#so in getting rid of that the characters feel less appealing

[aloonaram]

This artwork (link below) is giving me sooo many ideas for jayvik x hp crossovers, especially post s2 …. I used to be SUCH A FIEND for harry potter crossover fics (still a fiend for crossover fics in gen) and it would be so cool if like after jayvik get zapped away by the stone they come out the other side in the hp universe and then have to learn how to navigate this world where magic exists?? But in a different form from the arcane and its revered in a way?? and an entire secret society and school exists just to teach kids magic?? And in this school theres no tech, no engineering?? Plus not to mention all the political bs as well omg

And how would they get involved with the school in first place…maybe they pop right into the school? I wish i remembered more from the books bc i feel like theres totally an event i could use but I just can’t remember much outside from like the first two books 😭

If anyone wants to brainstorm with me feel free bc like i said i loooooveee crossovers and now that im finally on break (and i have adderall now) I think i might actually start some fics

Art is here btw

[tinydefector]

Hi, since the requests are open, could you write brainstorm x human or perceptor x human SFW/NSFW at your discretion. I just read your book "Human's effects" and I really liked the way you wrote brainstorm. Have a nice day.

Human effects 11 - Brainstorm

So I'll be doing more of these with characters, and if I have another part asked for Brainstorm on this series, it will be a smut piece.

Brainstorm x Human reader

Warnings: light lust mention

Word count: 2.7k

Masterlist

Brainstorm masterlist

Human effects masterlist

__________________

Brainstorm's optics focus on the data pad in his servos, a hum resonates from him along with a small chirp as he filters through the multiple different subjects he had been doing research on. His processor aches from the amount of engex he had consumed the cycle before while at swerves.  The seeker haphazardly pays attention as he walks down the hallway of the corridors of the ship toward the lab, his optics flicker when they lock on the one of  liaisons, very specifically the Ambassador that he along with many others from the night before hand had been ‘fantasises’ about. 

 

 He had so many questions he wanted to ask them in person about human biology but in honesty didn't know where to start, they were an organic species, bipedal mammals who in many aspects were very similar to Cybertronians. His optics linger on them, taking in their frame type, tone and all up rather visual appeal. He could understand why humans were so sought after on the black market, they were soft and rather plus from what he could observe. 

" heya stormy" they call out with a smile as they make their way over to him. Brainstorm jolts from his musings, systems heating with embarrassment at being caught distracted by his thoughts, his engine lets out a hitched whine as fans whirl. But their smile seems warm, non-judgmental, and he relaxes fractionally, they didn't have the ability to read his processor, he was fine he rationalised to himself. 

"Ah, greetings, Ambassador!” He attempts to mask the fluster that was creeping across his plating, wings twitching lightly. "Lovely sol to find you up and about, I wasn't expecting to see you down in the labs this Cycle." He pauses with a. Raised optic rid wondering why they were down their way, they normally didn't make it a habit to visit the scientist. 

“ picking up some equipment Nautica got for my team, she's been helping a lot with our long range transmitter and also with us getting supplies on Ultra Magnus' request” they hum while carrying a small crate. 

His field radiates enthusiasm, if they were down here at that moment perhaps they had some time to spare him for his own pursuit in knowledge.  "Might I beg for a moment of your time? As Cybertron's chief scientist, I was hoping to inquire about Human biology if you had the time. our records only have some much information on your people and i believe a lot of it is rather outdated, if you'd feel comfortable sharing it could offer insights aiding our alliance." He asked, it was worth a shot and if they Were to busy he could always ask one of the other humans.  

They give Brainstorm another sweet smile as they begin walking beside him towards his destination, they hike their crate of equipment highter as to keep grip on it. "Sure I'm happy to answer questions, it's not like I have much going on at the moment, last I heard Megatron and Mags have Rodimus doing my paperwork as punishment for trying to take Rikko Asteroid surfing.” they laugh as the words fall from their lips. Remembering the look on the speedster face when he had more reports dropped on him. 

