As a sentimental person I gotta be real something like that would never not be sweet to me. I’d thinking about it for years.

And I like to think because of that she eventually got into comics and began to obsess over those instead. Maybe Crimson Chin wasn’t her thing! But she seems to enjoy fantasies and I think it would be so fun to see her find her own interests. If we’re getting into specifics, I get the vibes that she would be into comics following heroes like Superman, or when villainesses get their own comics like Harley or Poison Ivy. Obviously not those exact characters but those are the vibes I get. Not to say I don’t think she wouldn’t still have girly interests and love romance and stuff but man.

Additionally. I fucking hate Tootie from the live action movies. They glorify her as hot and morally perfect while simultaneously treating how she was as a child as weird and ugly. Man people grow up and sometimes get less weird but like some people are just dorks. Tootie is a dork. Keep her as an overenthusiastic, emotional, glasses-wearing, strong-willed dork. You cowards. Women don’t need to be “perfect” to be accepted and loved.

If Tootie and Timmy did eventually get together, personally I think it would be good if Timmy just. Didn’t see her for a while. She gets more into spending time with actual friends, and doesn’t talk to Timmy as much until they meet up again a couple years later at an afterschool comic club/comic con, or something of that sort. I think she deserves to be her own person before she actually ends up with anyone.

And while I normally don’t like “ships” (I say that in quotes bc I don’t particularly feel compelled to ship these children at all) that involves a party who clearly isn’t interested… they’re also. Children. It’s not that serious. They really shouldn’t be together at this age anyway, and they probably will change as they get older.

It doesn’t feel that big of a deal to imagine Tootie and Timmy might be together as adults despite their current dynamic, because the main issues are:

a) Tootie doesn’t respect boundaries and is emotionally unstable, which are both likely caused by isolation, lack of good role models, and being too young to understand things. Very likely she grows out of it.

b) Timmy not liking her. Which, in the context of the early episodes about her, is actually something you could debate?

To clarify, he obviously isn’t interested in a romantic relationship most of the time, but at the same time he clearly has some care for her. The argument could be made that it is because of his fairies influencing him, yes, or it’s just pity. But like. There are episodes where he legit just does something because he wants her to be happy. And he indicates he doesn’t really dislike her or hate spending time with her. He, at least in theory, is actually willing to spend time with her. (“I would’ve gone to her dumb party if she’d invited me.”) That’s not even mentioning how he. Like. Just straight up chose to stick himself with a love arrow because he wanted to enjoy spending a Valentine’s Day with her. Which is a whole thing that could be analyzed but not the point.

If anything his actions point to a young boy who at the moment, only feels attraction through the lense of someone being “pretty” instead of someone they can genuinely get along with. He sees Tootie as weird and embodying the qualities boys find “icky” in girls. It would make sense if he grew out of that.

Although at the end of the day I don’t really care who these kids end up with, I JUST want Tootie to be able to have a happy and healthy social life/relationship with a partner when she grows up, and I hate the idea of completely stripping away her “not pretty” qualities before she’s allowed to have that. She’s a fucking lovely little girl who deserves to be herself, and to be weird, and to be happy. That’s my fucking daughter!!! I love her so much!!!

[andrewmsaidso]

ok so i kinda sorta feel bad for the ravens yk. and not just riko kevin and jean but all of them. every raven ever who had to go through that bc imagine you grow up watching a sport and seeing your favourite player on tv and then decide you want to be like them when you grow up; score all the goals, win all the trophies, play a game you love so much and get paid for it, etc. so you join the exy team at school. you’re ecstatic when your parents buy you your first set of gear; your first stick, your first pair of shin pads, your first helmet, your first ball. due to being so passionate about it, soon you’re the best player on the team. your coach sees it. your parents see it. the other teams’ coaches see it. so your parents put you in a private club so you can get even better. and the more exy you watch, the more you fall in love with the sport, the more you want to be like the players on tv.

so you train super hard bc the end goal is to be the next *insert legend player*. and you get so good that by the time you’re in your senior year of high school, edgar allen wants to sign you. tetsuji moriyama, the man who created this sport you love so much, the father of exy, the ultimate legend, wants you on his team that ranks higher than every other collegiate exy team in the country, his team that have never lost to anyone ever.

so you don’t think twice signing. and then there’s the summer after high school. arguably the best summer ever. you’re probably not gonna see many of your friends ever again so you guys make the most of it bc you’re just an ordinary teenager doing ordinary teenage stuff, high off the expectation of how spectacular college is gonna be.

and then it’s june which means summer practices and you move into the nest for the first time, not knowing you won’t leave for the next 5 years, which actually end up being 7 and a half bc oh yeah btw, we do 16-hour days here.

you’re no longer the best on the team. you’re now playing amongst national champions. you struggle with the drills. you’re coaches beat you for struggling with the drills. you’re partner hates you because he’s also getting beat for your shortcomings. you hate him back because you get beat for his shortcomings. but you can’t really hate each other because you’re not allowed to talk to anyone who isn’t on the team. the coaches tell you the way you’ve been playing exy for the last over-a-decade is wrong. you need to be play dirtier, more violent.

it’s too dark. you have no say in what you eat, when you eat, when you sleep, when you’re allowed to leave, where you’re allowed to go, what you’re to study for the next 5 years. you’re struggling. you can’t call your parents. no outsiders. you can’t tell your friends. no outsiders. you don’t have friends. only partners and teammates.

and the hazing. it’s horrible. inhumane. the things they do to you. the things they force you to do. it happens so often, you become desensitised. you get used to it. you’ve blurred the line between right and wrong beyond repair. you become obsessed with everything raven and begin to hate the outside world. you become someone else. someone your parents won’t recognise when you see them for the first time in in 5—no, 7—years.

you don’t care. they don’t matter anymore. they’re not the coaches. they don’t decide your punishment or whether you can play in the next game or not. you’ve signed with a good team and are expected to go court. and you did it all by yourself. you endured for 7 years. by yourself. you didn’t need them then and you don’t need them now. so you push them away.

people think there’s something wrong with you. they call you crazy. you’re too angry, too violent, too callous. but that’s what ravens pride themselves on. anger, violence, and callousness. you’re ranking is high and you score a lot of goals so who cares. none of it matters.

exy doesn’t excite you anymore. you can’t even bring yourself to celebrate when you score goals. you don’t care about being anyone’s favourite player anymore. you’ve lost your passion.

your not even 30 and you’re sore all the time. you can’t play for more than a 45-minute half. your muscles are getting weaker. you don’t run as fast anymore. you’re sold to a weaker team. you injure yourself over and over from simply playing. you continue to push yourself until one day, you tear something beyond repair. you’ll never play again.

you have no family. no friends. you pushed them away remember? you’re still only in your twenties but it feels like life has no meaning anymore.

you are officially truly and utterly alone. your life has ended before it even began.

all because you, like every other kid, wanted to be like your role models you watched playing on tv.

and not to mention the kids who were signed to the team before riko’s death. like imagine watching the internet go crazy over a team you’re gonna play for, finding out that said team just might be a cult. just maybe.

like isn’t that just a tad bit … ☹️

[sixlane]

lane u can't just say "pandoralecto" and leave it at that i need to know more please

it seems i’m incapable of talking about pairings without making a moodboard recently… but anyways YES let me tell you about them.

alecto is our resident radfem man-hating lesbian who can’t help but conform to patriarchal ideals in her quest to redeem herself and her family in the eyes of the rich elite. she’s mean and selfish and brutal yet she still cares what others think of her. pandora on the other hand could not give less of a fuck what anyone is saying about her, yet she just happens to be this (on the outside) “perfect woman.” she’s blonde and beautiful with delicate features and she’s rich and she throws elaborate parties that everyone who’s anyone is invited to. and she does it just because she wants to. pandora has never done a single thing she didnt want to do, and she’s praised for it. people don’t seem to care that she’s blunt and apathetic because she’s beautiful and alecto hates her for this. but she also wants to be her. she becomes jealously obsessed with pandora and somewhere along the way that blurs into lust. and it’s so ugly and gross but she wants to literally cut pandora open and wear her skin. she can’t help it.

then we have pandora, who is just living her life carefree exactly the way she wants to and there’s alecto standing in the corner of her party with an untouched martini just glaring at everyone. and pandora is like. what is her problem? alecto is so full of rage and pandora cannot understand how a person can hold so much inside of them and she doesn’t like it. she thinks alecto has the most massive stick up her ass and her failure to understand this woman bleeds into disdain for her. but it also means pandora cannot get alecto out of her head. she’s a natural observer and she finds herself to be so fascinated by other people because she’s so different from them. she’s low empathy like her brother but entranced by the way people interact with each other in a normative context. she cannot for the life of her understand why alecto cares so much about anything but for some reason she can’t get herself to leave alecto alone. their whole relationship is pandora doing things to get reactions out of alecto. good or bad. seeing what will make her tick. constantly antagonizing her. she’s obsessed with alecto just as much as alecto is obsessed with her. she wants to break her so bad.

their fighting turns into violent make outs which lead to creepy power-play sex. who will get the upper hand. it’s a fight to the death. they’re both trying to rip the other open.

also i thought it would be interesting to explore their relationship in the context of both of them being in some type of weird codependent twincest relationship. they don’t hinge on this but like pandoras relationship with evan is about belonging and alecto’s relationship with amycus is about dominating. so i think the pandoralecto sexual dynamic would be flipped. alecto finds their violent sex dynamic surprisingly fulfilling because it’s equal. they’re both women!! she’s not performing. she’s at her most feral and imperfect and pandora still wants her in some weird way. she feels more comfortable taking on a submissive role because she doesn’t have to uphold this power over pandora that she feels she has to uphold when she has sex with men. for pandora sex with her brother is not about sex. it’s very intimate and like. idk something otherworldly. but sex with alecto is about sex. it’s lust and obsession. i think she realizes that alecto has never not been in control and she wants to flip that. she wants to get on top of alecto and see what happens. she takes the reins because alecto has always had an iron grip on them.

tl;dr: they’re feral and they hate each other and they’re obsessed with each other at the same time. they both have an inability to let things go once they’ve zeroed in and that’s what drives this dynamic. they just can’t stop!

