#pressure of being the squid sisters

[circus-k]

squid sisters splatoon au where they have super secret solo personas but they see eachother in disguise and are like. ok. theres no way that ISNT her. and then silly little shenanigans ensue or whatever. hit post

[aceptical]

Honestly I would love a Splatoon game geared at a 13+ / older audience- or even one still aimed at the same audience that really addresses the topics it brings up.

Splatoon covers darker / more mature topics. Child soldiers shooting each other, invading the land of another species for profit, suppressing another species for over a literal century, how extreme fame affects people, being ostracized / “found out” for being different, being terrified of change, etc. but it never really covers them.

They are there: especially when you look into things like the sunken scrolls or resources outside of the game, but that’s kind of it. And that’s fine!! You don’t have to address them more obviously if you don’t want to. It’s a kids game first and foremost (and even if that isn’t really a great excuse, whatever).

But I would love a game that delves more into these topics, or just getting into these characters heads more. Using outside information and reasoning stuff, we can analyze basically every character well, but we never really see any confirmation in the game for most of it. We know from the relationship chart and the squid sisters stories and whatnot that Callie willingly went to the Octarians, likely due to the pressure of fame and being on her own, but this is never really explored in the game which sucks because there’s so much potential there! Comments on how fame affects people, escapism, and Callie’s, essentially inability, to be alone (since she’s able to step back into the spotlight again once she has Marie with her, both with the squid sisters performances obv but also the news/map announcement thing). And I get that that’s not the story they were trying to tell, but it would be so nice to have a game that delves into this stuff rather than leaving it off to the side where most of the playerbase probably doesn’t know about it.

Splatoon has a really big problem with exploring character’s darker parts of them / adding complexity to characters. Take Callie again: hypnosis cannot make you do anything that you don’t want to do, so hypno Callie’s personality was still Callie, just those darker parts. And that’s just- kind of ignored, past a few one liners (deep cut’s introduction scene.) Then the same exact thing happens with Marina, except we don’t even get to delve into it as much because it is literal brainwashing or mind control or something where she very obviously has her free will taken away. Which sucks!! Because it would have been so interesting to delve into that desperation that comes with wanting things to stay the same, unintentionally hurting the people you’re trying to help / protect, all of that kind of stuff, and then it’s just shrugged off for the rest of the DLC. Which, again, it’s fine that they didn’t want to tell that story: but it’s still missed potential regarding Marina.

This even affects antagonists, too: mainly Octavio. This is kind of remedied by him helping us in Splatoon 3, but it’s never really explored. He does what he does to help his people because they are literally dying from a lack of resources + power. I like the fact that the Splatoon 1 story doesn’t address this, but it could have been really interesting to see- even just a bit of this- in Splatoon 2, especially since it’s the introduction of giving the player that mentality shift from “Inklings good Octolings bad” to “Well, it’s more complicated than that.” This one is explored in the sunken scrolls a bit, but it would be nice to get a little something more regarding Octavio’s motivations (beyond just steal the Zapfish to help his people)

I really hope that, come Splatoon 4, whichever characters it focuses on (since the inkling / octoling conflict is over at this point), it really focuses on: give us more of their flaws, that complexity, and do it in game instead of through easily ignorable twitter posts.

[dr-spectre]

Heyyyy I love it when you ramble about the Squid Sisters!! Give us more of your opinions and headcanons about them pls pls I need it

HAAHAHAH! OF COURSE! I don't have anymore headcanons but i wanna ramble about the Squid Sisters.

I think some of the many reasons why i tend to ramble about the Squid Sisters a lot and why i love them so much is because their dynamic is so unique compared to the other idol groups and they have gone through character arcs and change. Callie is not the same person she was in Splatoon 1 and so is Marie and i think that's really beautiful. The two of them are basically inseparable and understand each others boundaries by the time Splatoon 3 rolls around, which is so vastly different from how they act towards in each other in Splatoon 1 where they take their jokes too personally against each other.

They basically fall apart when they are separated. Marie becomes depressed and isolates herself, she worries constantly and looks so incredibly anxious and upset.

And when Callie is alone she becomes a lot more emotional, impulsive, irrational, angry, overthinking, she runs away because she can't handle her busy and lonely life anymore. She joins the Octarians because it's better in her mind to join them than rather stay in a life where you're constantly harassed by paparazzi and work day in and day out. She puts on these shades that make her feel calm and relaxed, that make her feel like she's on cloud nine, they are not some "evil brainwashing shades that make people wanna serve the Octarians" they are just hypnotic shades that help Callie deal with her emotions in a very unhealthy way. I like to see it as an allegory for drug abuse and the pressures of fame, and the story makes way more sense if you put it into that context.

In Splatoon 2 you aren't saving her from " being kidnapped and evil brainwashing shades ooo" you are saving her from the darkness and illness that has built up in her head. The pain and loneliness she has felt for so long, clouding her mind. Marie comes in and reaches out to Callie, to rekindle their relationship and make up for all the mean things she said during Splatoon 1. Callie only reunites with Marie because she remembers all the good memories she had with Marie, and that Marie does care for her and wants to reunite. She feels energized and says to herself "I remember..." Not from some "song that frees people from brainwashing" that's bullshit lmao. Callie didn't suffer from memory loss under the shades. It's from all the good memories flooding back into her head from that catchy heavenly melody.

When you see the story of Splatoon 2 as a story about two cousins who's relationship has been broken apart and one of them wants to fix it, despite the other wanting nothing to do with them and giving into the darkness in their head, it makes it so much better. Fresh Start as a song literally doesn't make sense if you take the common and false narrative of "Callie was kidnapped, overpowered and then brainwashed into being a slave for the Octarians and branded with a tattoo." Fresh Start works a thousand times better and actually makes sense when you take into the deeper context and themes at work. Callie is literally called a "lovable rebel" in the official relationship chart for a reason and is seen in art multiple times where she has the shades with her. Would the developers and writers who made her suffer from getting kidnapped and being "brainwashed" pose her like this? I think not. Maybe that common notion is wrong... hmm...

Callie kept putting on the shades because she's most likely addicted to them, it helps her deal with her pain in an unhealthy way. And it's only when Marie and Callie change their schedules and cut back on the acting gig Callie has become trapped in, is when real change happens and the two of them can finally heal together and be better.

I think that's why i tend to ramble on and on about the same stuff relating to Splatoon 2, because i want to make sure that these characters i love are shown respect and people take the right information from the story.

I really do love these two girls. In fact i fucking HATE seeing r34 of them, it grosses me out. I see these two in a comforting lens and any sort of r34 art or misinterpretation of events genuinely makes me mad and gives me chest pain.

I see Marie in a sort of "she's literally me" way and it makes me happy knowing that a character is out there that shares a lot of similarities with me. And Callie... It's weird, i used to not think much of her until last year. Something just sort of snapped and i found myself to become REALLY fixated on her. It's just something about her that i really really love and i can't put into words...

Also their music is pretty damn good too ngl. I know people tend to make fun of Splatoon's music and call it "piss gargling" but... make them listen to all of the versions of Calamari Inkantation, Tidal Rush, Ink me Up, etc, and see how they feel afterwards lmao.

Anyways, i love these two girls and i will be their biggest defenders UNTIL I DIE!

[a-oct0]

I was thinking about this while trying to sleep last night and figured I could share my thoughts on this topic- but I should preface this by saying while I love Callie a lot I am in no way a Callie expert and that this is just my personal understanding of the whole hypndoshades ordeal. (And also I just wanted to write/ramble about something honestly lol)

So to begin- Callie 100% went to the Octarians by her own choice, she went to them willingly sometime just before Splat2. After the Squid Sister splatfest she and Marie went on to expand their solo careers and such as said in game, but the pressure of constantly being in the spotlight started to get to Callie, especially after she was publicly declared as being lesser than her cousin. She needed some sense of escape and she went to the only ones who she felt could understand that feeling... The Octarians. It does seem like Callie at least enjoyed her time there, she decorated the canyon, redesigned the soldiers outfits and probably uplifted the overall mood of the Octarians. Be that before or after the shades I don't know- But I think at some point Octavio realised that Callie would leave and go home, leaving them. I think that's what spawned the hypnoshades- he used them not to kidnap her out right but as a way to convince her to stay, not wanting to lose what had basically become a light in the dark for his people. The shades do seem to make Callie act a bit different but I don't think they're programmed to make her personality different, I've always viewed it as if the shades gave her this- sense of freedom, that she can say and act how she wishes just maybe slightly exaggerated by the shades. Now of course Marie was able to hit the shades off Callie's face which "returned her to normal" and tbf by Splat3 it seems like Callie has worked through her issues, slowly making her way back into the public eye solo.

Now this part- is all just complete headcanon and tied to my own Agents/NSS lore but I wanted to share some of it as well lol- While I get the game making Callie put the shades back on because "they look cool" as a way to add her back to the boss fight was well that- literally just a way to add her back to the fight- I personally think she did in fact put those shades back on. She put them back on again and again as an unhealthy coping mechanism, to return to that sense of escape from her very public life. Marie "snapping her out of it" did not fix the issues she had and so Marie (And Agent 4) fought Callie and Octavio again and again- each time Marie hitting Callie in the face with low tide ink. Low tide ink is probably a very dense and generally harmless type of ink but even with that constant exposure would have to leave a mark right? (This is the reason I tend to draw Callie with the green eye scar.) I think gaining this scar over time would snap some sense into Callie- finally realising just how- dangerous and mentally unhealthy her constant use of the shades are, it would be difficult but she realises that she needs to seek proper help or the cycle won't end no matter how hard Marie and Four try.