“ but if we are gonna play twenty questions you better make it fun!" They tease in a singy song voice. Brainstorm's optical ridges curiously curiously beneath his faceplate at the human's playful jest. He lets out his own amused chuckle at the idea of Rodimus suffering even more paperwork, he didn't envy the Captain and even less so the aching processor he was most likely nursing after the drinks from the late cycle. 

"Scientific inquiry as a game, eh? Now there's an intriguing proposition!" His wings fluttered, promptly intrigued with the idea. Data collection through entertaining exchange sounded rather fun compared to the normal exchange he had with Perceptor. A mischievous lilt crept into his tone as he slowly matched their pace walking together his optics flicker down to them taking in just how small they were compared to him. They just met his knee plating joints. humansWeren't nearly as small as a lot of Cybertronians were lead to believe. He remembered the first time ever seeing them he was quite taken back over their size originally expecting them to fit into the pal of his servo. But seeing them in real life had made him realise a lot of what he believed or old records were rather incorrect over humans, and their biology. 

 "Very well. First question: what gives you energy - nutrient paste, energon, the taste of victory?" His visor gleamed roguishly the last question was more a tease but he found it amusing to watch their reaction. The liaison lets out a hearty laugh at the first question. " hahahah oh by the stars, you really don't get alot of human Visitors do you?. So most of what humans as a whole eat is a mix of meat, fruit and vegetables. We need a mixed diet due to being an omnivorous species, but it varies person to person" they explain, giving his leg a gentle nudge with their elbow. 

Brainstorm cycled his optics,parsing this new data on their nutritional requirements with keen interest, it also gave him more information to jot down later.but he is utterly fascinating that a species derived sustenance from multiple organic compounds rather than a single standardised fuel source. "Meat, fruits and vegetation, you say? Truly extraordinary." He made a note to research Earth's ecological climate zones and harvest periods, he was rather interested in seeing what earth produced, Earth had become one of the largest suppliers of energon when cybertron was being rebuilt as it was a common occurring element on earth, it became the main trade source between the two planets.

"What about cybertronians? Do you guys only consume Energon or do you have other things, i know earth supplies quite a lot of energon to cybertron but do you guys only consume it ?" As they returned the query, he waved a languid hand. "Energon in its various forms comprises the bulk of a Cybertronian's fuel intake, though rarely do we consume it in its raw state. Refining introduces necessary additive alloys and minerals to suit an individual's frametype and occupation. Medics also develop specialised fuel mixes for patients. But we do consume other elements, oils, metals and crystals are other necessary for different platingsor frame types " His wings fluttered in delight talking about the different compounds of energon and how it was used. He was no chemist but did enjoy dabbling in creating different flavoured energon.

 "Recreational enjoyment of other sustenance is not unheard of, however. Certain sensory-inducing additives have been experimented with at social gatherings, such as High grade, energex are a subcategory of energon which has a different effect on a processor compared to casual energon, med grade and such" he hums while explaining the different types of fuel, from the causal to the luxurious. 

“Ah so similar to Alcohol for humans, that's quite amusing actually and explains why Rodimus tends to look like he's hung over” they chuckles again remembering how dead on his feet he looked that morning when they had met for a meeting with the command.

“Oh I wasn't aware humans also had similar, but yes energex and high grade have a rather intoxicating effect and lossens intakes while in group gatherings.” He replies. As they make their way into the laboratory. Perceptor is off in the distance and shoots them both a look as Brainstorm slowly lifts them up onto the bench. Before continuing their conversation. 

“ you mentioned something about chemists, what do cybertronian chemists do?” The Ambassador asks while they place their crate down and begin engaging in conversation once again. Brainstorm felt Preceptor's optics tracking the pair curiously as he began another explanation. “Chemists tend to have a range of different fields, the easiest way for me to explain would be to say that Swerve is a Chemist” His optics shimmer in delight as they trade back Information with the human sitting on the bench. 

“I thought Swerve was a bartender?” They reply with a tilted head, their brows pinch in an almost adorable expression to Brainstorm. He has to keep his engine from making a whine at the adorable look. His EM field dances with interest for them. 

“Indeed, chemists work with making, distilling energon and other substances. So in one way Swerve is a chemist but so is Ratchet but they make very different products” He explains. 