[baptaincarnacles]

would u ever rank ninjago ships? it'd be cool to see :3

Ranking Ninjago ships is so silly, actually.

Yes!

These are my personal rankings, so- please be considerate of that!

Dragon Rising spoilers! Kinda!

(Pr*shitters DNI, also if you don’t like Cole/Geo, you may leave or you can stick around and read my other ratings, I guess)

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Ranking system:

S-tier

A+-tier

A-tier

B-tier

C-tier

D-tier

F-tier

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Geode/Lostshipping (Cole/Geo): S-tier. Alright, so this may be an unpopular opinion, especially because it has the fandom weirdly divided- but I do really enjoy the ship. They’re so soft with one another, and they act very domestic. I mean- Cole and Geo show multiple times that they’re affectionate: holding hands, hugging, and just looking at each other with the most lovesick expressions I’ve ever seen a Lego character have.

Not to mention they literally basically have two adopted (three, counting Bonzel) children. They’re literally found family, and it it the most adorable thing ever. Cole literally does everything for Geo and their little family- protects them, cooks for them, and comforts them.

And… guys… Cole literally confesses that he needed Geo to realize his true potential. Their elemental powers formed a HEART. If that ain’t gay, I don’t know that is.

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Wyldfyre/Roby: S-tier. People got so mad over this happening, and it’s genuinely hilarious. Wyldfyre, from my recollection, is a teenage girl- and yes, she may have been raised by dragons, she may be tom-boyish and hotheaded- but that does not exclude her from having teenage-girl feelings.

And not to mention their dynamic is adorable. A tech-obsessed boy and a girl who doesn’t really understand tech but admires his nerdiness anyway. I mean- come on- they literally roar at one another. They match each other’s energy, and I really enjoy it.

Also, they are just silly- Wyldfyre literally got over one of her fears for the sake of Roby. Two dumb kids in love, let them be.

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Glaciershipping (Zane/Cole): S-tier. I personally also really like this one. Maybe it was the color dynamic with their gis or really just their little bits they had throughout the seasons (before Dragon Rising). Growing up, this was one of the big ships of the fandom, and I’m pretty sure it still is? Nonetheless, early seasons really peaked with these two.

Banter really makes up a lot of their dynamic. When the silly robot man and silly Earth ninja bicker it’s like watching a married couple. And really, they’re both just big dorks who share a single brain cell with one another (Zane always has it).

The Rocky Dangerbuff and Snake Jaguar bit really drove the point home, because they’re literally so stupid (/affectionate) it’s adorable.

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Pixane (Pixal/Zane): S-tier. Oh my goodness, this ship is actually the most adorable thing. Zane and Pixal- for some reason- have such a special place in my heart. Perhaps it’s the way they sacrificed for each other- the way Zane willingly gave half his heart to her. Their banter- their love- the way Zane jumps into Pixal’s arms.

Their dynamic has always been so cute. Nerdy idiots who fall deeper in love the longer they’re together. In Dragon Rising, Zane is literally so desperate to have her back- it’s honestly so sad- but it’s so sweet that he cares so much about her (Ninjago, this is my plea to bring Pixal back).

Not to mention, they’re one of the only canon couples in Ninjago who get a good dynamic (other than Jay/Nya).

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Jaya (Jay/Nya): A+-tier. Alright, to explain myself here. The only reason I knocked Jaya down from S-tier is solely because some bits in their dynamic kinda threw me off- and of course, there was that weird love triangle thing that they- for some reason- went through with (Ninjago, what was that).

Otherwise? They are an adorable couple. Jay and Nya work well together- Jay being a bit nerdy, and of course, at first, nervous- and Nya who has always been on the more confident end. They are Yin and Yang. As they grew, their understanding grew, and overtime, they started to go from that awkward couple phase to really being in love. And of course, like all good couples in Ninjago, apparently, they sacrificed for one another- risked their lives- and stressed when they were apart.

I genuinely miss that dynamic in Dragon Rising. Jay needs some sense knocked back into him (/lh).

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Bruiseshipping (Cole/Jay): A+-tier. This one was another very popular one in the fandom as I grew up. And, again, dropped from S-tier solely because the few off-points the two had.

While the two are known for their bickering and their fights, it’s stated multiple times that they’re best friends (and friends to lovers trope sits amazingly with me). Cole and Jay would clearly do anything for each other- and probably play-bully their way through it. One defining feature of their canon interactions is how they always have different outlooks, or completely agree on a matter- and it’s always hilarious because they’re similar in the most different ways.

Otherwise, it’s a good ship. They could work.

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Oppositeshipping (Kai/Zane): A+-tier. I believe they’re also called Peppermint (haha, red and white), but I personally think the opposites attract dynamic works well between these two. Hotheaded and levelheaded, brains and brawn, fire and ice.

I think I started liking this dynamic a bit more in the middle-seasons of the original Ninjago franchise, when they really started building the dynamics between the ninja. Kai and Zane have always had their banter, and their contradicting view points, but at the end of the day, they have each other’s back. And, of course, they do have their on-screen sweet moments.

(This also applies to the Ninjago movie, I love their dynamic there as well.)

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Lavashipping (Kai/Cole): A-tier. Ah, I can’t remember if this one was ever very big in the fandom. I mean, I’ve seen fanart, but of course, it’s hard to tell with other popular ships.

I personally like this one- not as much as others- but their dynamic is cute, and they have their moments. Kai is always seen as protective, and Cole is a defender. So- when something happens to one or the other, they tend to panic. I can’t remember the season name, but the best example I can think of off the top of my head is when the Oni take over Ninjago and cover it in a dark fog- and Cole falls inside of it. And of course, there’s those scenes where the two hug.

They have a lovely dynamic. Fire/Earth, it tickles the brain.

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Technoshipping (Jay/Zane): A-tier. If I’m not wrong, that should be their ship name (I actually had to Google and look at Reddit to find anything about it). Much like Lava, I think this ship is good.

For a long while, Jay was a big technology nerd- and oh? Who was his muse? Zane (/j). But, no, the two have their banter, and the silliness between tech-wiz and sentient robot is always hilarious in my mind. And of course, they do care a lot for each other. Not to mention the short where they literally perform a music act together- and Jay spins and dips Zane moments before that.

I put this in A-tier because, of course, there’s better ships in my mind- and the two have had their own disputes.

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FrozenGear (Dr. Julien/FORMER Master of Ice): A-tier. I’ve seen fanart of this ship, and I ADORE it. It’s such a silly concept, and I love the idea that the Former Master of Ice fell in love with this scientist- and gave their robo-son his elemental abilities.

I don’t even know if that’s their ship name, I’m basing this off of a ship wiki.

But, all and all, it would explain the reason why Zane was gifted the element of Ice.

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Dareth/Ronin: B-tier. I put this here solely because I’ve always viewed this ship in more of a crack ship kinda way. It’s silly, and of course, they banter.

Dareth and Ronin have their bits where them dating (even in an on/off) kinda way makes sense- I mean, hell, the two argue like a couple and they’re always goofing off.

Otherwise, I’d say the ship is a solid one, some people like it more than others.

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Lloyd/Akita: B-tier. I was heavily debating where I’d even rank this ship, solely because I have no strong opinions on it. But, in the end I chose B-tier. While not being a ship I think about, it’s one of the only good ships I’ve ever seen with Lloyd- after they started getting along, anyway.

I suppose I can see why people ship it, but it was only a season thing- and we haven’t seen Akita again- so it’s very likely she was a one-off character to have, solely because Lloyd is tragic (/lh) and needs a new love interest every few seasons to build trust issues.

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Zane/Frohicky: B-tier. Before anyone says anything, it’s solely because of their dynamic. I like this ship a bit, and I think that they’re a silly duo. Frohicky, after all, is a very caring individual, and is always trying to make sure Zane is okay/comfortable.

And there was that scene where the two sat together through Zane’s identity crisis after losing his look-alike competition.