[karume-selfshipper]

Zora May: Role Swapping

Despite Selatoh's everything being deep-seated in her position as Sidon's (slightly) younger twin sister, I thought I'd attempt some Role Swapping with Sidon, Ledo, and Tottika (Sage Selatoh + Queen Selatoh, Architect/Artist Selatoh, and Guard/Soilder Selatoh).

But first, some (establishing) Zora monarchy headcanons:

Zora monarchies put a lot of emphasis on female Zora and first born succession. Typically heirs to the throne are female unless a male Zora is born/choosen to take the throne.

As well as where a (royal/noble) Zora couple resides is typically where the female Zora feels most at home. Though some rare cases exist (e.g. Sidon and Yona)

When it comes to other races (Rito, Goron, Gerudo, Hylian, etc) the non Zora partner is typically expected to reside in the domain as *most* of the homelands are a little too hostile for Zora to reside in.

Mipha courting Link was completely allowed (not just because King Dorephan said so) because Link was royal/noble adjacent (holding a prestigious title within the Hylian army)

Zora nobles/royals that don't fall to the heir spot are given much more of a free hand in who they choose as a partner

That said, the main part of Selatoh Exists AU (what I tend to call OC inclusion) King Dorephan took into account how much pressure Selatoh would be under from her own people and chose to crown Sidon instead.

Queen Selatoh + Sage Selatoh (Sidon/Seltaoh) A.K.A. the AU where King Dorephan put the rules over his daughter's mental/emotional wellbeing. (He knows how much pressure this all is especially when Selatoh looks like Mipha)

Selatoh is so much more introverted, reserved, and distant because she doesn't want to put anything on anyone (but especially Sidon) despite others constantly offering to help

Yona and Sidon have discussed at length their situation and Yona choose to relocate to Hyrule despite coming from a more tropical domain

During the torrential rains (BotW) Selatoh would often go out scouting as far as she could for a Hylian, one time tiring herself out and washing up near Luralin Village

Sidon was the one who helped Link get close to Vah Ruta because Selatoh was recovering from helping Link get close to the Lynel

Post Vah Ruta, Ionis (Zora prince from a deep-sea domain) arrived in Zora's Domain. Selatoh and Ionis met during the 100 years post-initial Calamity and were betrothed due to their redisent natures

Ionis is barely able to survive outside of the water, unless it rains heavily or late at night. The rest of the time he stays in Selatoh's private chambers (not comfortable in the communal pools) or under the Domain in as much shade as he can be

During the Domain cleaning/constructing Mipha's Court, Ionis and Selatoh attempted to get close with one another but Selatoh had to step up and prove herself as a leader. (Though she still allowed Sidon to egg her into leaping off Shatterback Mountain)

Neither Selatoh or Ionis were comfortable with a lavendar marriage.

Despite their reluctance to share a pool (bed) they did so anyway because there was no other options. That's how Ionis discovered that Selatoh drifts in her sleep (specifically drifts toward other Zora/living things) in a deep-seated, subconscious desire to be held and/or comforted by others

After getting over the initial shock of how sudden the act was, Ionis finds it very cute (especially when Selatoh wakes up and apologizes for drifting into him)

Ionis (and Octupi/Squid Zora in general I guess) tends to curl his headfins (tentacles) around his partner's/loved one's head fin(s), something Selatoh had to get used to... especially when she would go to Ionis for quiet comfort during her highest stress periods

After maybe the third or fourth time Selatoh went to Ionis for comfort, she was used to/okay with Ionis' displays of affection/attempts to comfort

After the Upheaval, the sludge raining down, and her Father going missing, Selatoh couldn’t help but feel as if everything was crashing around her fins

That's when Ionis really started lurking under the Domain in daylight hours, to help keep an eye on Selatoh and be close enough that she wouldn't have to go marching through the upper chambers and peel so far away from her responsibility just for a couple seconds of comfort (he knows she feels absolutely awful and selfish for even thinking about doing so and at least being just under the Domain she's still very close to everyone else)

At one point, Yona gets (somewhat) rightfully aggressive with Selatoh over how hard Sidon is working to purify the Domain's water supply. To which Selatoh very coldly reminds Yona that she has no actual power within the Domain because of who is in charge. Reminding her that Sidon has been volunteering his time and effort to aid the Domain however he can, as she should be doing. Before softening and agreeing that Sidon is doing too much and that she (Selatoh) wishes he wouldn't be so hard-headed about helping as much as he does.

Link is standing right there and both Zora know it, Sidon is in the background and heard everything (they did NOT know this)

However, with the situation mostly smoothed over, Sidon left things alone until he and Yona were alone (that same night) and told her (Yona) why he was doing this and being so stubborn. (Fear about losing their Father, worry over Selatoh growing distant with him, and a little PTSD from the Calamity).

Sidon also asks that Yona doesn't get aggressive with Selatoh again, it hurts his heart to see his beloved fighting with his sister.

Selatoh walks with Sidon, Yona, and Link to Mipha's Court, Yona making an attempt to apologize for the day before. Selatoh appreciates and accepts the apology but tells Yona not to worry about it (happ Sidon) right before the Muztorock Jr. Drops out of the sky.

Both Sidon and Selatoh help Link fight the sludge creature, and despite Selatoh not being the best with water manipulation, she's able to create several water versions of Zora Spears and Silverscale Spears (with one Lightscale Trident directly in front) as an offensive sheild around Link

After making the vow to Link, as a Sage, Selatoh's Armor (her Sage ability) produces the same ring of Spears and Lightscale Trident around Link. These fire off in all directions at waist height.

As the Domain itself purifies, King Dorephan returns, and Selatoh is crowned Queen, she finally gets a chance to relax.

The night she is crowned Queen, Ionis congratulates her, praising her strength and lowkey hyping her up as a good ruler while she's just trying to apologize for pushing him to the side and not being able to have the conversations she promised.

Ionis reminds her that there's plenty of time and he isn't going anywhere. Selatoh lets the realization of everything Ionis has been doing to make things easier for her and hugs him tightly while laughing/giggling.

They wind up teasing each other, being affectionate, and acting like a pair of love-sick children until they fall asleep.

.

Architech/Artist Selatoh (Ledo/Selatoh)

The distant artist/architect with the deeply moving artist pieces that feel like there's life held within (even if its just a pillar)

Trained under both Seggin and Dento so can also fix up weapons if need be

Instead of crimson and muted navy, she's a darker green with very faint markings. Instead of a Hammerhead shark, she's a bass/trout looking Zora

Prince Ledo takes note of her work and is among the first to recommend her for projects

Her scars are from a lack of resources to fix up the Domain. She had gone off to a known massive source of Luminous Stones that was infested with Lizalfos.

Ledo had followed her, without her knowledge, and jumped in to save her.

Afterward he didn't say anything, just made sure the two of them got to the Domain safely, then secretly took a small platoon to clear out the cave and quietly dropped all the ore on her work station.

Selatoh had a sneaking suspicion that Prince Ledo was the one who retrieved the ore and used the leftovers to carve him a tiny Luminous Stone heart and quietly left it where only Ledo would be able to find it.

The two of them slowly get closer over the course of BotW and TotK just by Selatoh being nearby, having a unique perspective on things, and the way her artwork makes him feel

.

Guard/Soilder Selatoh (Tottika/Selatoh)

A much sterner, fierce, protective Selatoh who manages to rise through the ranks to second in command to Bazz

She looks more like a piranha, darker navy blue with thin green-yellow markings, small, sharp teeth, and small ear flaps (side head fins?)

As second in command, she's usually near Prince Sidon and Tottika. Same as Bazz, though the obviously quiet one that rarely talks.

Not that Sidon or Tottika don't try, Selatoh just keeps her distance and gives short, simple, yet ultimately polite answers.

And yet Selatoh is the first to jump between either prince and any dangerous situation

Tottika is the reason that Selatoh has her scars. When she jumped between him and a Lizalfos that snuck up on them

While Tottika wanted to apologize for the incident, Selatoh dismissed it as part of her job

However, when sludge was raining from the sky, Selatoh shoved him out of the way. Something Tottika goes out of his way to apologize and take care of Selatoh in order to make up for her getting hurt on his behalf.

Again gestures that Selatoh attempts to wave down, saying she was just doing her job and he doesn't need to worry about her, gestures that she appreciated greatly; but actions that Tottika wouldn't stop for anything

He eventually got Selatoh to open up out of sheer determination. Finding that she is constantly worried that she isn't as good as others tell her, that she won't be able to help in a key moment, that she will fail and somehow ruin things for the entire Domain

After listening to her over the course of three months, Tottika fell hard, finding her attempts to shoulder as much as she does and shove her emotions down to be both extremely noble and tragic

[vindextra]

Breakpoints: Beginnings

My friends, If I may let myself be a little self aggrandizing, I am so happy to release the first chapter of my mega-fic project: Breakpoints. I've been cooking this AU for over a year, and I have some hefty outlines, character arcs and worldbuilding working in the background to bring this story to life.

Life is full of pivotal moments where one single thing can change everything that follows. Quinn is just a normal kid who finally got himself out of a bad place. When a strange old man keeps staring him down from a sewer grate, he decides to investigate a little further. Callie and Marie are pop idols at the peak of their careers when they learn their grandfather has been kidnapped. Ahato is just a simple technician, trying to get through each grueling day of her life underground. Marina, the Head Engineer, is a symbol to all, a goal everyone in the domes should aspire to be like. The pressure to be perfect is killing her. Arai is just a foot soldier being slowly driven to her breaking point by the increasingly harsh conditions of dome life. All of their lives are moments from changing, casting them into futures they couldn't even dream of.