“That's so cool, almost like being a human chemist, baker and bartender in one” they hum as they take in the new information they were learning. His optics linger on their hands for a moment before he decides to change the subject of fuel sources. 

"With your permission, I find human epidermal structures utterly absorbing," he began. "The intricate pigmentation patterns, tactile sensitivity... might I?" A single digit hovered millimetres above a forearm, awaiting the liaison's consent before even the faintest contact. It takes them a moment to register the terms from Brainstorm but once they realised he was asking to examine their arm. “Oh sure just wait a second” reply before rolling their sleeves up, hold their arm out to Brainstorm to look at. It catches Preceptor's attention as he raises an unamused optic at how brasin Brainstorm was being.

 "Also heads up you don't need to treat me like glass, humans are pretty resilient so you're not gonna hurt me by touching me unless you're actually trying" they inform. "My thanks for the clarification, as I explained earlier, a lot of our records on Humans is rather outdated, however I'd rather not cause you harm" he responded gently, servos dancing over their arm gently as he takes in the man different markings, patterns and colours that mark their skin. It's highly fascinating to him and he found another reason he believed humans were sought after. It wasn't a subject of cybertronian history he liked but he was interested in learning why humans were so sought after. Soft, pliable, small and would have mostly been very docile. It sent a rattle up his spinal struts as he tries to push the thought a side. 

A single digit traced the patterns of tactile receptors watching the way the little bumps spread across their skin in a visual response to his touch. "Fascinating... your epidermal sensory network far surpasses initial database entries. I've never seen such colours either its stunning" His field pulsed appreciative curiosity as he traced the lines and marking that look like they are hidden under the Ambassador's skin, it makes him wonder how far the marking go but decided it would be pushing it to try and see more, but he knows he will be fantasising about tracing the markings. 

From the corner, Perceptor cleared his vocalizer. "Yes, human biological studies hold fascinating merit. Brainstorm, do refrain from unnecessary experimentation." The other bots voice calls out as he shoots Brainstorm, another disapproving look. 

Brainstorm dips his helm respectfully as he pulls away lwtting the Liason pull their sleeve back down. "No disrespect intended, Perceptor. Merely exploratory observation. Scientific progress warrants cross-cultural exchange plus we need to also rework our old records on human functions, biology and culture." His visor brightened, dispite Preceptor's tone Brainstorm was thrilled with the new knowledge he had gathered just from this meeting.

"Oh don't worry Percy. I doubt Stormy brought me here to experiment on, plus he's curious. I can't say I'm not also curious about you guys either, Earth doesnt have alot of information on Cybertronians outside of the small stuff we had from when you guys were stuck on earth. So i'm happy trading information because we are both interested in learning about each other's people. " They shoot back at the other scientist. Preceptor's optic ridges pinched ever so slightly at the human's familiar tone, though he made no further protest. If they felt at ease with Brainstorm's studies, who was he to force caution upon willing participants? "See that your... observations proceed responsibly," he calls out, it's aimed at Brainstorm but the seeker does not fret too much. 

The two continue chatting between each other trading information with small jokes between them every now and then. The liaison kicks their legs back and forth on the table. It gives Brainstorm the opportunity to truly look at them and appreciate how soft they are, a lustful thought crossing his mind and EM field pulsing lightly which makes Perceptor snap his helm to look at them again. Perceptor narrowed his optics warily at Brainstorm. :. Brainstorm a word.: the other scientist states through comms which makes the seeker go ridged, wings flickering in discomfort. 

Clearing his vocalizer loudly, Perceptor took a deliberate step forward. "Perhaps we will catch you another Cycle Ambassador, Brainstorm and I have much work to attend to, and we wouldn't wish to keep you any longer" he interjected coolly. For his part, Brainstorm cycled a ventilation and reined in his field, hed just had Perceptor call him out on it and the embarrassment was showing with each flutter of his wings. 

The Liaison gives the two scientists a wave once they are set back on the ground. "Well I'll catch you both another time, I'm going to go talk with Swerve about energon, you have me rather intrigued to learn more " They call out lifting their crate back up while heading to the door. Once they had left the Lab it had Brainstorm shifted warily under the weight of Preceptor's dissecting gaze. 