They’re just cute.

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Samuraishipping (Pixal/Nya): B-tier. It’s not a bad ship. They have a welcoming dynamic with one another, and a similar interest in technology.

In scenes where they work together, it’s often expressed that they work well, and build off of each other’s abilities, enhancing a singular creation further. Not a ship I obsess over, but a ship that lingers in my mind sometimes and makes sense.

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Arin/Euphrasia: B-tier. Again, another ship I don’t think often about, but I think they could be a really good duo- bot teenagers figuring out their elemental abilities and learning what they can do.

I also like their playful attitudes and lighthearted humor- Arin being a little more clueless than Euphrasia, of course.

But, they would be cute.

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Plasmashipping (Jay/Kai): C-tier. I know some of you might get mad at me for this ranking, but truthfully, I never liked this ship all that much. It was very popular in the fandom (up there with Glacier) but, I never found the full appeal.

Of course, they have their bits and banter, but I prefer their silly dynamics in a goofball friend way. But if you ship this, go right ahead- they do have their moments when they’re shippable.

Solid ship, just not for me.

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Garmadon/Vinny: C-tier. This is another one I always kinda viewed as a crack ship- I really don’t know when or how it spurred into being something that I saw maybe… three pieces of fanart for? I personally thought it was silly.

There was that moment where Garm asked Vinny to help him become good- maybe that started it? I dunno, but I do think about that season sometimes and giggle a bit.

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Zane/Nya: C-tier. I don’t know if they have an actual ship name, but oh well. I don’t love this ship, but I also don’t hate it. It’s an interesting appeal.

Personally, I think their dynamics are alright, they tend to chat and banter, but they’ve always felt more friendly towards one another to me. I do enjoy their moments together on screen, their little side-rambles. They’re both nerds.

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Kailor (Kai/Skylor): C-tier. More of you may get mad at this, but I never liked this ship. Didn’t hate it, but still, didn’t like it. It felt forced, and it was incredibly awkward. It almost felt like they were trying to get all the characters a s/o, because at that time, Pixane was established- and I can’t remember if Jaya had started or was being hinted at.

It improved some- and then it just wasn’t touched again. Felt like a crush rather than them actually falling in love at any point- which was probably the idea there. I can see why the ship is popular, but it’s not my cup of tea.

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WolfCat (Sorra/Jordana): C-tier. They’re one of those dynamics I feel could work. Especially if it’s enemies, to friends, then to lovers. I am ranking this C-tier, solely because their dynamic has only been explored to a certain extent- showing their problems with one another- and of course, Jordana trying to break away from being possessed.

If they’re explored more, I feel this ranking could rise higher on the list.

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Lloyd/Morro: D-tier. No. Just… no. While it’s not the worst possible ship, I still think it’s one of the weirdest. And at this point, I don’t even know what to say about it- other than Morror is a spirit who possessed Lloyd. I think they’re represented to be around the same age, but still… it’s such an outlandish ship because… Morro has been dead for… years.

I know at some point the fandom liked it for god knows what reason. But, I’m really starting to think people like shipping Lloyd with antagonistic characters.

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Conya (Cole/Nya): D-tier. Again, another big nope from me. I know some people ship it, there was that whole love triangle thing- but throughout that entire bit, Cole really just felt like he was competing with Jay. For shits and giggles.

And Cole and Nya’s dynamic always felt more like best friends to me- like, they care about each other, but not in a romantic way.

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Conia (Cole/Vania): D-tier. I can’t see this one really at all, but it’s not F-tier material. Vania’s and Cole’s relationship felt platonic- Vania seemed innocently curious about the ninja.

They just seem like friends who have one another’s backs, and they call when the other needs a pick-me-up. Good friends.

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Lloyd/Harumi: F-tier. Oh my god. There are so many reasons I personally DESPISE this ship. For starters, and the most obvious reason- she tried to kill him. Multiple times. Some of you might say she had a redemption arc, I DON’T CARE. She- first of all- was manipulative. Secondly, I know she had a rough past that she blamed on the ninja but… where was that their fault? Third of all, she played with his feelings repeatedly.

Oh, and- I don’t know if anyone even begins to remember this- but in Sons of Garmadon, Garmadon literally adopts her. Calls her his child and everything. I don’t know if people forgot that, or if it’s dismissed as nothing- but guys. GUYS. He adopts Harumi.

And I think it’s easy to say that she gave Lloyd trust issues- major trust issues. Dude literally has trouble trusting princesses over her.

I just want to take this ship and burn it in a fire.

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Lloyd/Ras: F-tier. Listen, I’ve seen maybe two people ship this, and no offense to anyone that does- but SERIOUSLY. Ras is a whole ass manipulator, for one- secondly, he’s another antagonist- three… He has also tried to kill Lloyd.

Ras is an entity of mind games, and Lloyd is an insomniac trying to live up to his Uncle’s standards. That doesn’t mix.

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Lloyd/Any of the other ninja: F-tier. Get the fuck out. One, even if he aged up, he’s still mentally younger then they are. Two, they’re all basically his older siblings. Three, it’s GROSS.

Lloyd has only ever acted like a younger sibling towards the other ninja. The other ninja protect him like a younger brother. I will throw hands.

—

When I get the motivation, I’ll probably do another rating list like that with other forms of Ninjago ships (like side characters and what-not).

If you all have any ships you wanna see me rate, you can send in an anonymous message, or you can comment! I’ll get around to it :)

And they can’t be fucking weird- thank you.

[hilsonamore]

THOUGHTS ON S4 EP12, HOUSE M.D (pt.1)

“ Don’t Ever Change”

I have so many thoughts regarding this episode it’s actually crazy. Okay so, here me out-

First of all, starting off strong with these two, with house asking wilson all these questions and pestering him about dating amber and asking him why on earth he would ever date her. And then they get into the elevator and house is betting against wilson that the relationship will only last 2 more months and wilson looks over at him and says:

“We’re at four months”

“You hid this from me?”

“I thought you’d be upset”

There’s all lot to unpack here. To start with, dr wilson, why would you hide from your best friend the fact that you are dating somebody else? They literally talk about everything with each other, and especially about the people they’re seeing (at least wilson is, because house doesn’t do anything else with his time apart from sticking his nose in all-wilson-related stuff). Maybe it’s because amber is an ex employee of house’s? But why would that upset him, regardless of..well, his being house. I mean sure, house was talking her down all the time “cutthroat bitch this and cutthroat bitch that”, but still.

And honestly, the best thing in this entire sequence, in my opinion, is house’s expression when he realises that wilson hid something so important from him. My man is in sock, he’s so used to wilson spilling his guts out to him, so used to having everything perfectly calculated when it comes to his best friend, that this gapping hole in his knowledge leaves him bereft. I have honestly never seen him so flabbergasted before.

And also wilson, dear, “i thought you’d be upset”. Like, i know he probably means that house would go feral over his dating somebody he literally shits on all the time, who just so happens to be a literal mirror of himself, but it makes me feel kinda funny how wilson just always has house in my mind and he knows perfectly well how he’s going to react to everything, thus taking necessary measures to secure… an appropriate amount of mental stability.

Um. I honestly don’t know where to start with this one. Firstly, house is scary. Yeah no shit sherlock. But like, he knows he’s scary, it’s not like his self-obsessed person would ever assume that people don’t quiver under his gaze (that phrase can be translated into plenty of different things, but you know what i mean). This particular phrase, i think, is not even directed towards wilson, but it’s more like house asking himself that. He knows he is scary, he knows wilson is pretty pathetic, he also knows, deep down, whether he wants to admit it out loud or not, that he desperately needs wilson in his life… the man clings on to him like he’s the fucking sun and he cant live without his radiance. Aaaand, he also knows that Amber, like him, is scary. And yet he wonders:

“Why would anyone, other than me, cling on to this man? How would such a paradoxical courtship even work?”

I just love how hypocritical and ridiculous this statement is, because not only does house know, but we as the audience can spot the oxymoron of his wondering: why would an alternate version of myself cling on to someone i need.

Just admit it babe, you want those puppy brown eyes all to yourself.

Next off, what the fuck do you mean he broke into his best friend’s/ his girlfriend’s (i don’t know whose it is) apartment just to have a little chitchat with Amber? To literally attempt to force her into breaking up with wilson? Re-Offering her a spot in his team only if she stops seeing his best friend? I mean seriously, realistically speaking, why is he even doing that?

Sure, he doesn’t like her but he respects her enough and understands her as a character because she doesn’t remind him of his own self, she literally is another personification of his own individual, and it scares the hell out of him, because he can predict the course of things. So why does he want them to break up? Because he knows she’s going to hurt wilson, she’s bound to, she’s bound to extract all the goodness, all the energy out of wilson and leave him bare when she doesn’t need him anymore. He knows she’s ultimately going to hurt him because he fears he’s going to do that to wilson as well, sooner or later, and he doesn’t want anybody else to do that other than him, if things come to that (this is SICK).