Additional Chapter Links under the cut:

The Introduction Arc (Chapters 1-11)

Chapter 1: The Squid Sister's Tour

Callie and Marie are at the literal peak of their careers. The largest concert venue in the world, packed to the gills with their fans. In the silence after the show, the two receive a phone call from someone they don't know with some dire news.

Chapter 2: A Day In the Plaza

Meet Quinn Tidesplay, rookie apartment owner and part-time battle novice. Sharp kid, first time out on his own, left home with nothing but the clothes he wore and pouch of coins.

Chapter 3: More Days in the Plaza

Well, as odd as things were yesterday, life goes on. Back to the daily grind, where nothing abnormal should happen again.

Chapter 4: Squidbeak pt. 1

What was he thinking? Following a strange old man through a sewer grate???

Chapter 5: Squidbrak pt. 2

Armed with gear worth more than his life, and guided by the spirited old man from the grate, Quinn ventures into the Octavian domes for the first time.

Chapter 6: Routine

Now having officially initiated his new Agent, Craig waits for said agent to show up in the Plaza again the next day.

Chapter 7: Life as a Disabled Military Outcast

Ahato Mizuta is just a simple systems tech, despite her own wills. Nothing much interesting happens in her life, it's all just visit a system or Install this temporary system. Really, all she wants to do is make music, but it's better to not have the military mad at you.

Chapter 8: Rise and Fall

Head Engineer Marina Ida: brightest mind of her generation, role model to all soldiers, known for revolutionizing life in the domes twice over.Today, she performs the first test of the first Great Octoweapon, designed as an unmatched, unbeatable autonomous combatant.Assuming the test is successful, the growing menace of Agent Three shall end, and the first blows of a new war shall be dealt.

Chapter 9: Preparations

The defeat of the Octostomp marks a turning point for the afflicted parties, though none realize just how pivotal of a moment it was.The Head Engineer struggles with her failure and if the little she gained from the encounter was worth all she lost.Quinn prepares to return to the domes yet again, scouting for more zapfish to reclaim.And Arai, well, she's forced to deal with the mess the other two have made (against her own will, might she add).

Chapter 10: Squids in a Barrel

Just another routine scouting mission. What could go wrong?

Chapter 11: Contact

coming soon

The Distrust Arc

(Posted Soon)

[lisa-russell]

INK THEORY AND THE GOLD BAZOOKA'S- Cause of Sizzle Season!

This classically trained, all-female 6-piece band creates jazz and samba-inspired battle music. They owe their unique sound to a blend of academic music theory and modern sensibilities. Ink Theory's eclectic approach makes them quite popular with young Inklings and middle-aged Inklings alike.”

— Live from the Squid Research Lab

Ink Theory is an all-female six-piece jazz band. The band has a history of classical training, with the members learning music since their childhood long before making their debut. Their songs were added in Version 2.0.0 of Splatoon 2.

Members

.....Yoko is the band's trumpet player and frontwoman, though she sometimes feels overshadowed by the other members' personalities. She is an Inkling with a mutation that allows her tentacles to have multiple colors, but it rarely proves useful. She is described as often getting nervous before large productions. She also has a weakness to atmospheric pressure; on rainy days she is said to have a dead face and while she struggles in sunny weather as well, she is a hard worker and always gives a solid performance. She has a sister in high school.

In Splatoon 3, Yoko is a member of a new band called Yoko & the Gold Bazookas.

......Karen, the band's pianist, is a nautilus who graduated at the top of her class from a famous musical university. She has participated in overseas competitions and has won many awards, as well as offering emotional support to the band. She provides the band with a crisp atmosphere, and looks self-assured, though she worries that she is not loved by fans. She formed Ink Theory after being amazed by Hightide Era's music,[1] specifically by Taka, who was a senior at the same school.

......Zuzu, the kazoo player, is an Inkling who graduated from a famous music academy. She is closer to the public than the other members of the band, and is renowned for her beauty, often being considered the "flower" of the band. As a result of this, she gets a lot of attention, often being pulled in front of cameras. Fans address her with the Japanese honorific "-sama", which is used to address those one considers to be on a higher rank than oneself. She is a large spender but has never struggled much financially.

.....Oonie, the band's bassist, is a sea urchin, specifically Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus. She grew up in a strict household with parents who are famous musicians. For a short while, she favored bands with a different musical style from her parents, but lately, she has been observing classical music in a new light. She is romantically inexperienced, often falling for self-degrading people.

.....Maya is the band's percussionist. She is a sea anemone who joined Ink Theory after graduating from a music academy. While her professor recommended she become a music instructor herself, she decided she would rather get experience creating her own music first. She mainly plays with Ink Theory but occasionally freelances percussion for other bands.

.....Kitamura is a sea urchin and the band's drummer. She acts as the band's mascot. She has a high singing voice and regularly follows new fads. She lives alone but pays close attention to her curfew.

...................

They've only done 2 songs

BROKEN CORAL :

RIPTIDE RUPTURE:

Kinda surprised that a six-member band has only managed to create 2 songs, than again theirs so many other bands out there for them to compete with, like there rival band the BOTTOM FEEDERS. Funnily enough both of these bands debuted simultaneously and use classical instruments, but have conflicting styles. Not only that both bands rivalry fueled a performance of the ages. Ink Theory chose to participat in a battle of the bands where they faced off against the Bottom Feeders at a popular venue situated in Inkadia called ZAPP square.  Got no clue where this square is located, but it sounds like it was a blast to be at!

Yoko & the Gold Bazookas is a band in Splatoon 3. Their lineup consists of a trumpet (Yoko), trombone, and baritone saxophone, accompanied by a full rhythm section, as well as vocals. The band is a side project of Yoko and other members of Ink Theory. The band was formed when Yoko joined a jam session in Splatsville to test her skills. After getting along with the other musicians in attendance, they quickly formed a seven-member group.

As we all know by that 7th member is the mysterious and quite stylishly dressed Octoling Girl, who is highly likely based on the poisonous blue ringed octopus.

This band has three fresh and sizzling hot songs to their name...

Ska-Blam :

Three‐Ringed Circus:

Rockabilly Blues:

[luminary08]

I decided to draw some reference sheets for my agents/ocs so I wanted to post them here! Here is a quick rundown of everyone:

Ira/Agent 3/Captain:

Demigirl, They/Them, 15/17/22(Splatoon 1/2/3)

Laid-back and hardworking

Loves acting as the “cool and aloof mentor” but is actually a dork

As much of a Cuttlefish as Callie and Marie, thinks of them as older sisters and treats Cuttlefish with a lot of respect, lived with them when they became Agent 3, they moved out but they eventually moved back in again. They welcomed Ira back with open arms

Currently lives with the Squid Sisters in their apartment

Darby/Agent 4:

Trans guy, He/Him, 16/21

A social introvert with a heart of gold

Is the younger brother of Karla

Bro he has a little bit of anxiety

Was only in Inkopolis Square for a month due to school but had to leave. Is currently both studying and looking after his younger twin sisters at home

Doesn’t do a lot of agent work anymore due to his parents putting more pressure on him to study, which stresses him out

Karla/Agent 5:

Cis women, She/Her, 19/24

An enthusiastic social butterfly that loves teasing others

Is the older sister of Darby

Worked alongside Darby as Agents 4 and 5 due to seeing Darby go into a grate with a “mysterious and sketchy woman” so she was obviously worried. She learnt about the New Squidbeak Splatoon, got into a fight with Darby about him being Agent 4 but they did reconcile

As Agent 5, she mainly helped out Sheldon with gathering weapon data for his shop, which she managed to fully complete. Darby helped out when he was still in Inkopolis Square, but couldn’t after he moved back home. This took a few weeks to do.

Shares an apartment with Milo in Inkopolis Square, they get along very well

Has offered Darby her place to stay but he refused. She doesn’t know about their parents pressuring Darby to study, but she could definitely guess that it’s happening

Arien/Agent 8

Cis man, He/Him, 17/22

A stone-faced, stubborn amnesiac who just wants to relax

Has a big scar across his due to him failing tests, his are more recent than Milo’s

Intimidates people easily but is actually pretty chill

Works at Ammo Knights and is pretty content to work that job for life

He doesn’t know what to feel about Milo

Didn’t initially collect all of the mem cakes as Agent 8, but has since gone back and gotten them all, as well as having dealt with his “Inner Agent 3”

Really idolised Ira when they first met to the point of putting them on a pedestal, but has since worked on that and now views them as a close friend, although he still thinks they’re pretty cool

Moved to Splatsville for a change of pace, he actually offered Briar to come live with him after finding out that the newest NSS member was moving into Splatsville, but Briar declined, however they decided to move into the same apartment complex as him as neighbours instead

Milo/Agent 9

Nonbinary, They/Them, 20/25

A quiet amnesiac who keeps to themselves

Has a big scar across their back, like Arien’s but more faded, due to them failing tests

They only accompanied Arien in the Deepsea Metro. They didn't do a lot of tests with Arien. The reason they're called Agent 9 is due to Tartar calling them "Applicant 10,009"

Doesn’t speak or emote much but they’re slowing coming out of their shell

Was pretty much a zombie during their time in the Deepsea Metro so they don’t remember much.