"The human liaison has graciously undertaken representing their kind aboard an unknown vessel to foster cooperation between species. Jeopardising such an auspicious start through any misguided impulse would severely damage relations." 

Pausing his tasks, Perceptor affixed Brainstorm with a searching stare, optics bright with both caution and care for his foolish yet brilliant colleague. "I need not remind you of one of your talents, the fragility of organic creatures compared to our frames.”

Brainstorm shuffled awkwardly beneath the Preceptor's scrutinising gaze. His usually nimble processors faltered grasping a suitably cogent response, field radiating discomfort through scrambled modulations. How to explain such rash intrigues ebbing his usually steady rationale? "Ah...you raise entirely fair points, as always, Perceptor," he demurred, fidgeting with a gripper. "To be perfectly forthright - and at the risk of sounding like a sparkling with his first crush - there's simply something innately captivating about these diminutive humans! Their resilience, ingenuity, curiosity..." His plating flustered with static. 

"And I'll admit, it's not just my scholarly interest piqued. Even the most stoic among us seem charmed by our new small friends." He cycled stabilising ventilation. Wings fluttering weakly, Brainstorm inclined his helm. "Brainstorm pleas for the love of whatever deity you believe be it primus or else Do Not Frag the Ambassador!, they are one of our heads, they work closely with our captains and if you mess Slag up it will be your helm" Perceptor groans out as he pinches his nasal ridge.

Brainstorm's plating flared hotly at Preceptor's emphatic directive. "I - of course not, you must think me a complete naïve sparkling!" he sputtered, waving his gripper defensively. "Mere scholarly observation was my intent, nothing untoward, I assure you, yes I'm intrigued by Humanity and the liaison is rather charming I'm interested in the scientific study of humanity, to rewrite the small knowledge we have on them!"  

Venting sulkily, he leaned against the bench servos tapping into the metal. "Though I'll note, my interests seem far from singular. Last night's engex-fueled discussions had a few of us a little too invested in compatibility. All I'm saying is curiosity seems widespread! So while your cautions are well-founded..." His plating flustered again helplessly, wings fluttering as they would when he was interested in something. 

 "Brainstorm we are not doing this" Perceptor states as he turns away from his fellow scientists. "Wait just a klik, Percy - don't think I fail to spot tangled undercurrents in that rigid plating of yours," he pushed, emboldened by this newfound insight. Cycling closer, his field pulsed a teasing nudge against his colleague's. "For all your lofty speeches cautioning restraint... could it be you harbour doubts following your own advice?" He teases only to get a nasty glare from the other mech. but decides it's better to just ignore Brainstorm at that point. “you know Swerve has bets on you, says your a dark horse waiting for a chance to sweet the Ambassador off their Pedes” Brainstorm states trying to get a reaction out of Perceptor. It gets a wrench thrown at him. 

___________________

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[superunnaturalsammy]

Man I gotta say a controversial take..

If you hate Wincest shut up about it ok.

Hear me out, I am not personally a Wincest shipper, it's really not my cup of tea. However, I'm also not a fuckin thought cop and I feel like posting over and over about how much you hate something other people like is stupid.

They aren't real people, I will repeat, SAM AND DEAN ARE NOT REAL. So the whole 'it's immoral' argument is a bit silly, people aren't saying that this is fine in real life, as far as I know Wincest shippers know it's wrong (maybe part of the appeal IDK). These shippers aren't advocating for real life incest they just like the idea of *fictional* characters together stop policing other people's minds.

Another thing, if you hate it so much why are you thinking about it constantly like if you posted about it less you'd probably get less posts recommended about it. It's amazing the way you can curate your internet experience. Simply block people who post content you don't like and block tags of things you don't like. It's so irritating to me, because I will see one overt Wincest post a day but I will see a dozen anti posts every time I open the app. Most of the time I see people bring it up they are antis. I just hate seeing people posting that they wish they could purge people who like a ship from the fandom. Who's next as well, we start with Wincest and then what, Destiel? Sastiel? Sabriel? like again y'all sound like cops.