And it’s not just the “i’ll do anything for you not to lay a finger on him” or the “if you hurt him, you’re dead”, it’s not just house’s overprotectiveness over wilson, it’s also his acknowledgment of the fact that, if there’s two of them, two people who need wilson, two people who want him all to themselves, two people who cling on to him for dear life, then it’s almost certain that one of them will eventually be let go of. And house fears that that one person might be him. And he can’t risk that.

Also, on to a more silly and also craaaazy note… the way house looks at amber when he tells her to give wilson his sweatshirt back- holy. Actual. Shit. I swear to god i thought he was going to bite her head off. The way his eyes have this murderous, warning gleam, their proximity, the danger and warning in his voice i- boy is just like “give my boyfriend his sweatshirt back or else we’ll be having more than a few exchanges of words next time”

IM GONNA MAKE A PART 2 BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE WAY TOO LONG SO STAY TUNED😔

[thevindicativevordan]

Since you read all of Ultimate Fantastic Four, what do you think of the series?

Gave me an understanding of why shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians are popular. Something about following trashy people can be oddly compelling and entertaining. Ellis and Millar’s sections were the strongest of the run, with Carey only getting good towards the end. Ellis spends a lot of time “realistically” explaining how the powers of the Four work, and used that same approach to the Ultimate takes on Doom and the Negative Zone too. Millar in contrast is throwing out cool ideas to see what sticks (zombie F4, everyone gets superpowers, spiders that eat time travelers, Doom pulls a Superior Spider-Man on Reed) and doesn’t particularly care to explain in depth how any of it works. His is the most entertaining section of the UFF and the one where the premise really shines. You get to see the potential of a less squeaky clean F4 in terms of what stories can be told, all of the Four get character focus even if in the case of Sue and Johnny it only makes them more unlikable.

I already talked about Reed but regarding the other three:

Ben is more or less the same as his 616 counterpart. Pissed at Reed for his transformation, angsts over it and is terminally depressed, but when his team or world needs him he brings the clobbering. Thing’s best moments are ironically in the President Thor arc where he has no powers. Scene at that end where he beats the Super Skrull to death for genociding Earth is peak Thing. Ben Grimm rules no matter the reality.

Ultimate Johnny is a moron. A well-meaning moron with a (small) heart of gold to compensate for having no brains to be fair. He has some good moments like clueing Reed in that Sue likes him at the start of the series, and being willing to give up his powers if it means curing Ben as an apology for an incredibly asshole “joke” he plays on Ben earlier. But he remains a shallow fratbro for the entire run, with only the death of his father at the end of the series (thanks to Ultimatum) pushing him towards bettering himself. Bendis’ usage of him in USM is superior to how he’s used in UFF imo.

Another unintentional foreshadowing here that I loved. Sue goes on a mission to Siberia alone after Reed alienated himself from the rest of the team because he was obsessed with shooting the Cube. Sue gets shot down and Johnny blames Reed for it, threatening to burn Reed to death if Sue dies. Follows through on that threat after Reed DOES hurt Sue in Ultimate Doom! Within the arc itself Johnny comes across as an unstable prick, but people probably feel more inclined to side with him knowing what Reed will become. I however saw how you could feasibly make Johnny a bad guy, imagine a world where Sue does die and Johnny is the one to go off the deep end. Can’t see 616 Johnny ever breaking like that, but this guy could have.

Sue… is much, much worse than her 616 counterpart. Most writers, even great ones like Hickman, don’t know what to do with Sue. At best she’s the “mom” and that’s her entire character. She takes care of the kids and nags the rest of the team. Ultimate Sue being unmarried means that they can’t fall back on that so instead they make her whole personality being a woman. Mole Man and Namor are sex pests towards her, she gets kidnapped because one villain wants to use her to resurrect his wife and the other villain wants to steal her powers because she thinks they’re wasted on Sue. Everything about her revolves around the men in her life, even breaking her and Reed up merely leads to a new permanent relationship between her and Ben.

Sue��s biggest fear is becoming her mom, who is a selfish asshole who abandoned the Storm family because she valued her career more than them. Suppose that means she’s attracted to Reed initially because her mommy issues made her think she could get Reed to pick her over science where she failed with her mom. She’s constantly showing off skin to titillate the readership. Arcs focused on her were the worst of the run, and that breakup scene at the end of UFF: Requiem managed to make her shooting down a marriage proposal at her dad’s funeral unsympathetic. All these legit reasons to break Sue and Reed up for good, and they went for the one that makes Sue as unlikable as possible. Yeah how dare Reed not prioritize saving you over saving the planet!

If UFF exists on a spectrum with Reed being morally sketchy even prior to his breakdown, and Ben essentially being the same as his 616 counterpart, Johnny and Sue are right in the middle with Johnny edging towards the heroic side and Sue leaning towards villainy. People have forgotten this but Ultimate Sue had two evil futures where she broke bad. One where she becomes Kang which was Fialkov trying to justify Reed’s transformation into Maker, and the other in a completely forgotten F4/X-Men crossover where she becomes an evil dictator in an alternate future after Johnny gets killed in Ultimatum, with Reed opposing her. God that entire story was a fever dream, on its own it’s mediocre as hell but every goddamn reveal hits ten times harder when you know what’s coming.

Damnit this was a punch straight to the gut. In said future Reed becomes Nihl, no matter what it seems he was destined to emulate one of the Four’s foes. Biggest takeaway from UFF for me is that I could buy Ultimate Reed, Sue, or Johnny breaking bad. All three are shitty people with poor emotional control and narcissistic elements to their personalities. Reed simply had the misfortune to be the one Bendis chose to shove into the deep end.

Ultimate X-Men is the only Ultimate series I haven’t read yet but right now I rate UFF as the weakest of the ones I have. It’s not bad by any means! Actually I quite enjoyed it depending on the arc. Unlike USM and Ultimates however I don’t think UFF does anything better than the mainline FF book. Tellingly that while MCU adaptions of Spider-Man and Avengers borrowed a lot from their Ultimate counterparts, the FF seem to be drawing entirely from 616. UFF works better as a contrast with the mainline rather than as an entry point to the franchise for new readers.

[veryhardymemes]

Noah Kahan Sentence Starters Stick Season (We’ll Be Here Forever)

Content Warning For: Suicidal ideations/imagery, mentions of alcohol/drugs, depression/melancholia, mentions of COVID

Northern Attitude:

How you been? Settled down?

How’re your kids?

Where are you?

What does it mean?

Forgive my northern attitude

Stick Season:

I am stuck between my anger and the blame that I can't face

Memories are something even smoking weed does not replace

Doc told me to travel but there's COVID on the planes

I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks

I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed

I just like to play the victim

I thought that if I piled something good on all my bad that I could cancel out the darkness I inherited from dad

I’m no longer funny

My other half was you

I hope this pain’s just passing through 

I doubt it

All My Love:

How have things been?

Well, now that you mention it

I'm saying too much but you know how it gets out here

No winter coat could keep out all the cold of your atmosphere

You got all my love

If you need me dear, I'm the same as I was

You burrowed in under my skin

What I'd give to have you out from me

I just hope that your scars heal

I swear I was scared to death

She Calls Me Back:

Oh, there was heaven in your eyes

Everything’s alright when she calls me back

Look at me and don't you lie

For bullshit I do not have time

Does it bite at your edges?

Do you lie awake restless?

Why am I so obsessive?

This town's the same as you left it

The radio is taunting me

I don't get much sleep most nights

I'm seeing you in every dream

If only I could wake you up

If only I could fall asleep

I'll love you when the oceans dry

I'll love you when the rivers freeze

I was too afraid of living life in your footsteps

Come Over:

I’m in the business of losing your interest

Don't you know there's a coffin buried under the garden?

You won't have to guess who they're speaking about

I'm in the process of clearing out cobwebs

I was taking the wrong meds

It feels good to be sad

I know that it ain’t much

I know that it ain’t cool

You don’t have to tell the other kids at school

Someday I’m gonna be somebody people want

New Perspective:

Silence is making me nostalgic

We were kids but that don't make this less hard

If I could fly I doubt I'd even do it

You made Ohio feel just like Central Park

You and all of your new perspective now

Everywhere, Everything:

It's been a long year

Would we survive in a horror movie?

We trust everyone we meet

I wanna love you 'till we're food for the worms to eat

Keep my hand in yours

Orange Juice: 

Honey, come over

We know you got sober

There's orange juice in the kitchen

It’s yours if you want it

We're just glad you could visit

The last time I drank I was face down passed out there on your lawn

Are we all just crows to you now?

Are we all just pulling you down?

You didn't put those bones in the ground

Strawberry Wine:

Darling speak to me

Remember telling me that you thought you were cursed?

I'm in love with every song you've ever heard

If I could lose you I would

We buried your bones in plywood

I said love is fast asleep on a dirt road with your head on my shoulder

For you, darling, for you

No thing defines a man like love that makes him soft and sentimental like a stranger in the park

For a few moments, I see you

Growing Sideways:

So I took my medication

We argued about Jesus

I said I’m cured

I’m still angry at my parents

But it’s a start

I ignore things

At the end of the day I know there are worse ways to stay alive

I'm terrified that I might never have met me

I guess I’ll drive

So I forgot my medication

Now I’m suffering in style

Why is pain so damn impatient?