They don’t remember anything prior to waking up and meeting Arien and Cuttlefish before they found Tartar and the rest of the Deepsea Metro. They don’t know if they want to

Is obsessed with humans and life before Inklings and Octolings

Lives with Karla in Inkopolis Square. Is really thankful that Karla offered them a place to stay, they’re really good friends

Feels like they’re drifting through life right now, although that might change when they wake up in an abandoned Inkopolis Square

Briar/Neo Agent 3

Agender, She/He/They, 16

A sassy smartass who is also a bit of a tsundere

Grew up in the Splatlands with Little Buddy/Pineapple, currently lives on the outskirts of Splatsville

Is partially fuzzy due to almost losing against Grizz but did win

Is actually working on how they act around others due to Ira’s influence and guidance

Does look up to Ira as a mentor but would rather be dead than her actually saying it to their face

Has a love-hate relationship regarding big clothes, sometimes he loves them, sometimes he hates them

Had no clue who Octavio was before Ira told them

Banned from Turf Wars and Anarchy Battles due to them being extremely ruthless in battle to the point of being violent. They actually started a wave of people using their weapons in an unintended way, which is also what got them banned

Loves messing around with Karla whenever she’s around, she also hangs out with Arien and he teaches her about things like social etiquette and living with others after having not done so before, like he’s talking from experience or something. He’s like a second mentor to Briar but not on the same level as Ira

To quickly explain the deal with Karla and Milo, I made them as Agents 4 and 8 when I decided to 100% Splatoon 2's single player and Octo Expansion. I got too attached to them however, and now they're actually in the story. In the story, Karla does get all of the weapon data for Sheldon, but Milo is not the one to get the mem cakes as it technically wouldn't count as Arien's mem cakes. Another thing I want to mention is that Milo's glasses partly change colour corresponding to a colour chip in Side Order.

Also yes, Milo is replacing Arien in my version of Side Order, it might give them more character development but we’ll see when the DLC releases. Some info may change over time however, I definitely want to post/draw more about them but I’ll see how this post does before I do anything.

[seffien]

any headcannons for your agents?

oh plenty, but let me keep it as short as i can

cap'n 3 (real name junko 'jun' ishikawa):

country kid who was entranced by inkopolis plaza's unusual (to her) look

was originally super cheerful and peppy before Various Incidents

very creative, but none of the adults in her life ever appreciated it

likes to draw (doesn't do it much now) and bought a bass guitar during the events of splat 1 because she loved squid squad that much

became suuuper close with gramps and the squid sisters (as a matter of fact, the 'jun' nickname came from marie) bc her own 'family' was. um.

being sanitized kind of ruined her a bit. her left eye is a slightly lighter shade than her other one to this day, and the sanitization gave her memory loss, an aversion to food, and general odd behavior for a while

looks menacing, is really kind of tired and also shy

gave 4 her old agent outfit (cape included) since she didn't really need it anymore

still cannot believe she's the captain

very different from her younger, happier, more awake self, but she tries not to think about that.

agent 4 (real name naoki 'masu' masuda):

parents wanted her to be a prodigy, and the pressure they put on her made her snap and run away. most pre-inkopolis square memories are deeply repressed

basically no one gave a shit about her when she first moved to inkopolis except for the splat 2 promo kid with the black v-neck tee. they're still kinda sorta friends

liked flow because she felt like she cared (and she actually kinda did)

pushes herself way too hard, somewhat self-conscious

got a few injuries during hero mode and was hesitant to let marie patch em up

straight up did not speak until callie got saved. still doesn't really talk much.

her and marie weren't super besties at first, the only reason they ever clicked was because they were both sad loners with negative self-esteem

'masu' came from eight, and she's kind of fond of the nickname

agent 8 (real name emiko 'miko' yamasaki):

marina found her real name in the octarian records seen in that one chat room session

actually was in a few kettles, was not very good

never wanted to fight, always wanted to write (poetry, specifically)

learned inkling from 4 and eventually 3

kept thinking 4's first name was masuda (it isn't.)

did not like going outside when she first arrived to the surface

wasn't an artist, but tended to draw hypothetical mem cakes of people she deemed important, like 3 and 4

smiles to cover up The Internal Suffering, almost no one ever buys it because a) it looks very fake and b) she never holds it. as soon as a stranger disappears, so does the smile

along with 3, callie, and marie, she consistently reminds 4 that she's stronger than she thinks and that she matters and isn't useless

terrifyingly good in turf and ranked, even won a championship that off the hook basically begged her to enter. she got a trophy and still thought 'cool i guess. no big deal.'

works at ammo knights in splat 3, and since she knows a thing or two about wounds n stuff from her time in the army, she's also the crew's medic

new 3 (real name veronika 'ronnie' yamada):

chill, goes with the flow, probably the happiest out of all the agents (not even that happy, it's a low bar to clear)

everyman when it comes to every mode (tableturf, turf, ranked, what have you)

cheers up people she's played with between matches if they're sad

oblivious to hiro's sort of obvious crush on her

barely redesigns her locker, and when they do, it's usually to add a sticker

used a fake ID to play turf in the splat 1 days, was tall for her age around that time. she still feels kinda guilty about it

waved back to deep cut post-RotM

found shiver chilling in the alternan ocean with master mega a few days after the events of RotM, got to pet him

a character who's just kind of. well. there

adopted kid of an inkling and an octoling, literally lived in a cabin in the woods. she's still in contact with them

resting face looks like smash ultimate young link's

steph and her are both acquaintances and besties. acquaintabesties. steph took care of them while they were sick and they took care of steph after she slosher machined her way into muscle atrophy (not actually, thankfully)

has a walkman and a boombox. doesn't even care what's official, just buys things from in-universe eBay

[paradoxcase]

Chapter 9 of Gideon the Ninth

It's actually hilarious that Harrow just left a whole bunch of snippy little notes for Gideon, and knew exactly where to put them/where she would look, I can't actually manage that even with snippy little notes I leave for myself. Or maybe Harrow actually left a ton of other snippy little notes that Gideon just didn't notice? I can't decide which of those ideas is better

Probably woefully incomplete list of things that Gideon doesn't know about:

Tea

Sinks

Bathtubs

NIghttime

and she describes bread as "yeast bread" which makes me wonder what the fuck kind of bread they have on Pluto usually. Do they just use baking powder? Yeast is probably hard to get on Pluto, but certainly not like, any harder than wheat, surely, and if Earth is an hour away by shuttle, you'd think it would be easy to get basic life-sustaining stuff like bread?

Also, like, I know we are doing the medieval-aesthetic-in-space thing, but like, plumbing is not advanced technology, our Middle Ages were just a bit whack like that. The fucking ancient Minoans had pressurized indoor plumbing and flush toilets, I'm just saying, it is not that difficult to make some water go down some pipes. Also, like, they clearly have non-water-based alternatives, but I don't think plumbing ever actually becomes obsolete. You kind of need it for basic sanitation stuff, any high tech replacement for it would probably cost way more and ultimately not be necessary anyway, since plumbing is not a hard problem. If the issue is just that Pluto doesn't have water... that's dumb, because Pluto needs water anyway, because water is like the #1 most incredibly basic necessity for sustaining life in any context

Gideon talks about necromancers "programming" skeletons, which instantly makes necromancy 10000% more interesting to me as a programmer. I would love to know more about how this works, but since Gideon is the narrator I suspect that will not happen. I'm guessing Harrow narrates the next book, though, so maybe then?

Ianthe really seems to love mocking her sister for being dumb, she is going to have an absolute blast with Gideon

Who the hell has twins that are both the heir to your house, and then names one of them "Corona"? This is like in the Sims 2 when the Pleasants named their twins "Angela" and "Lillith", and then were like shocked pikachu face when Lillith grew up to be the "evil" twin

Ianthe's line to Gideon sounds like a threat (if only one of the twins is a necromancer, it's definitely Ianthe), but I have no idea what she thinks Gideon has done to merit this?

Actually, since necromancy seems to be inherited, it should theoretically be possible for an heir to a house to not be a necromancer, although it seems to be implied so far that they all are, or are all assumed to be. Like, if Corona isn't a necromancer, why was she sent to First House in the first place? Are there like, necromancer squids?

Ianthe definitely doesn't have a skeletal arm yet, since Gideon would have mentioned that. I wonder how that happens?

[roseblues]

With the new school year fast approaching I thought it would be a good Idea to make a list of the films that really touched my soul this year. This is only part 1 out of 3 because I’m a bit tired lol.

1)September 2023

Battle Royale, 2000, directed by Kinji Fukasaku redefined a whole genre and without the movie, and the book it’s based on we wouldn’t have some of the tv and video games classic we have today such as Danganronpa, Squid Game, and others.

Battle Royale takes place in a dystopian future where the Japanese government forces students to kill each Inde the Battle Royale act. We mainly follow Shuya and Noriko as they try to survive and we watch with them as their friends succumb to the pressure and attempt to kill one another in different ways. I liked how the movie portrayed different aspects of the human spirit in case of danger and oppression. Some stick to each other and their morals, some fall into despair and others thrive in such environments. It’s definitely a classic and a diverting watch. I gave it a 7/10 because while I did like watching I was also a bit bored by the protagonists and I feel like the whole genre is better suited to a lengthier format.