And lastly, if you don't like Wincest you may need to just find a different fandom. Wincest is baked into the fandom, it's a ship that has existed since the beginning (it may be the oldest big ship in the fandom). There are references to it in the show, it's something that Eric Kripke and Sera Gamble wrote into the show, you can't remove it because it is part of the show. You don't have to like it or ship it or interact with it but you can't get rid of it so either suck it up or leave...

Thank you for coming to my TED talk LMAO.

TLDR: Stop complaining constantly about ships you don't like.

[ganondoodle]

still thinking about how even just the decision to basically act like the shiekah tech never existed is just ... so baffling to me

bc again you could have done all the sonau tech does with shiekah instead, and they were perfect to be explored more in a sequel, why wouldnt you grasp that potential, the literal building blocks for more??

if you are that tired of shiekah tech .. dont make it a fuckign sequel to the game prominently featuring it???? totk doesnt take place generations after botw in which things could have changed drastically, its just a few years afterwards??

you want to reuse the map and get rid of shiekah tech? ok fine take LINK into the past then and the focus is for you to find a way to return; do some neat twist where its revealed that link was the one who sealed gan bc he couldnt defeat him without zelda or something if you dare (they wouldnt)

want less work than that and still reuse the map and get rid of shiekah tech AND reuse characters? ok then make it some alternate universe thingy like majoras mask in which everythign is the same but also isnt, its weird and creepy how characters you thoguht you knew suddendly dont act like themselves, shiekah tech doesnt exist, malice is now miasma, etc, it would give reason to why you feel so much like something about this world is familiar yet also very wrong

as far as im aware every "sequel" we have had so far were either generations apart from the first one, some alternate universe or a different location altogether- in all of which its plausible that things are different, things seem weirdly familiar but also wrong, or that another continent just works different from hyrule

but totk does none of that, its supposedly just a few years after the first game, same world same character, but its BUILT like some strange jumbled mess of stuff from botw and new stuff out of nowhere that just .. doesnt fit, but feeling a strange sense of otherness, a déja vu of something you know but it acts off, like an imposter, thats NOT intentional and it shows, its a mess of botw stuff, from stuff that people missed from the old games and entirely new stuff; i dont doubt it CAN work but the way it turned out is like a mix of 3 different puzzles forced together and being told 'see it fits!' even tho you can clearly see the pieces dont look right in these places

again it feels like a sequel that desperately wants you to forget the first game happened, that anythign from it mattered at all

and that isnt really ... the sense of a sequel? why insist on it being one when it only creates problems? is it marketing?? just like it was marketing to call age of calamity a telling of what happened before botw but then it wasnt that at all and that is still the sole reason why i dislike it? bc i was lied to? totk is like 10000 times worse than that, its a main title and doesnt even have the excuse of yeah its basically an excuse to play all your fav characters in fun ways and the game beign well aware that being its main appeal; what is totk appeal? a toybox with botw aestethic and none of the flavor?

(on a sidenote; the sonau tech doesnt even .. matter? in botw at least calamity ganon was made of shiekah tech parts and him overtaking other tech is a big point, the sonau tech doesnt serve anything but .. idk minerus useless mech? gan doesnt even aknowledge it, he doesnt care, all it is is toys for the player, not link, but the player. the monsters mining the tech materials? what for? gan doesnt give a damn and they dont work for the yiga either??)

i said it before but it gives me the feeling that the way botw invited you to theorize, to look beneath the surface, the way it intrigued you and laid the groundwork for so many interesting things without denying anything.. was accidental? or perhaps put in the game without the directors noticing? i cant stop thinking about them saying sth like "after botw zelda wondered if the kingdom of hyrule needed to keep existing the way it had been before the calamity, but then totk happens" bc it just feels like they realized too late that botw naturally led into questioning the status quo and they scrambled to fit it back into a flat and boring road we have seen so many times before (or even worse really) with totk

zeldas character naturally leads into her questioning and reexamine their history and set of rules? we gotta teach her a lesson of why she is importante god given monarchy girl that has to keep it bc what if evil brown man shows up again for no reason