It's better to die numb than feel at all

Halloween:

I'm sailing away to a place I'm afraid of

I'm drinking my days with the coastal longshoreman

I drink 'till I drown and I smoke 'till I'm burning

I worry for you

You worry for me

I'm leaving this town and I'm changing my address

I know that you'll come if you want

There's a murder of crows in the low light off Boston

Homesick:

Two months since you got back

Are you bored yet?

The weather ain’t been bad

If you’re into masochistic bullshit

This place is such great motivation for anyone tryna move

Time moves so damn slow

I swear I feel my organs failing

I would leave if only I could find a reason

I'm mean because I grew up in New England

I got dreams but I can't make myself believe them

I’m homesick

Still:

I don’t want to say goodbye

You find love that lasts a while 'till you lose the reasons

You miss something that you can't place but you can't deny it

It's like I'm still here with you

It's a bottomless hole I've found out here with a trace of no one

The View Between Villages:

For a minute the world seems so simple

I’m seventeen again

I am not scared of death

I’ve got dreams again

Your Needs, My Needs:

Oh well, who was I?

Who was I to watch you wilt?

You ain't gotta tell me what it means

You'll always be a flower on my skin

I promise to be there this time

I'm naming the stars in the sky after you

Dial Drunk:

I'm remembering I promised to forget you now

I ain't proud of all the punches that I've thrown in the name of someone I no longer know

I don't like that when they threw me in the car

I gave your name as my emergency phone call

Even the cops thought you were wrong for hanging up

I’d die for you

The dial tone is all I have

I beg you, sir, just let me call

Let's wait I swear she'll call me back

Son, are you a danger to yourself?

Son, why do you do this to yourself?

Paul Revere:

This place had a heartbeat in its day

The boys are drunk

But it just ain't that simple, it never was

One day I'm gonna cut it clear

I’m not from around here

I'll leave before the road crew's out

Folks just disappear

If I could leave, I would've already left

No Complaints:

Thought I had something

That's the same as having something

I'd get mad at nothing

Blame my dad for something

I'd pull no punches

Thought I was raised better

Hope the skin heals where the pain enters

I set a time, then I showed up

Now the weight of the world ain't so bad

I filled the hole in my head with prescription medication

Who am I to complain?

And now the pain's different

I can finally eat and I can fall asleep

Call Your Mom:

Oh, you’re spiraling again

Don't let this darkness fool you

All lights turned off can be turned on

I’ll drive all night

I’ll call your mom

If you could see yourself like this, you'd have never tried it

Oh dear, don't be discouraged

I've been exactly where you are

Throw a punch, fall in love, give yourself a reason

Don't wanna drive another mile wondering if you're breathing

Won’t you stay with me?

You’re Gonna Go Far:

This is normal conversation, babe, it's all fine

The college kids are getting so young, ain't they?

I got tired of the frat boys with the brights on

"This is good land" or at least it was

Say whatever you feel, be wherever you are

We're overdue for a revival

We spent so long just getting by

You told me you would make a difference

[imaginespazzi]

Nivi!!! Since you are so diligently sticking to your schedule (you’re so inspiring babes), I thought I should at the very least try to get this review to you on time too! Imma just combine parts 5 & 6 in this one so apologies if gets too long. Also, I haven’t really had a chance to scroll and read through other people’s reviews for part 5 so I’m so sorry if I end up repeating what everyone else may have already said.

FIRST OF ALL, Back to December as the lyric reference for Part 5 was *chef’s kiss* - mainly because that’s gotta be one of my top Taylor songs of all time, ah the wistfulness 🥲

DREW cameo!! The only one with brain cells. Cause he’s right, they’re all stupid! (But we love them anyway).

“Please don’t get married Paigey,” Drew pleads, gripping his sister’s hand, “please.” ­– this really got me though. Poor Drew, like he never imagined he’d be having to witness his sister ever marry someone who wasn’t Azzi too! He just wanted his pookie back 🥺

Paige finding out about Azzi’s pregnancy through TikTok feels very on-brand lmao (ugh does that mean there were Olivia and Paige edits once upon a time 🥴), and them still commenting congratulations on each other’s post about the engagement and the pregnancy to keep up the friendly act killed me. Could. Not. Be. Me.

Katie and Paige interactions have my whole heart. Whenever I think about them, I always end up thinking about that immunity booster video so I’m glad it got the mention in part 5!

What is it with you and these damn phone calls, Nivi!! “You’re gonna be a wonderful wife P.” “You’re gonna be an amazing mom Az.” – once again, cue “and it would have been sweet, if it could have been me”. WELL IT COULD HAVE IF Y’ALL WEREN’T BEING STUPID (sorry, had to channel my inner Drew there).

“Please don’t speak in riddles. It’s 10 a.m and I’m sad,” Paige whines. She might be in her early thirties but there’s something about Katie Fudd that makes Paige feel like it’s okay to be a bit of a child. – Obsessed with this because I just feel like you perfectly captured their relationship with this line.

“You’re so goddamn dramatic Bueckers,” Katie rolls her eyes –so real for this cause Paige really was being dramatic af since Azzi left with Stephie. Standing on the porch for way-too-long just staring into the distance then breaking down in the fort and not moving for 3 hours. DRAMATIC. But like sad 😔

The comparison between Paige’s expression when talking about Stephie and Tim’s when he first met Azzi. I was waiting for something like this! My heart.

Steph (old) cameo! I’ll allow it, cause despite my hatred for the Warriors, I do loooove that man.

“What defense can a 5 year old play…” – idk why but I had a good chuckle at this, I just love when you pull these one-liners, the comedic timing is impeccable.

Katie with some GREAT lines too.

Pleaseee, not the UNCLE TWIN and TWIN NIECE 😆 I knoww Steph (man) loves the fact that his goddaughter, who’s prolly gonna go on and be a Golden State legend herself, is named after him.

I know it’s super cute, but I do be cracking up a lil everytime Stephie and Paige reunite cause it’s always so goddamn dramatic. Like girly pops please, it’s barely been 24 HOURS 😭

Yeah, Paige gonna be SPOILING her queen and their princess forever.

THEY KISSED.

I may or may not always let out an undignified squeal when I see a high school era flashback. Like those are always my favourites fr. You just never fail to make them feel so nostalgic.

Their first kiss, damn Paige really been a lover girl since 16 huh 🥹 Also the transition from their first kiss to what could be their last first kiss was perfection!

Although, idk if the “slow” that Katie had in mind meant kissing already but hey, they’re moving!

Look, as long as we get at least one cute family scene with our fave trio then that’s all the serotonin I really need for the day (week) and the scene with the flowers and the car seat was exactly that, pure serotonin.

Paige and the Fudds reunion 🥰

Stephie really is ride-or-die for her perfect Miss Buecks!

“Dumbapples” – LMAOOOO sometimes the brain cells just don’t always be braincelling.

And they finally get a redo on that sleepover, where no one leaves, at least not until pancakes have been served.

What’s next?

I’ve been thinking about the break-up too much- like when in 2025? Was it during the season? So before the natty?? But like there’s no way you could be that cruel, Nivi! You couldn’t have them finally winning the natty only for them to be heartbroken while doing so?

Or worse, have them win the natty and make P think she’s got everything she could ever want only for that to come crashing down not long after??

But like definitely pre-draft night maybe?? I guess that would make sense with Azzi overthinking things and worrying about being left behind? Sorry, am just thinking out loud atp!

But like were there already cracks forming even earlier in that year?? Cause if so, I’m curious about Paige’s proposal and the timing of it hmmm. My braincells are attempting to be braincells.🧠

I’m still awaiting that Drew and Azzi reunion cause Drew being so heartbroken that he really tried to stop the wedding all by himself hurt me. I can imagine for Drew too, how much he probably looked to Paige and Azzi as his ideal of what a relationship and love is, only for them to fall apart as well. Plus seeing how close irl Drew is to the Fudds makes me big sad for GH Drew 😞

I can’t wait for Coach P and Player Stephie dynamics!! The favouritism is really not gonna be subtle no matter how hard Paige tries 😃

Soooo, Part 6 was suspiciously too fluffy ya know, I feel like you’re just setting us up. Giving us a taste of joy, only to rip it from us next chapter. I’m on evil writer Nivi watch.

Favourite lines/quotes:

“Did I know that my granddaughter goes to her godfather’s special camp for the sport that her mother plays and she’s obsessed with?”