2)October 2023

The Other Lamb, 2019, directed by Malgorzata Szumowska, is the story of Selah, living in a cult since birth with her sisters and mothers, while herself not having a mother of own. We follow Selah as she navigates her life, womanhood, and status all the while she’s being haunted by dreams and visions. All the while, she’s being groomed by her father, the Shepherd to whom every girl and woman in the cult has sworn allegiance to. If you love long wide shots of seemingly simple landscape and a touch of blood and some vague folklore vibe then you’ll probably like this movie as much as I did!

3)November 2023

Joy Ride, 2023, directed by Adele Lim, is one of the funniest comedies I’ve seen in my entire life! Audrey embarks on an adventure with her friends Lolo, Kat, and Deadeye to try and find Audrey’s Japanese birth mother to try and help her reconnect with her roots. Very raunchy and crude, and fast paced. The overall message is cute and of course as a comedy I personally find it hilarious.

[hiroshotreplica]

also can u infodump about ur agents

hi i will but its kind of a lot. Putting a break on this cause its long

Alister's a chill but still serious guy. He used to play turf war and ranked a ton as a kid while also working as agent 3 for the new squidbeak splatoon. His parents are missing. Cuttlefish took care of him cause of that, kinda treated him like a grandson. He almost outranked callie and marie in terms of skill before he was partially sanitized. He's a bit bad at taking care of himself. The only medication he's willing to take is his antidepressants. He loves the squid sisters and has so much merch of them, mainly from his youth. He has no fashion sense and will walk out of the house in the worst outfit you've ever seen thinking he did ok. He renamed the nss to neo squidbeak splatoon when he was promoted to captain. He loves his boyfriend josh a lot, ignore the fact they tried to kill each other in their first encounter. They live together.

Zara is cheerful and seemingly confident. But she thinks of herself as a fraud and is worried about people finding that out. She's good at her job as agent 4 and more but she focuses on her mistakes a lot. She is really good at building and using computers and the like. Her laptop is enhanced by octarian technology, she has reverse-engineered it. She prefers making friends more than splatting enemies, but knows when she needs to stop being friendly. She used to have a celebrity crush on Pearl and Marina when she was young. It didn't stick but she still loves the two. She has worked with them and still does as a social media manager. She is a lot less involved in agent work than she was as a kid due to her job + being with her girlfriend but she still loves it.

Josh is really mysterious, but still very talkative and nice. He has a lot of repressed memories. He's glad he can't remember some of them. He used to be a trainee in the octarian military. The calamari inkantation changed his life. He used to be a lot more daring and reckless, but he'll never remember. He's agent 8 of the new squidbeak splatoon. Something's wrong with him, but he's okay. He has a special interest (inkling culture) that he studies a lot. He isn't the best at socializing sometimes. He's loved alister since the two were stuck in the deepsea metro. He likes wearing most clothing, except for things that are tight. He loves loose, baggy sweaters. It took him awhile to do agent work, but he's good at it. He still can't play turf war matches with pink and teal as the ink colors without feeling dread. Ink bombs scare him a little.

Orion is a bit of a loner. He was recruited as agent 7, by his own request mainly. He's an old friend of josh, though josh doesn't remember that much, and josh seems like a completely different person. He worked in the octarian military until the domes stabilized. He mainly did it for his family, who he still visits often, no matter how awful travelling conditions are. He values connections the most despite insisting on going on missions alone often. He has a bit of an ego due to his experience. It won't ever hurt him though. He wants to train the new agents, though they're hard to work with. He doesn't mind.

Violet is the most energetic of the group. They feel a lot of pressure being neo agent 3, they have a feeling captain alister did a lot as agent 3, from what they've heard. They were an orphan that learned to survive in the wilderness with their best friend, scope. They got help from another soon-to-be close friend, too, and want to repay them by secretly letting them explore alterna (that will definitely go well). They love alterna. They hate the fuzzy ooze. Theyve been partially infected by the fuzzy ooze, though this doesnt show too much. Mr. grizz considered them partially mammalian when the two first met. They hated that. They want to be a pro splatterscope player when theyre older. They love the z+f one in particular. They do aim drills with their friends. They love their friends dearly.

Scope is quite rowdy but still well meaning. He had gotten lost from his family while on a salmon run, and violet had found him. He couldn't have asked for a better friend. He doesn't know his original name, he feels bad about it, he wants to learn about his culture. He's agent 5 for the neo squidbeak splatoon. He helps out violet on missions. He was apart of a family of stingers, and strives to be one himself. He really wants to work with violet as snipers some day.

I have an agent 6 in the works, but ill talk about them later

[revon-aurora-borealis]

i just realized like all of my splatoon ocs have been like in rough shit their entire lives but one wth bro

Miku: is Craig Cuttlefish's 3rd granddaughter, lived a happy and cheerful life alongside Callie and Marie

Ado: has a great life until her father Octavio forbade her from going into Inkling territory to hang out with her friends (Miku, Craig, Callie, Marie), and put under strict surveillance and strict teaching to become the perfect princess and future queen of the octarians

Agent 4 oc: Inktoling born in octoling territory, her parents died when she was young so she was forced to always be on the run especially because she mostly resembled an Inkling

Khoi: his parents were really nice to him but he lived Octarian territory so uh, shit was rough, he was quickly noted as prodigy in fighting and quickly became an elite Octoling soldier who guarded Octavio himself, he wishes to please others and do everything that they ask of him, so he is really scared of like... literally being himself until he meets Callie

agent 8 oc: she is Khoi's little sister and is a prodigy in basically everything biological so she also had a shit ton of pressure on her shoulders from a very young age

warning: really triggering stuff:

Ayu: was orphaned and poor until he joined an idol organization, then was abused by fellow group members, a scandal caused a fallout of the group and left him without purpose, so he got super depressed and suicidal, until he met Shoyo right as he tried to fall to his death, eventually he found purpose in life and started career as basically an idol type person independently and this time with no lies and secretsx he also is an upbeat goofball

Shoyo: hes a salmonoid and got lost and ended up far away from home

Prya: was born in Octarian territory and raised to be a solider, she isnt a prodigy but like most Octarians, she is a strong mf you dont want to mess with

edit: so i havent thought out all the details and forgot squids and octos like can resist falls from super tall heights so instead ayu decides to jump off a bridge into some toxic water

[jbaileyfansite]

GQ Hype Interview (2022)

Jonathan Bailey felt lost and didn’t know what to do with himself. It was March 2020, and for nearly a year, the British actor had been immersed on the set of Bridgerton, Netflix’s horny and ornate period drama set in a fictional and fantastical 19th-century London. The show’s debut was months away, but working on it was consuming just about every conscious moment of Bailey’s life; his usually modern, slicked-back hair had been permed into the style of his character, Lord Anthony Bridgerton, a lothario of landed gentry, with two sharp muttonchops stroked against his cheek. “It was like being a part of some social experiment,” he thought. A wonderful abduction in which he’d be lifted from his normal life and sent tumbling like a stray astronaut into space, crashing into a new planet. 

Here, on planet Bridgerton, gracious ringlet-haired women danced in ballgowns to string quartet covers of Billie Eilish, charming potential suitors who were fucking and flirting their way through the city, while an anonymous columnist would chronicle everybody’s secrets and stir up drama for London’s aristocracy. Until Bridgerton, Bailey’s own modest fame had stemmed from nearly three decades in theatre and television: popular prime-time detective drama Broadchurch, programmes from prestige talents, including Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum and Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Crashing, as well as prolific spells on West End stages, most notably in a  gender-swapped reimagining of Stephen Sondheim’s classic Company, for which he won a best supporting actor Olivier Award.

“When you do a play, you share it with the audience every night,” says Bailey of his fondness for the stage. But then you’re done. Working on a period set such as Bridgerton was all-enveloping. After season one wrapped, Bailey should have been able to rest and recharge. But weeks later, the pandemic shut down the UK and, like everyone else, he found himself stuck in that gloomy malaise.

And then Bridgerton landed like a confetti bomb posted through his front door when it hit Netflix on Christmas morning. Suddenly, Bailey was on video calls with breakfast television and E! News from his bedroom. The first season of the Shonda Rhimes production went massive: some 82 million households watched the show over the festive season and into January 2021, a chart-topping figure only recently surpassed by Squid Game. The show’s second season, out in March, will be loaded with the expectation of a large and attentive audience, and for Bailey, there’s an added layer of pressure: Anthony will take the centre as the season’s main character. “The idea that [Bridgerton] is coming out again is a bit of a rug pull,” he says. “It’s quite scary.”

Bailey and I meet in Hyde Park during that strange limbo week between Christmas and New Year. He blends in well with his surroundings, wearing a black Gore-Tex jacket and green corduroy trousers. The signature muttonchops, which he grew himself for the show’s first season, are dialled down this time around – “a glow-up” for the character, he says with a laugh. Bailey had just returned to London after a holiday in Switzerland, though he’s spent much of his free time recently at a quiet spot in Sussex. It shielded him somewhat from the hysteria of the show’s success, which propelled its last two leads into new spheres of fame: Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Bailey’s onscreen sister, Daphne Bridgerton, will executive produce and star in the buzzy Amazon series Exciting Times. And the man who played her onscreen lover Simon Basset, Regé-Jean Page, will appear in 2023’s Dungeons & Dragons reboot.

We sit with our coffees on a bench by the Italian Gardens. At 33, Bailey doesn’t seem eager to get noticed on the street. Dispositionally, he’s one of those actors who’d rather work than be famous, who is more comfortable reciting Dickens for a small audience than he is wearing designer clothes on the red carpet. That he’s in this position at all feels both like a fluke and completely serendipitous.