maybe im grasping at straws here but looking at it this way the sonau .. make more "sense"; the shiekah were a group that was under the rule of the royal family, and misstreated before (oh no look soemthing interesting) so they dont lend themselves well to be used for teaching zelda that lesson- the sonau however are tailored really to be just that; they are a supposedly godly race from the literal sky that founded this version of hyrule, that had tech even more advanced and better than the shiekah, she gets put in the past to meet the perfect god king of goodness personally, also his very fridgy wifey that zelda later replaces in a way, shes put there and treated like family and then gets to see just how evil that evil big man from the desert is, sonia is falcon-punched to death solely so zelda can feel obligated to take over her role, have her new, better 'family' hurt by gan; similarly so raurus sacrifice, look what a noble and good king he is, he payed the ultimate price to lock that evil man away, now zelda you cannot let their sacrifice go to waste, rebuild that divinely good kingdom like it was!!

and even though they go so much out of their way to put the cart back onto the rails of black and white-good and evil in an even flatter way than the old games, it still doesnt feel right, at least to me, it still feels like zelda shouldnt have gone along with all of that, it feels like even her character from botw was walked back entirely, except for the intro, it made her feel like a stranger to me-

because this is a sequel, i know this zelda, she wouldnt act like that after all that shes been through, this feels ... off

and it all just insulting to anyone who cared about botw more than surface level, or the zelda lore in general, i dont even care much about the timeline, but theres alot of lore and themes beyond it that felt ignored, especially so given that .. its a damn sequel, non AU, not generations apart, directly part 2-

but its not.

it even feels very "corporate", put zelda in a dress again, people liked that, put crazy abilities in the game to flashbang people with how insane it is even if its not the best for the gameplay or the story, put a new asthetic into it out of nowhere bc its 'new' and act like its been there the whole time, put gan in there bc people miss him and find him sexy even if his role is just as flat as that of an evil cloud monster-

*sigh*

you know, i saw a post that said aoc was like a bad fanfic (affectionate) and totk was like a bad fanfic (derogatory) and tbh thats like one of the best comparisons/summaries i have seen ..

[dracoroma]

Now that the campaign is over, I think I should drop my full thoughts.

As a start: I intitally liked the finale for the most part. We'll get back to why I said initially. However, I have one major gripe.

The first is that reviving Ashton really fealt like it cheapened their sacrifice. It was such an interesting choice that they gave up their life purely out of spite. In Ashton's eyes, it wasn't about saving the gods, it was about humbling them. That's fun, and interesting, and as much as I have feelings about Aston that we'll get back to later, it was cool. And I also think it left their budding relationship with Fearne off on an interesting note. All of that is completely undone by reviving them.

Anyway, onto the campaign.

I was really into the game in its initial sandboxy arc. The cast was fun and their interactions were all neat, and Inwas interested where the plot was going.

And then the god plot came in. And I have so many feelings.

As a religious person (hellenist and heathen), I felt constantly letdown this entire story. At the end of the day, there was no real evidence given in a pro or anti god direction. We're told they're tyrants who have too much control over mortals, but most people have problems because of a lack of intervention. The divine gate keeps demons and devils at bay, but there's other sources for that. There's no consequences to any option. And because of that, we're left with endless debate because we have no solid evidence.

All of this leads to the debate just turning into teal world reddit aetheist plot points because there's nothing in world to debate. This also felt incredibly dismissive of actual faith. Do I need to remind everyone how Ashton would not let FCG just be at peace with worshipping Avandra? That was incredibly frustrating. They also don't address at all how getting rid of the gods affects those who gind meaning in religion. The Hells and Keyleth were just like, "eh. Get over it. World's still spinning. " Excuse me, did we forget how much meaning Fjord told the hells he got out of his relationship with Melora!?

From a writer's perspective: well, all of this. But it was also incredibly boring because it means nothing is happening. This wasn't a complex, morally grey debate because there was absolutely no nuance. We don't see how the gods (or, in particular, the primes, because we know the betrayers all suck) are bad, and how things will be fine forever without them. So it's an endless de ate with no point that follows the same formula every time: same 3 points why gods are bad. Someone says "hmmm, i don't know". We end by saying "let's kill Ludanis because he sucks".