Because the view in front of them is beautiful but Paige’s eyes are on Azzi and she’s staring at her as if the view is nothing in comparison. – side note: this line and this scene made me nostalgic for the stargazing scene in the UCLA fic 🥹

Alright bestie, this review is a biiig boi but I thought I owed you for being late with the part 5 review so hopefully this makes up for it a little! Also, I’ll prolly be late in reviewing the next one if (when 🤞) it’s out next week cause life is lifing so I’m sorry in advance 😭

Thank you as always for keeping us warm and fed! Hope you’re doing well btw!! Is the baby fever still at a high? Cause I was at the park with my friend and her 1-yr old the other day and omg he was being the sweetest little bean ever and the baby fever was FEVERING but then I realised I’m a baby (adult) too so I promptly brought the fever back to reality 😅

Love ya Nivi, have a great week ahead bestie 💗

-🙋‍♀️

BABES HELLOOO <3 I've been waiting for your thoughts!

This whole fic is very Back to December coded and it's one of my top 5s too and it just fit so well with chapter 5

#FreeDrewBueckersFromDumbassPaigeyAndPookie my poor little man was traumatized and they need to make it up to him immediately

I LOVE KATIE FUDD. And she just gives such entertaining chaotic mom energy and I feel like especially with Paige, she really keep that girl humble (and holds her when she needs it)

The 1 references galore because while I won't subject y'all to an actual depressing fic, I simply can't stop myself from adding the vibes

LMAO Steph is so universally loved I kinda adore that man and he'll be making an appearance again at some point I think.

Listen Stephie and Paige are the definition of matching each other's freak except it's matching each other's dramatics like they're gonna run into each other's arms like they haven't seen each other in years every damn time

Katie tried to nudge them and didn't realize all these idiots needed was a tap to literally full-speed a head (well with some breaks of course)

I cackled writing dumbapples ngl

The marriage proposal is definitely before the draft...that's all you're getting lol

Y'all think Azzi's guilty now when no one's even saying anything to her, just wait for Drew Bueckers and his way with words :)

I am also very excited for more Curry Camp scenes!

I don't think anyone loves or understand the stargazing the scene the way you do babes and I appreciate it <3

Ah lovie, review whenever you can. Even if it's months and month later, I will still be just as excited to read your thoughts!

The baby fever is in fact still higkey baby fever-ing and I don't know how and when it'll stop but I'm not even really trying to stop it.

[seeingteacupsindragons]

So…several…weeks ago…now, I was talking with a friend (@user-needs-new-hyperfixation) about creating characters. Because while she wants to try original fiction, all her ideas for characters start feeling too close to her Favorite Blorbos, and that’s not what she wants from original fiction characters.

And I get that. But if you can’t get your blorbos out of your head but you want to write an OC, here’s what you do:

Make a few intentional choices to take them away from that character. Oh, I know that sounds like it wouldn’t work. I promise you it can and does. You just gotta commit.

Here’s an example. The example I used with Hyper was Liam, but he’s sort of niche, so I wanted to think of a more Popular character to use as an example that still had the depth I needed to explore this.

(Very sorry to everyone who wants the Liam example. You can request it if you want, I guess)

I’ve settled on Dean Winchester. Very sorry about this. But he’s a character from a very well-known and well-watched show and frankly he’s around for long enough to have a lot going on with him.

Dean Winchester is, among other things, a very protective family man, a silly geek who wasn’t very academic in school and makes corny jokes, a sex-motivated man, a nomad, a Mama’s Boy, a devoted mechanic, a guy trying maybe a little too hard to espouse the 80s vibe.

And if you change just one of those things, his whole character can shift. Let’s take one that gets changed a lot in fanfic for Supernatural: Dean is no longer nomadic. He lives somewhere reliably and regularly.

If you’ve seen the show (I’m very sorry), you know that Dean is deeply protective of his car. But he’s protective of his car because it’s the closest thing to a home he’s ever had. If you actually give him a home and make him a kid who didn’t have to move every week or so growing up, he has a whole community, neighborhood, and city to project all that protective obsession onto.

Which means: he's not obsessed with his car. Or any car. He never learned how to to put it back together over and over and isn't a mechanic or a restoration specialist. And if he doesn’t want to preserve that car and his home so bad, maybe he’s not obsessed with classic rock and leather jackets and outdated references, either.

(And once you’ve done that with him, very few people would probably even mistake them, lol)

And maybe that protective nature led him to becoming a cop. And maybe once he realized they don’t really Protect or Serve, he becomes deeply disillusioned by them entirely. Canon Dean has problems with the cops, too, but that’s because he’s an actual criminal, not because he’s just disillusioned about what they’re doing (the series is really pretty pro-cop with characters like Jodie).

And if our “Dean” is no longer a drifter, then he’s not just going to leave when he’s solved one problem extremely messily. He’s going to have to stick around, attend school board meetings or something. Bail protesters out of jail, IDK.

And once you’ve gotten to that point, you might have a Mama’s Boy who loves his family too much and makes silly jokes while playing silly games with his friends, but you don’t really have Dean Winchester. You have your fun blorbo vibes, and you have some of your favorite traits about them. But the longer you write this character on this entirely new path and give them new experiences and see them react in ways Dean never would…

Well, now you have an OC.

You’re probably going to have to go back to the beginning and edit the first part of the character to keep them in character with what you realize about them later. But that’s honestly not a big deal and you’ll probably have to do that no matter how you write it anyway.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: To Pet is Human

I am bemused. Because of this vid.

Water droplet on jumping spider.

...If there’s something pettable or that can be played with, humans will try to do it. Big, small, fur, feathers, scales, way too many legs - some human, somewhere, somewhen, will give it a try. Because we are just Like That.

This is something that needs to be considered in your worldbuilding. And not just in the “give the Evil Overlord a mini-monster for his shoulder” way. Dragons terrorizing fortresses? Someone’s going to go looking for eggs to hatch. Tiny piranha-forms in your alien colony’s streams? Guarantee you someone will set up an aquarium and start breeding them for colors and patterns. Intelligent slimes in the sewers? Okay, that one’s trickier, but I’d bet someone would set up cameras and try to see if you can lure it into a maze with tasty candy treats a la Pacman ghosts.

Play is a normal, generally healthy, human behavior. It seems to be normal behavior for a lot of intelligent creatures; everything from horses playing Frisbee with dogs to foxes finding abandoned toys to octopi stealing cameras to take pictures of divers. If you’re going to have intelligent creatures in your story, even if they’re generally man-eating monsters, then every once in a while you should be able to see one doing something utterly ridiculous. Because it’s fun.

Every once in a while your characters should get the chance to be ridiculous, too. Though that’s more a matter of personal taste. I, for one, like to see my heroes sometimes laying water balloon traps or throwing sticks for the nearest animal that wants to chase and pounce them. It shows a side of them that isn’t obsessed with whatever the Monster of The Week or latest apocalypse is doing. Because most of life is not the monster or apocalypse, and it feels better for me if heroes have to get through a little normal life too, in a fluffy way. Your preferences may vary.

You can, of course, always use it as a note to indicate a character is a bit unhinged and potentially the hidden villain. Because who gives sharks a nice scratch, squeals in joy over momma scorpions with tiny baby scorplings, or cuddles up with crocodiles, snakes, or skunks?

(Yes, people have done all of these. Though I recommend descented tame skunks if you go that route. And keep them up to date on their rabies shots.)

So. Yeah. Think about what your characters or the people around them may think is adorable. And then show them trying to pet it....

[secondscns]

jack corvin

AGE: 40 DATE OF BIRTH: may 10, taurus PLACE OF BIRTH: seattle, washinton GENDER: cis man OCCUPATION: public defense attorney RELATION TO HOPE: n/a PERSONALITY: obsessive and addictive personality, cutthroat in work, ignores his personal life, desperate to prove he can make a change

bio

rough childhood, alcoholic father, dead mother, anarchist teen years, blah blah blah, it’s all been heard before. no one really wants to hear about the band where he fried his voice and did drugs at sixteen until it started burning his friends alive. they don’t want to hear about how losing people, friends who were more like family, drove him to want to make a change beyond just screaming at a crowd in a warehouse full of people who already agreed with him. he got through law school through the force of a chip on his shoulder and working whatever odd job meant he could afford tuition, rent, or food. hopefully two out of three.

but that was years ago.

he graduated, he passed the bar, he got his job. and he ended up in rehab and aa when his job burned him out and he crashed hard. he had to realize how much like his shitty dad he really was. he had to dedicate himself to changing. he can't say he managed to stay sober, but he did blow up his career, get through most of a 12 step program, and decide a change of pace was for the best.

but that was years ago.

now he’s a small shot public defender in mercer hollow because he just isn’t cut out for big city life anymore. he figured he’d slow down a few years, do easy cases like jaywalking and selling weed without a license. wasn’t really expecting to have to deal with a murder investigation in a town that hasn’t seen a murder since the seventies.

this would all be much easier to handle if he ever actually put his life together and got himself to a place where he could handle it. instead he throws himself into the problems that aren't his and manages those.

wanted connections

the defendant - maybe they can't afford an attorney or maybe they think they don't need one, but jack corvin will go to bat for you and get you off the hook. (0/?) the inside man - a cop or investigator who is willing to give up information about the investigation in exchange for cash, goods, services, or perhaps they don't even know they're being used for information. (0/1) the broken heart - he hasn't ever held a half-decent relationship, except for this once. except for this one beautiful part of his life that he held onto for as long as possible, then royally screwed up. he'd do anything to get this person back. (0/1) the accountabili-buddy - sobriety isn't entirely possible him, but at the very least he can stick to alcohol and nothing else. but doing it alone isn't easy. this person sticks together with jack corvin in keeping it together, even if it means smacking sense into him. (0/2) the one who has it together - they had their rebellious youth together, but this person grew out of it, had a good life, maybe a family and kids, and never really misses the days of spraypainting denim and wearing spikes while jack thinks about it as the best time of his life. (0/1) the bad influence - this person is chasing the feeling of rebellion the same way that jack does, and it is ruinous for both of them. he's not a teen anymore who can go wild, but that part of him is always just below the surface and this person makes it dangerously close to happening. (0/1)

[foxglovecove]

Alright currently obsessed with this for the moment…my idea for the Headless Horseman’s backstory

Name: Thomas Amsler

Nationality: German (state of Hesse-Cassel)

Age (at time of death): 21

Still working out the details but so far what I have is below the cut:

Dates might have to adjust once I do more research…

His family is poor and to help once he’s of age (17) he joins the German Army. A few years later his unit is selected to go fight in some revolution or another in the British Colonies. All members of the unit are promised a large bonus at the end of the war and they’re shipped out in 1780 (3 years before the end of the American Revolution, he’s 18).