Bailey grew up in Benson, a South Oxfordshire village of fewer than 5,000 people. When he was a child, his parents sent him to dance classes after he was inspired by a stage version of Oliver! he’d seen age four. He won his first part three years later, playing Tiny Tim in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of A Christmas Carol. (When reached for comment, the show’s director, Ian Judge, admired his success but couldn’t really remember him. “Humbling! Put that in there,” Bailey says.) Around the same time, his older sisters, who’d left home for university, would return for odd weekends, armed with stories of city nightlife. They would play Bailey pop and disco classics from a compilation CD called Dance to the Max – “queer anthems” – by artists such as Freddie Mercury and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. “I’d have to go up to my room and perfect the performance,” he says, before coming downstairs to sing and dance for his family.

Historically, he’s played valuable supporting roles that bolster a show’s narrative but has rarely occupied the main spotlight. Until this season of Bridgerton, one of his only other lead television roles was in a BBC children’s show based on the life of Leonardo da Vinci. “I’ve never gone into a screen test and had the ‘That’s him!’ reaction,” says Bailey. “I’ve always crept round through the back door.”

It was during his teen years that Bailey learned how to perform as someone he wasn’t, as many queer people do growing up outside big cities. He attended Magdalen College School in Oxford, a nearly 550-year-old institution that counts saints, sirs, and the composer Ivor Novello as past alumni. Bailey came out to family and friends in his early 20s and is, today, one of the few gay British actors working onscreen whose roles don’t seem defined wholly by their sexuality. Bridgerton has made him a sex symbol to many men and women, but he doesn’t like to talk about it. “Any actor who thinks they’re a sex symbol? Cringe,” he says. 

I wonder whether his career decisions and his sexuality have stood in direct opposition to each other; if he ever felt the need to suppress that side of himself to get ahead. He recalls a story concerning a callous word of advice that someone once gave an actor friend during pilot season. “At the time he was told, ‘There’s two things we don’t want to know: if you’re an alcoholic or if you’re gay.’” The words stuck with Bailey. “All it takes is for one of those people in that position of power to say that, and it ripples through,” he says. “So, yeah, of course I thought that. Of course I thought that in order to be happy I needed to be straight.” The thing that’s always led Bailey’s decision-making in his career has been his own happiness, which is why it took so long for him to talk publicly about his own sexuality: “I reached a point where I thought, ‘Fuck this’, I’d much prefer to hold my boyfriend’s hand in public or be able to put my own face picture on Tinder and not be so concerned about that, than get a part.” 

That instinct to stay true to himself is part of what makes him good at his job. “Jonny operates at a different voltage,” says Phoebe Waller-Bridge, his Crashing co-star. “He’s a meteorite of fun with an incredible amount of energy and playfulness. Smouldering at one turn and then utterly innocent at the next, but all the time playing with this sense of untapped danger. That is the quality I love most about Jonny as a person and as a performer: his danger.”

Bridgerton is based on a series of New York Times best-selling romance novels by American author Julia Quinn, and Bailey treats the source material with the same level of tact and seriousness as he would King Lear. What might seem like a straightforward, frothy show about scandal and romance in Regency-era England harbours a deeper meaning to Bailey, specifically in playing a philanderer such as Anthony. As a teenager, period dramas were a Bailey household staple, but “you never really got behind the men,” Bailey observed, “or know why they’re avoidant and toxic.” This season, Bailey gets to dig into the show’s narrative, exploring exactly why the show’s men are avoidant and toxic. Anthony yearns to settle down, but struggles to find a woman deserving of the title of Lady Bridgerton. The shots of Anthony’s post-coital buttocks and his flippant remarks about women’s inadequacies could be seen as signs of a crass and shallow character. But Bailey sees them as symptoms of a man grieving the loss of his father, and who is struggling to assume the patriarchal position. “Going into the first season, I wanted to fully break Anthony,” the show’s creator Chris Van Dusen says, “so that we could put him back together in the second.”

Bailey, meanwhile, says that he “started to think about [Anthony’s] charm,” and specifically “what it means to be a rake, and how his anxiety and self-hatred plays into that.” Anthony also forced Bailey to, in his words, “think about love a lot.” It’s one of the few allusions to his personal life that Bailey seems to drop, almost by accident: “You put your life experiences into [the work]. What’s most interesting is not necessarily having to talk about what that is, and keeping a sense of privacy.” He’s navigated that carefully, the balance between being affable and guarded when the circumstances call for it. His Company costar, Broadway legend Patti LuPone, remembers the former most fondly. “He’s quite open as a human being,” she tells me. “I love him.”

After Bridgerton’s release, an old friend, Marianne Elliott, Company’s Tony Award-winning director, reached out and gave Bailey what he considers one of the greatest holy-shit moments of his career: an opportunity for them to work together again. “We’d read many scripts with the specific task of finding something for Jonny Bailey,” she tells me. Eventually, they settled on Cock, premiering this spring, a scintillating, dialogue-heavy and stage-directionless Mike Bartlett play about a man named John, his ex-boyfriend (played by Taron Egerton), and the woman that he’s fallen for.

That side of things, the award-winning work, has helped catalyse Bailey’s other holy-shit moments, which seem to be happening with more frequency. These days, producers approach him to offer roles: the days of creeping through the back door are over. Often, these projects clash with Bailey’s Bridgerton schedule, and some producers will say, “No, don’t worry. We’ll wait”. I joke that it must be strange to have people waiting for him now, and Bailey retreats inside himself. Hands in his pockets, a little embarrassed. But smiling. “Yeah…I mean…that sounds…I can say that now but, you always think they’re going to move on – and it’s only for a moment,” he says sheepishly. Bridgerton is wonderful, he adds, “but in 20 years, you don’t want to be famous. You want a sustained career.”

SOURCE

[glowwormsmith]

WIP Wednesday (finally on time!)

I was tagged by @nightwingshero, thank you for the tag! Sorry I’ve been so lazy on getting to tags, I promise I will get to more one day!

Tagging @deputyash @teamhawkeye @featheredcritter @baldurrs @chazz-anova @thefathersbride and anyone who sees this and wants to show some writing, no pressure as always~

Sooooo, I don’t have nay FC stuff, BUT I can share two WIPS from different fandoms: one is from One Piece that is semi self-indulgent OCxcanon/OC-focused. The other is a massive crossover/AU of Dead by Daylight, with this chapter focusing on Dany and Jon being dragged to the Entity’s Realm. Also self-indulgent on my end with some changes to characters and lore but isn’t all fanfic self-indulgent to varying degrees? Anyways, here’s some snippets, enjoy!

One Piece (T; mentions of slavery, cartoony violence)

“I’ll take care of the slimy weirdo and you deal with big boy!” Pearl said before running towards Throckmorton and the captive girl, sweeping the other mooks away with two thick strands of her hair; some fell overboard and others were knocked out. The squid fish-girl yelped and scuttled up the rigging, watching the two, though the redhead with a knowing glance. She…can’t be…I’m saved!

Throckmorton giggled as he lifted Briallen up with a slime “arm” in front of him like a human shield. It was green and oozing. “Come any closer and I will suffocate this girl to death in my ooze, little one. I’m Throckmorton the Fool, a Slime Human with the power of the Slime-Slime Fruit. Nice to slime you!”

Pearl made a grossed-out face, but watched a struggling Briallen carefully. “So you’re living slime? That’s yucky!”

“I may be yucky, but everything becomes stucky when I touch them. C’mere, brat!” Throckmorton tried to launch his other arm at Pearl, who used her hair to leap into the air and out of his reach.

“HAIRY ROLL!” Pearl’s hair enveloped her into a ball and she rolled down onto a panicking Throckmorton, who turned into slime and oozed away, accidentally dropping Briallen as he did so. She scuttled off to Thea’s side, who was busy drinking from a glass bottle and regaining her breath.

“Bri, are you alright!?” Thea asked in relief.

Briallen nodded as she and Thea turned to see Pearl had unrolled at the last second and land gently near them. She turned to grin at the two.

“Glad you’re okay! I’d shake your hand, but it looks yucky!”

“Thank you, uh, Pearl, was it? Ah, look out!” The three barely avoided the giant fist of green slime as Throckmorton faced them, all slime.

“You wretched girl! You made me lose my hostage! Forget sparing you for slaves, I’m going to stuckily kill you!”

“I can’t punch him, or I’ll stick to him and it’ll go through…” Pearl said as she kept watch of her opponent, with Briallen and Amalthea behind her. She barely heard Gilly’s grunts of pain, but did not take her eyes off Throckmorton as Thea dashed to Gilly.

“I’ll help your friend. Take care of my sister!”

“Be careful, Thea-sorelle!” Briallen said and let out a cry as Throckmorton let out a stream of slime at them.

“HAIRY SHIELD!” Pearl created a hair barrier for the two and felt it take a beating from the slime. “Crap, crap, CRAP! This won’t hold forever!”

“Slihihihihi! It’s stucky time!!” Throckmorton then stopped and the girls looked over their shield to see the squid fish-girl splashed him with a bucket of water, making him corporal again.

“Now’s your chance! He can’t go into his slime form when he’s wet!” the squid girl said. She looked to be the same age as Gilly with a well-built figure and muscular arms. She had light gray/off-white skin, three arms on each side and suckers on the forearms, black eyes, a beak-like nose, plump lips, light brown hair choppily cut into a bob with blond on the tips, and wearing a sky-blue sleeveless blouse over a white tank top, black ripped shorts under a peach-colored hip skirt, and short-heeled black boots. She also had a steel collar around her neck.