And frankly, nothing was happening for so long. So much of the campaign is an indistinguishable blob of time in my memory, with the standout moment being Aeor. And I think Ahton is the perfect case study. Talesin is on record saying Ashton was a critique of the obnoxious parts of the punk mindset, and they had no character growth. Their character development after shardgate reverted soon after, and their position was always completely dismissive of any other perspective.

All that being said, the most fun I had in the campaign was actually the live show. In part because I caught it live. I was on a family trip in the area already, and so my girlfriend and I made it to the show. And frankly, it was a really good session. It was mostly self-contained, which was good for her, who had not seen a single session of C3. It didn't involve the god debate, which was good for me. And it introduced Breius, who I genuinely think is one of the best PCs of the campaign despite coming in late.

Because Breius is sich a good deconstruction of cults and toxic relationships and why they're appealing, why you come back, and he ended up breaking free at the end!

But, now I think about the finale again. And I'm less positive about it than I was. Because I realize that most of why Infelt good was because this mess of a campaign is finally over. I overlooked how Orym and Opal and Imogen did not face lasting effects from their actions because I was so ready to be done with the god debate that goes nowhere.

[logo-comics]

Hi! What do you think about that moment in LN 9 of My Next Life as a Villainess where Catarina considers staying in Ocean Harbor Town if Maria did?

This one:

As a Marikata shipper I was really happy at first because it meant that Catarina wanted to stay at Maria's side as much as Maria wanted to stay at hers. However I also think it was a mistake. Both in the sense that the author accidentally added something that implies Catarina values being close to Maria more than the rest of her loved ones, which clearly isn't his intention considering the rest of his writing, and in the sense that it makes Catarina have a very glaring case of favoritism that doesn't really suit her.

She has known the rest of her friends plus Anne and Keith for a decade (and her parents for all her life considering she's the OG Catarina who got extra memories at 8 and diverged paths) while she's only known Maria for 3 years at that point. Even with romantic feelings it seems a little unbelievable that there wouldn't be a "but my family and other friends".

Part of me wonders if it's meant to represent the usual part of graduating and being an adult? (which would be kinda sad but that's something I could get behind) Like, she already sees her early friend group way less since she got her job so she's used to them not being there as much and leaving the parents' house is seen as the norm in many cultures too. Also there's the fact of finding something she could do instead of being a noble which, aside from the great quantity sweets, doesn't appeal to her. Besides she'd be following someone she really likes, which, also something people usually do.

So uh, what do you think?

I think that while you can chalk some of it up to her blatant infatuation with Maria and the general idea of moving out when one grows up that she'd get more of from her past life than her current life, it can be chalked up a bit more to the fact that Katarina has spent the ten years she's known everyone else wondering which of them is going to be the one that leads to her death/banishment.

While we don't know how much, there is a part of Katarina that definitely hasn't fully let go of the thought that those she loves could one day wish to be rid of her. Even with the confessions of certain members of the harem, Katarina doesn't have that full faith in them.

Maria, in contrast, aside from being her "waifu," is someone who she knows likes her, even if she doesn't understand the nature of that manner of care. Maria in the game is also not the one directly responsible for what happens to Katarina in the original game's endings. Maria is safe to her eyes. Sophia and Mary are tied to Nicol and Alan, and we can safely assume that the characters are tied to the trial scene, given that she didn't seem surprised to see them at the trial. Maria refusing to condemn her there, even more than the others standing up for her, probably had way more pull to her than the others.

Now, let's consider the testimonies in the trial, themselves. There are exactly two members of the original game cast harem that don't call her an idiot in that scene. To his credit, Geordo is one of them. Even Sophia, with whom Katarina regularly holds book clubs, and Mary, who Katarina discusses gardening tips with, both directly state that she is not smart enough to bully Maria. In a move that makes me think he actually could be a good king, Geordo, however, legitimately reviews the "evidence" the other girls had and notes that it's circumstantial at best. He does not, however, say anything about Katarina as a person.

In contrast, Maria is the only person to note upon Katarina as a person being too kind to do such a thing.