The unit is excited to get to fight in a “real war” and their spirits are high when they arrive. That doesn’t last long and many of the unit end up dying or deserting. Not Thomas though. While he could care less about the British “cause,” he knows his family needs the money the soldiers were promised so he sticks to it.

Meanwhile during one particularly bad winter in 1782 his squad is sheltered in a farm with a family that’s supposedly loyal to the British. The family consists of mom, dad, two young boys, and three daughters (all to be named later).

I can’t not have romance in anything I do so of course Thomas and one of the daughters fall in love. Unfortunately another soldier, one of the British also sheltering there for the winter, has taken a liking to this same daughter. The daughter has been mildly interested but mostly as a flirtation, no real feelings involved unlike those she develops for Thomas.

British soldier (also to be named later) doesn’t like that Thomas has “taken his girl” (he hasn’t). There is a one-sided rivalry between the two. Thomas tries to befriend the guy but the guy is an ass.

Cut to August 1783, one of the last few battles of the war. Thomas and the daughter have secret plans to marry once it’s over and stay in the colonies regardless of who wins, though by now they’re both rooting for the colonists to win independence. The British soldier has found out about their plans and will do anything to stop them so he can marry her instead.

The battle is almost over, British soldier sees the canon and that Thomas, atop his horse, is right in its path. He doesn’t warn him and that’s when tragedy strikes. The canon ball kills Thomas and the horse.

After the battle is over Thomas’ best friend goes to the farm to tell the daughter what happened. She’s devastated but she also can’t let go. She insists on seeing Thomas’ body but by then he’s been buried so she demands he take her to his grave.

She requests she be left alone to say goodbye. She stays for a while, long after the sun has gone down. She grabs some things from the satchel she’s brought with her. They’re tools for a ritual. She knows she can’t bring him back but she can make it so that he’s not really gone. She has dabbled in witchcraft, taught by her mother, is part of a long line of witches.

She does the ritual but nothing seems to happen. She’s in tears but finally says goodbye.

Cut to a year later…

1784

She’s now being courted by the evil British guy. She doesn’t know he could’ve prevented Thomas’ death. Her father makes the match despite her and her mom’s protests. She is miserable but resigned to her fate. Her heart still belongs to Thomas but she knows she’ll be secure in the match with the British soldier.

It’s approaching the anniversary of the day Thomas died and weird things start to happen. People claim to see a shadowy figure riding through the forest.

October, two months later: The family is hosting a Harvest Dance and British soldier announces his engagement to the daughter at the party. Everyone is cheering and having a good time when a huge gust of wind and rain blows open the barn doors, blowing out all the candles. The music stops, people are trying to find matches and ways to light the candles again.

A silhouette approaches through the storm. A man riding on a horse. At first people pay no mind to it, just another neighbor who’s come to join the festivities. But, as the figure gets closer, a terrified silence falls over the group for the rider appears not to have a head. In his left hand is one of the Jack-o-lanterns that decorated the path to the barn.

Someone screams as the figure hurls the pumpkin at the British soldier, burning him and knocking him out cold.

The horse rears up and a ghostly shriek echoes as the figure turns and rides off towards the forest, disappearing into the darkness.

The daughter tries to run after but is stopped by her mother.

“What have you done, child?” says the mom, horrified.

“What I had to do,” she replies. “I couldn’t let him go.”

[thisaintascenereviews]

Dan + Shay - Bigger Houses

Ever since the decline of bro-country in the late 2010s, something has needed to fill the void within country music, and really, a couple of things have come up, such as pop-country, which was happening a lot during the 2010s, but there is a bit more of a traditional twist on it now, and what a lot of people call “boyfriend country,” which is the opposite of bro-country. The style of boyfriend country is that it’s more pop-focused and the lyrics are sweeter and gentler than bro-country’s blatant misogyny. A lot of the boyfriend country tropes I’ve noticed are about how getting married, falling in love, and all of that stuff, but I suppose you could lump heartbreak songs into that, too.

When it comes to the big names that are apart of this style, there’s one name that comes to mind above the others — Dan + Shay. Members Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney have been around and kicking for the last decade, starting with their debut album in 2014, Where It All Began. I’ve only heard that, and their follow-up, 2016’s Obsessed, but they’re a good band. Their debut especially is very catchy pop-country with very sweet lyrics that bucked the trends at the time, and I had a soft spot for it. I haven’t listened to the album in years, but who knows, it might hold up.

All of these years later, they’re still going, and they just dropped their new album, Bigger Houses, their first in a couple of years. I thought I’d check it out just because I’ve been on a country kick, and I wondered how these guys sounded in the last seven years since I’ve lasted listened to them. I got some good and bad news after listening to this a few times — the good news is that, well, it’s pretty good, but the bad news is that, for the most part, it doesn’t do anything they haven’t done before, although it does sound updated to a degree and I have to respect that. The lyrics are more mature this time around, despite being about heartbreak, love, and marriage, but that’s the key — their early stuff wasn’t necessarily about marriage or being married, but now that they are older, they have that experience.

This album is kind of a mixed bag, but not because some of it is good and the rest is bad, it more so has its peaks and valleys. There are a handful of wonderful, albeit generic, songs, and there are some that don’t do anything for me. The ones that stick out are opener “Breakin’ Up With A Broken Heart,” “Heartbreak On The Map,” “Always Gonna Be,” “Let’s Get Married,” and the closing track which is also the title track. My favorite is “Let’s Get Married,” which is a ludicrous song about a guy randomly meeting someone and he immediately says they should get married on a drunken whim, so the hook jumps into a bluegrass hoedown with the cliches of a shotgun wedding in Las Vegas and it’s so much fun. The other songs that work here have a mixture of solid lyrics that are very heartfelt and sweet, as well as solid vocal and instrumental performances.

A few tracks just don’t stick the landing, namely “For The Both Of Us,” and this doesn’t work for me in the same way that Ian Munsick’s “More Than Me.” That song is about how a man’s bride and her father remark that God loves her more than them and it just makes me cringe, because as someone that isn’t religious at all, I can’t imagine putting a deity over anyone else in your life. This song, however, is about how a man is asking his girlfriend’s father for his blessing to marry her (already kind of weird and outdated), but he’ll love her for the “both of us.” Does he mean love her enough for both her and his girlfriend, or does he mean he’ll love her enough for both him and her dad? That’s so weird, and while the hook is nice, the lyrics are so weirdly old-fashioned.

A few other tracks on the album just feel like lesser versions of ones they’ve done before, or that sound the same compared to other songs on the album, including “Then Again,” which is sort of interesting in terms of talking about the “what if’s” if he didn’t meet his wife, but it just amounts to “I’m lucky to have you,” which is exactly what the title track does at the end, as it talks about how “happiness doesn’t live in bigger houses.” That’s not a new sentiment, but it’s a good one.

This album’s biggest strength is being super slick and catchy, as these guys have always been solid songwriters, but there is some nice traditional instrumentation here, including fiddle, pedal steel, and banjo that pop up from time to time. Sure, Bigger Houses is nothing out of the ordinary, and it isn’t a unique album, but it’s a short and catchy one, so despite not having listened to these guys in years, it’s a nice surprise. Nothing that will make my yearend list, mind you, but this record is really pleasant and nice to listen to it, especially if you want some solid hooks with some sweet and heartfelt lyrics that you may have heard many times over already.

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Thai QL Favorites Tag game

Aw, @plantsarepeopletoo, I think you are the first person to tag me on here, thanks for that! Also, I adore your name.

Favorites are a tricky thing for me, I tend to love a lot of things, and am not big into ranking...so these answers might change depending on the day.