“Mara, you bit—KAHHHH!” Throckmorton said as Pearl also shouted simultaneously, “HAIRY DOUBLE FIST!!” and launched two hair fists into his face, knocking him out cold.

The squid girl called Mara dashed forward and tied up both Babette and Throckmorton as quick as she could with rope, and then giving Pearl a thumbs-up. “Nice work, kiddos!”

 “Err, not that I don’t appreciate the help, but aren’t you on their side?” Pearl asked with her head tilted.

 “No way! Look at the slave collar they got on me!” the fish-girl said, pointing to the collar. “They’ve had me as a slave on this blasted boat for two years now, zapping me when I fight back! Also, I only put out the flames so the slaves below deck will be okay. But now that O’Malley’s daughter is here, I’m taking back my own life!”

“Eh, you know Gilly? Ah, speaking of which, looks like they took care of big boy!” Pearl added when there was a huge thud and the boat shook as the man went down. Gilly looked battered, but was no worse for wear alongside Thea, who was still pale and slightly shaking but had some energy back.

“Hah, and here “Big Belly Borys” was sayin’ he had a Devil Power and he wasn’t that tough at all!”

“Ah, but you are bleeding a bit, um…?” Thea said as she took out a cloth and a small vial.

“O’Malley D. Gillian, but my friends call me Gilly!” Gilly said proudly as Thea touched her lip with the vial. “Ah, thanks, but it does sting! It’s no big deal, it’s kinda embarrassing!”

“Oh, quit being a baby! I’m all done. I’m Amalthea and this is my sister, Briallen. Thank you both for the aid,” Thea said politely. “I feared the worst was going to happen.”

“There’s no fear when you have the help of Bell Pearl and her sidekick, Gilly! We also had help from Mara here, too!” Pearl added, pointing to the squid fish-girl.

Gilly then looked to the others and her eyes widened in realization. “Oh, Mara…shit, Mara, you’re okay!”

“Yep, good to see you again too, Gills!” Mara said as the two hugged…and then the happy moment was ruined when Mara brought down her three right arms onto Gilly’s forehead, causing a startled reaction from the other three. It was a miracle Gilly’s head didn’t split open from a fish-folk’s strength.

“You dumbass! If it hadn’t been for your crazy antics, we wouldn’t have been launched across the bloody sea, separated from my mom and the gang, and I wouldn’t be enslaved by these dingbats!” Mara shouted.

Gilly then headbutted Mara’s face and got right in it. “I’m sorry, Cala-Mara, I recall you were SO excited to take on that whirlpool bitch. “Wow, gee whizz, Gills, I betcha we can take that Char-Rib-Dis on, no problem”!”

“Ack, you’re putting all the blame on me!? No way, no way, Gills! But now’s not the time for squawkin.’ Now that I found you, we’re getting back home if it’s the last thing I—AHHHH!”

 The two stopped bickering when Mara’s shock collar zapped her and she fainted once it was done. Gilly caught her friend in her arms and the four girls turned to see the enemy captain had recovered and was facing them. He no longer had a smile and looked furious, holding a remote in his hand.

“Stupid fish. We should have chopped her up ages ago, always plotting against me,” Sylvester cursed.

Gilly gritted her teeth and laid her friend gently on the floor. Standing up, both she and Pearl faced him with dangerous glints in their eyes. Thea and Briallen rushed to Mara to administer aid. “What do I always say about trash like this, Pearlie?”

“Only good slaver is a dead one,” Pearl said, looking serious and grim, her hair tendrils raised up.

DBD/ASOIAF (M; some violence/blood/gore)

She had never run so fast in her life, but Daenerys was pleased to see she was quite good at keeping this monster occupied with the chase. She learned that pallets could be dropped to block or stun, and she could vault over windows or low edges. She must have explored every inch of this hellhole as the Oni chased her. And as she saw when he absorbed her blood earlier and how he downed a perfectly healed David and injured Elodie, he was powerful enough to hit all survivors down once he consumed enough blood. She was able to keep from being hit in the entire time she was distracting the Oni, to the point she could feel his anger rising every time he failed to catch her.

He finally got a hit on her when she was distracted by a strange sound and the sound of creaks, but she dashed off. They mentioned the gates. That new sound must be the gates. I have to find them...

She felt a pang of relief as she saw Elodie and Max at the gate, both relatively healthy as Elodie was holding a strange handle to open the door. The younger girl was holding something peculiar in his hands. “He’s coming! Hurry, please, hurry!”

“Almost...got it...!” Two red lights were lit and a third came on as the doors groaned opened slowly. Just as she saw them dash ahead and she gained a burst of energy...

“Gahh!!” She fell to the ground from the blade’s sharp steel, hitting the bricked pavement hard. She looked up to see Elodie had gone far ahead, looking back in worry and horror, but unable to stop or turn back. There were bricked columns surrounding the opening and dead grass flying in the breeze. She couldn’t see Max.

At least they are free... Dany looked up with a glare at her assailant, triumphant as he flicked his blade and her blood splattered onto the ground and her cloak. She could not discern his grumbling murmurs.

Will he kill me, or put me on a hook for that spider creature? Either way, I shall not go down meekly...Dany rolled onto her back and feebly kicked out at the Oni, which seemed to give amusement from the beast as he lowly chuckled. He sheathed his sword and picked her up by her arm, nearly tearing it from her socket as he slung her over his shoulder, barely missing the spiked shoulder guards. As he began to leave the area and Dany struggled as she watched her freedom shrink away...

A young battle cry resounded and a bright flash of light hit the Oni’s face, and Dany felt herself fall hard to the ground. In her surprise, she felt her sore arm grabbed by Max as the girl pulled her to the exit, the long item that had saved her in her other hand. The enraged shout fo the Oni trailed after them as they did not look back, running through a darkened field of nothingness. In the distance, Dany could see a fire light and the figures of other people, and she could let out the gasping sobs she had been holding in.

Out of the match....but not in a place I know...

[fateofblack]

Fate of Black: Chapter 7

Fate of Black: Chapter 7

It had been a about two weeks since the incident with the red-haired boy had stopped Hermione and his attempt to pressure the girl into a date with him. She continued to get dirty looks from the boy and a handful of his friends. His sister Ginny however had actively come up to her during her resting at the Black Lake later that day. That had somehow led to a conversation between the two as well as the girl’s girlfriend , Luna, that had met them out there. Since then the three of them would find time in the library between their studies and Hermione’s meetings with her favored professor.

“Hey! You must be Hermione, right?” Hermione looked in the direction of the sound of the voice to find another of the redheaded children heading in her direction. Hermione allowed for her wand to slip from its holster into her hand preparing to rebound anything that would come her way.

“Uh. Yes?” The female redhead smiled, well more like beamed at her with how bright it was.

“So, I…uh heard about what my brother did…” The girl awkwardly rubbed her neck and continued to watch her.

“Ah, yeah, that. Look, I’m not going to apologize for turning him down. Nor will I apologize for nearly removing his vital part from his body.” Hermione sighed as she looked back towards Black Lake her thoughts swimming through her head.

“No! No, that’s not what I’m here for, at all.” Ginny smiled when Hemione turned back to her in surprise. “Quite honestly, he would have deserved…uh that. From what I hear he, was being an absolute prat. He tends to do that, when he doesn’t get what he expects is owed to him.” Ginny looked over the lake in thought for a moment. “Would…would it be alright if I sat with you?”

“I don’t own the lake, nor your body. You are welcome to do as you please.” Hermione returned her wand to its holster when the redhead sat beside her. The two of them sat in peace looking out over the water of the lake, every so often they would see the giant squid up towards the surface almost as if it was waiting for one of them to either jump in or fall in.

“So, I wanted to ask you a question…” the younger girl gently chewed on her lip, like a nervous tick.

Hermione turned to the redhead and lifted her eyebrow to her. “And what might that be?”

“I’ve seen you, in the library, sometimes ya know.” The girl paused deep in thought trying to formulate what she wanted to say and how she wanted to say it.

“If you’re going to ask me out, I will have to politely decline…” Hermione started, causing the redhead to start laughing loudly.

“No! Gods, no!” Ginny continued to laugh as if what the other girl had said was entirely preposterous. “Nothing against you, at all.” Ginny had to take time laughing more before she was finally able to calm herself. “Sorry, don’t get me wrong I guess technically you are my type to an extent…just I’m…kinda dating someone already.”

“Alright, so now that we know you are not here to ask me on a date. What can I assist you with?” Hermione looked the redhead over and smiled softly in relief if knowing that there wouldn’t be a repeat of the earlier incident.

“I’ve seen you sometimes in the library, literally every day. I’ve also noticed that you happen to be…good with magic. Quite honestly, bloody brilliant from what I’ve seen.” Ginny sighed loudly and sent her hands through her hair in frustration. Hermione decided to give the younger girl some time to formulate her sentences, so she sat quietly staring out over the lake. “Would you be willing to teach me?”

Hermione looked back at the girl again surprise etched across her face once more. “What do you mean?”

Ginny teased her bottom lip between her teeth again as she worked on formulating what she wanted to say again. “You are too smart for this place, like I said literally bloody brilliant. You can understand magic in a way that a lot of people don’t.” Ginny looked at Hermione and smiled softly. “And honestly, I have seen how you…work, how you function if that makes any sense…at all.” She shook her head laughing at her own words as if attempting to make sense of them herself. “I want to learn from someone…who doesn’t see magic as something that has known it since the day they were born. I want to learn how to control my own abilities in a way that…is better.”