Favorite Thai QL: Until We Meet Again was one of the first I watched, and it hit me deeply. There is something about the beginning with Dean & Pharm, and how they know they’re connected, but unsure why. Total chills. I know some people find it slow, but I never felt like that. Just really good storytelling. And I also have to say Not Me. It’s just so unique in terms of BL. I love a good secret twin story, but also the incredible acting and social commentary really took a hold of my heart.

Favorite Pairing: I’m someone who doesn’t really like fanservice or people being trapped into one pairing (I love First & Khaotung together, but they have too much charisma with literally everyone to be permanently a pair). That being said, gotta give it to MaxTul. And I am a little bummed we won’t get just one more series from them.

Most underrated actor: Ooh, this is a tough one. I can’t think of anyone I feel is really underrated, but I do wish actors were given more of a chance to break free of some of their typecast roles. I feel like some of them are underestimated in what they could do if offered the right material. Like everyone knows Fluke Natouch and Earth Katsamonnat are incredible actors, but I’d love to see them do something where they get to play more confident and assertive, not to mention morally dubious. In real life Earth is always looking so fierce! I want him to be sassy and fashionable in a show.

Favorite Character: Yok, from Not Me. I can’t explain fully why, just love that man so damn much.

Favorite Side Character: Nam, Chon’s mom from Tonhon Chontalee. I didn’t really like the show, but I love and her fire so much. May we all have someone in our lives who would love us and fight for us so fiercely.

Favorite scene in a QL: Oof...there are so many good ones! The Pride flag scene in Not Me is an amazing one. I like the rooftop scenes in both Bad Buddy & Why R U. I’m sure I could come up with more, but we’ll stick with that for now.

Favorite line in a QL: I’m terrible at remembering to write down lines I enjoy. I’ll add if I think of one later!

Most Anticipated QL (& why): I really like Perth Tanapon, so I’m interested to see what he does with Dangerous Romance. Honestly, I’m just happy we’re starting to see more BLs that are playing around with genres like historical or thriller. Give us all the types of BL!

Healthiest relationship in a QL: This is tricky, because of how many couples have that random miscommunication that should be solved in 5 minutes, but has to take that extra episode. Maybe Le Jian and Amber from DNA Says Love You? I don’t remember perfectly, but they were very sweet. Also, I think I gotta say Phayu & Rain from LITA are pretty strong. I know not everyone vibes with their dynamic, but they’re both good at understanding what the other needs from them.

Most toxic relationship in a QL: Oh, that one from Love by Chance, with Techno...and that other guy I can’t remember. Gross & creepy.

Guilty pleasure series: The first half of Love in the Air, and History 1: Obsessed. Obsessed has so many tropes I should hate, but it somehow works in a “I know how this is supposed to go in another universe and I’m losing my mind here because I know I got you killed with my stupidity” kind of way.

Most Underrated Series: I think I have to go with Ghost Host, Ghost House. I almost never see people mention it, but I flipping adored it. 

Apologies that I have no idea who hasn’t done this yet... but if you want to jump on, consider yourself tagged!

[crowtrobotx]

Give us 3 things you like best about your top 3 blorbos plsnthx

I am going to stick to canon/not OC blorbos bc I feel like I talk too much about Lottie and everyone is annoyed by it

Hector Barbossa - (POTC)

I would be remiss to not first include the OG blorbo. The introductory Old Man. The character that made me realize something was a little Funky™️ about my gender/sexuality.

Okay, first of all, I love how sincerely full of himself this man is. He really thought he could pull Keira Knightley despite being the scrunkliest pirate on earth and you know what - good for him!!! Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land among the stars etc etc. We love an unconventionally attractive person who knows they’re hot shit.

The fashion sense/vibes - the fucking ostrich feathers in the hat. The rings. The big ass necklace. The single fang earring. The swagger walk. The matching pet monkey. The bisexuality of it all. In all seriousness, I love the way his outfit and accessories serve to play up his overly dramatic theater kid energy but also are very interesting when you consider that he came from extremely humble beginnings. He’s showing off what he’s fought tooth and nail for and it is working for him, honey.

I really, genuinely love that we got glimpses - in the first movie - of the fact that the character we were seeing wasn’t always like this. Ten years of being a walking corpse had twisted him beyond the recognition of people who knew him (even Jack looks pretty damn horrified a few times despite having been on the receiving end of his bad behavior before) and YET. When he gets resurrected we find out… he still sucks lmao. Like, he’s not outright cruel and isn’t totally insane anymore but he’s still ultimately just a selfish, snarky, conniving geezer who’s only part of the “good guys” because it serves him and his interests. There wasn’t really a redemption arc (the 4th and 5th movies are not canon, fight me) and he, at best, just ended up being the weird unsavory uncle to the main cast. What a king.

Sandor “The Hound” Clegane - ASOIAF/GoT

If you followed me prior to 2021 you know this was my prior HBIC (head blorbo in charge.) I still love him dearly and I hope he’s enjoying his retirement.

Look at him. No, really, look at him. Help??? Aside from me being a thirsty bitch, I have an extreme soft spot for characters who are visibly different and not in a purple eyes/horns/otherwise “sexy” way. Bodies are lived in and should look as such - and, this might be shocking to some people, disabled and/or disfigured people exist and they’re just as cool and hot and worthy as anyone else (I would know 😎.) I actually think the show should have gone a little harder on his burn scars but oh well. Sheesh, I need a cold shower.

His road trip arc with Arya. Need I say more? Y’all know I am WEAK for father/daughter dynamics and it’s even better when they’re both murderous lunatics. I love that she makes him softer but he doesn’t try to restrict or control her. I love that he tries to show that he cares in the only way that he knows how which is by teaching her how to rip/maim/tear/kill. Like, I know everyone enjoyed this part of the story because there were some genuinely hilarious moments and it was absurd, but I think under the surface we got some really fascinating insight into who he actually is and we were robbed of cranky but proud adoptive dad!Sandor in the show. I’ll be mad forever.

Fuck the city. Fuck the kingsguard. Fuck the king. We stan - I am obsessed with his realization that he doesn’t need or want to do anyone’s bidding anymore. I love that he turns heel but also has no idea who he is once he’s not Cersei’s dog - I love that he initially relies on his warped perception of people and the world to survive and slowly but surely begins to realize that maybe he doesn’t need to focus on revenge and violence all the time. I think it’s pretty obvious that GRRM is kind of going for a “a dog’s behavior will reflect its master’s” thing with him and if we ever get another book (lol) I am excited to see what becomes of him. Because he’s pretty clearly not actually dead.

Karl Heisenberg - Resident Evil Village

Literally WHERE have you BEEN if you didn’t see this coming lol. The reigning champion. Completely unchallenged for over a year and a half. I am chewing on him as we speak like a squeaky toy.

Okay, like… obviously I’m very fond of his design. I love that he’s fat. I love that he’s got a super unkempt beard. I love that his hair is grey and that his clothes are dirty and he’s covered in scars. I love that he looks like someone who works (in contrast to Alcina, for example) and isn’t concerned with his appearance. This is such a small and shallow thing maybe but with the tendency for media to just make everyone Extremely Conventionally Attractive, I’m enamored by characters like this. Actually, this has been a thing across all three of these guys, hasn’t it? Hmm.

Completely love that he’s an actual genius with the apparent imagination of a little kid who just downed an entire box of sugary cereal. “What if I stuck this propellor engine onto a dude’s torso.” “Drill arms never hurt nobody.” “JET PACKS!!! I need jet packs!!!” He’s such a fucking nerd, too, like his deranged cackle followed by “…ending recording” on that tape you find is so cute and stupid. Karl what the hell is going on I love you so much. It makes me wonder who he would have or could have been if he hadn’t found himself kidnapped into an abusive cult - I’m getting strong “Bill Nye but make him chaotic neutral” vibes. Eccentric raccoon man. Peepaw is feral and I’m going to fuck him.

If you’ve ever read anything I’ve written with him in it, you know I like to play up the fact that it’s pretty clear (to me, at least) that the swagger and showmanship is a mask for… a lot of shit. And that is extremely compelling to me - even if it’s ultimately just my HC. The stutter, the “sorry about that” after Sturm keeps making noise, the diary entries and comments that seem to indicate he hates his body after what Miranda did to him, his pretty heartbreaking last words. I don’t really see the genuinely confident daddy dom that a lot of the fandom sees - and no hate if you do!!! For me, with the canon fact that he never leaves the factory, he reads to me like someone who is incredibly socially inept and inexperienced, someone who is struggling to accept what he is now, and, perhaps most importantly, someone who really believes he’s the hero of the story and is blind to the fact that his rage and pain have turned him into what he hates most. I feel like he says all these things that make him sound like he’s full of himself but then you see him and he’s… just some guy. Living in a dirty factory with clothes that should have been thrown out a long time ago. And he’s lost it, and he’s furious, and yeah on some level he’s a bit of a selfish jackass but I wonder how much of his posturing is him needing to hear himself say it because he doesn’t really believe it and is terrified he won’t be strong enough to free himself. I just love him, y’all. I’m not sure we’ll ever see him again (in RE canon) but I’m going to keep making content for him for a long time, I hope.