Hermione let her knees pull up as she draped her arms over them in thought. “Would you be able to clarify…?”

Ginny lets out a frustrated chuckle and groans again her body flopping over to lay down in the grass fully. Her arms flung out at her sides. “I’ve watched you do magic; I’ve watched the wordless and wandless magic you do. In the library, not as a creepy stalker type. Honestly Luna, my girlfriend was the one who pointed it out to me.” Ginny continued to watch the sky. “And when you do that magic its…not just magic, there’s more to it. Bloody hell, I wish Luna was here to help me explain it.”

It was almost as if it was right one que when the blonde haired Ravenclaw made her way merrily down the slope to the Black Lake. “Ah Ginny, there you are. I suspected you might need me here for something important.” The girl seemed to be missing her shoes, but her attention was on the redhead. Ginny sat up abruptly the smile on her face making it clear who the blonde-haired girl was.

“Hey, what do you know! Just the girl I was hoping to see!” Ginny hopped up to stand pulling the blonde girl into her arms hugging her tightly. “Hey there snapdragon.” Ginny beams and places her head against the other girls in a comforting manner. “Did they take your shoes again love?”

“The nargles seem to have taken flight with them again.” She presses the side of her face against her girlfriends. “But more on you. I sensed you would be in need of some assistance.” Her dreamy gaze lands on Hermione, who feels awkward in being involved in such an intimate moment between the two lovers. “Hello, you must be Hemione” The girls smile was kind, and her eyes were wise for someone of her youth.

“I…well uh yeah…” Hermione nodded her head and gave the girls questioning looks. “Is…something wrong?” She blinks between the two of them and worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m gonna take a guess you must be Luna? Excuse me for not getting up to shake hands or anything.” Luna smiled kindly at her once again.

“Not at all, would it be alright if we joined you?” This put Hermione off, all the asking all the kindness. Much less from a Gryffindor.

“As I told your girlfriend, I don’t own the lake, nor your body. You’re welcome to do as you please.” The two girls sit beside one another to enjoy in the silence for a moment. “Ginny here said she needed your assistance in explaining something to me, about a request to teach her.” Hermione looked out over the lake once again.

“Ah, so my intuition was right on the nose it seems.” Luna takes a moment in thought pondering her own words on the subject. “We’ve seen you, well, I have seen you in a different way than Ginny has. But we have both seen you, your magic, its different from most peoples. Let alone anyone’s here. You have a certain kind of fire within you and your aura tends to be in the purest forms of magics, old magics.”

“Would you care to expand upon what it is you mean?” Hermione arches her eyebrow and continues to look out at the Black Lake.

“Can, I ask you to do something for a moment?” Luna speaks up after several minutes of thinking on how best to explain it.

“That depends I suppose, on what it is you are asking me to do.” The brunette finally turns to the two girls looking peaceful leaning up against one another.

“I know you have no reason to trust me, not after all of your experiences. But I would like you to feel your magics. Close your eyes breathe in and cast a spell like you would wandlessly and wordlessly, envision the happenings of the spell. And tell me what you notice.”

“What in…the world are you talking about?” Hermione’s eyes flash darkly over the two girls. She is showing as someone distrustful of others ready to lash out like the snake in a pit.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Neither of us will, I understand its hard to trust others. But just this once, would you be willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt?” Luna calmly responds the kind smile still gracing her lips as she looks over at the brunette. “You can even have our wands, you know…for your own safety.” Luna holds out her wand for her to take it, before nudging Ginny to do the same, who in turn warily hands out her wand as well.

Hermione looks over the two wands being held out to her, grip end first before looking over the girls again. She reaches out and takes the wants with caution and sets them inside of her robes for safe keeping, before closing her eyes and doing as was asked of her. Taking a deep breath, she smells the scent of something distinctly lake water. The air surrounding her holds a twinge of magic scent, both of her own and the two girls beside her. She smells lavender coming from the redhead but a spiced scent mixed in. As for Luna, it is a smell of the moon itself, the wind in the night brushing over the treetops. As for herself it was the scent of parchment and fresh ink scrawled over the pages. Upon casting a simple lumos she was able to see something from behind her eyelids beyond the light. It was as if a red string was reaching out from the center of her being directed towards the center of the same ball of light before her. Hermione’s eyes flew open quickly the string disappearing from her view.

“What….what the fuck was that?” Hermione asked to the two girls that still sat staring out over the lake. The ball of light disappeared from the sky as the brunette looked around.

“You have a deeper connection with magic than most others. I’ve seen it in you. It took longer for Ginny to see it, but when she did, she tried to do magic the way you have. I’ve even tried it, but it never happens. But for you, every moment of magic is as if it is tied to the Fates themselves.” Luna smiles in thoughts. “You have the highest scores across the boards, even with taking on the extra classes for your third year. You have mastered both wandless and wordless magic, you had those mastered in your third year.”

“Yeah…what of it?” Hermione had begun to feel uncomfortable with the knowledge this girl had.

“We, both Ginny and I, would like for you to teach us.” Luna looked directly into Hermione’s eyes, her eyes showing nothing but kindness and truth when she did so.

“Me? Teach you, what? Why?” Hermione was even more confused at this point. “I’m not a teacher…I’m just some muggleborn nobody, who just happened to end up in the wrong place.” She shrugged and looked back out over the lake again thinking quietly. The silence between the three of them passing comfortably as they enjoyed the peace sitting out by the lake.

“So what do you say, Granger?” Ginny smiled over at her, “To be quite honest its not like the crazy pink toad is teaching us much of anything.”

Hermione let out a laugh and shook her head. “Are all of you Weasleys so persistent?”

Ginny let out a full laughter her head falling back as she shook her head. “Hey now, I’m nowhere near as bad as my brother. Honestly, I feel like you are the best bet for someone like me, someone like Luna here. Not as a guardian –“

“Me a guardian to you, a great fireball of energy. No, no, you’re not the type to need a guardian. I’ve heard you across the Great Hall pounding into your brother before.” The sun had begun to set and the time for dinner was falling upon them. Standing up Hermione brushes off her robes and holds her hand to help her…companions(?) up. “But, I suppose I have no reason to say no.”

Ginny allowed a bright smile to cross her features once again and nodded her head. “Yes!” Her excitement overwhelmed the brunette but thankfully Luna held the girl back from attempting to hug her.

“Easy, Ginny, remember what I have told you.” Luna turned to her partner calming her moment of excitement as Hermione stood awkwardly out of reach from the exuberance.

“Ah, yeah you likely wont be wanting hugs from a redhead so soon after my prat of a brother this morning. But thank you.” Ginny nodded her head still beaming.

“And, I suspect you’ll want these back?” Hermione allowed the wands to float in front of the two girls wandlessly and wordlessly.

“Thank you” Luna bowed her head to the brunette as if she was royalty before tugging her girlfriend away to return to the Great Hall. Hermione watched them leave before following closely after them to make her own way to the great hall.

Her meeting that night had ended rather early on account of Severus receiving an urgent notice to meet someone outside of the school.  While she had fussed with him momentarily over the state of his quick exit of the room.

“Oh do you have a date Professor?” he scowled at her and rolled his eyes as he rushed out of the room telling her it was time to leave. Honestly she had simply assumed that it was something to do with the so called Dark Lord with his urgency. So she assisted him in cleaning up the area and left him with a comment to be careful.

He had returned the next morning with a look of nothing happened. He didn’t have any further late night calls but he had continued conversation with whomever had called him out that night.That is was confused her even more, as she knew that he wouldn’t be able to have conversations with that man under the watchful eye of the Ministers watchdog. While his refusal to discuss something as sensitive as what had happened that day or during those conversations, he did inform her that when the time came he would discuss the information with her.

With that promise she accepted what he offered her, worry still clouded some of her moments during practice. Her new companions didn’t make a point to bring her discomfort up they accepted that she had her own battles and demons to handle.

The three of them instead worked on how Hermione understood magics in her ways. She would go over the grueling factors that pushed her to where she was, only towards the first part of her fifth year. She explained her initial accidents during her first year and the Headmasters response to the behaviors that pushed her down the path she was currently encapsuled in. She laughed about her childish attempts at performing far too advanced for her level  out by the black lake the first year.

“Ah yes, that was certainly an embarrassing moment for certain. I had attempted to perform Augue, fried the shit out of my hand.” Hermione shook her head at the memory. “Sev….I mean Professor Snape was furious with me. Honestly that is how we started with our evening training sessions.”

“You mean the same potions master that we as Gryffindors must endure?” The redhaired girl chuckled softly.

“The one and the same.” Hermione laughed softly causing Madame Pince to shush them. “Sorry!!” Hermione bowed her head to the notes she was going over with the two girls and they snickered to themselves.

It was a new thing for Hermione, but there was no judgement from the two of them. And they had slowly began to talk more about other things. Ginny herself talking about the poor homelife she suffered under the arrogance of the youngest son. She did comment on how she missed her older brothers Fred and George and their once closeness. Hermione didn’t speak up about much of her own life, as she still didn’t feel safe, or comfortable around others. They never judged her about speaking as little as she did beyond her training. Luna was the more curious of the two in Hermione’s mind, each time she would address her as ‘celsitudinem tuam’. Hermione would ask her about it, and she would only receive a knowing look. Luna never answered her directly, and their conversations would continue to where it was beforehand.