Despite her inability to notice people are in love with her, Katarina is, in point of fact, extraordinarily observant of people. The author does seem to have lessened her ability to plot to an extent, but that particular aspect is very much still a part of her, as shown by the fact that she knew that Larna Smith and Suzanna Randall were the same person despite how masterful Suzanna is at disguise. Notably, however, she can misinterpret things if she's looking at it through her lens of "I am a villainess." For example, the aforementioned obliviousness when it comes to her romantic prospects.

Katarina also has a significantly better memory than the most tend to give her credit for.

From all of this, while she can accept that her friends care for her, to her eyes, she is still The Villainess Katarina Claes, and they clearly don't think that highly of her if they think she's just too stupid to bully Maria. Combine that with how her mother will chastise her for not being ladylike and critiquing her actions, something born from love but something that clearly distresses Katarina and makes her feel that she's less than worthy of her lot in life.

In essence, Katarina sees everyone who has been around her for ten years as viewing her as stupid and her mother as loving her, but not particularly liking her. She might have experienced the confessions of Keith and Geordo, but those are simply things that happened (the Keith confession is a completely different, disgusting can of worms), and there's almost definitely a part of her that still hasn't accepted that they won't discard her. Contrast that with how she immediately starts listing people that she feels would be sad if Maria was gone.

Simply put, Katarina views herself as someone who could pull up her stakes and go with next to no fuss from most of the people in her life. With that in mind, of course she'd be willing to uproot her whole life to be with Maria, whose first thought about her in that defining moment of their lives was to call her kind, who is willing to fight dark mages for Katarina's sake despite her fear, who was willing to tutor her and wanted to join the Ministry to be by her side.

Why wouldn't Katarina be willing to run away with the girl who unequivocally told her that she wants her in her life forever?

[sketchy-the-changeling]

Megatron gets the best moments in that movie. There's a bit of a trend in Western animation where revolutionary characters are villainized to promote a pro-status quo narrative that privileged people are enamored with, do you think this is the case? I personally only think it's like 5-10% true for this movie. I don't wanna sound like a centrist, but I kinda feel like both Optimus and Megatron make good points. Tho seeing Megatron dealing with Sentinel was pure satisfaction. What do you think?

This was what I mentioned earlier when I said there was something I wanted to marinate on with the film: does Megatron fall into that trap of making a villain that has so much of a point that you're questioning why they are even framed as a villain to begin with?

The conclusion I've come to is "no." Here's why.

Note, I will be referring to Orion/Optimus and D/Megatron as both of their given names depending on what part of the story I am discussing.

Also spoilers.

The moment Sentinel is revealed to be a fraud, there is no ambiguity that he needs to be dealt with. Sentinel is the real villain, and the film does not let up on that. Neither Orion nor the film itself ever suggest that Sentinel can be negotiated with or reasoned with. ALL of the protagonists are in agreement that he needs to be rid of because Sentinel sold out his people and manufactured a need for a lower class of Transformers, and the movie ends with the heroes eliminating the need to mine for energon, thus eliminating that need for a lower class, so the film is DEFINITELY not pro-status quo.

While there is one moment where Optimus tells Megatron not to kill Sentinel, it is only AFTER Sentinel is exposed as a fraud and the public knows the truth. I still wish Optimus didn't play the whole "this doesn't make us better than him" card cause his actual argument is "it's over. We already beat him. Our job is done."

And the movie still gives Megatron the satisfaction of killing Sentinel anyway and exacting his retribution even though he (Megatron) is ultimately exiled, so he isn't robbed of his rightful closure.

I think the movie does a good job of showing that the problem with D/Megatron's praxis isn't the fact that he is pro-retribution. It's that he has no long-term plan for the people, and a revolution has to be about the people. D's focus on self can be noted from the beginning of the movie. He often thinks about the consequences of things, but only as far as how they can harm him and his only friend, Orion, which isn't inherently evil so you don't really clock it.

Conversely, Orion is always thinking about uplifting the people, but at first his approach to that ideal is very unrefined and somewhat self-serving. However, you can see him refining his worldview in real time and realizing that it takes a communal effort to bring about change, rather than appealing to the current powers that be. The writers did their best to work around the fact that the maguffin is literally called the Matrix of Leadership to get this point across and while it's not perfect, I think it does its job.

All this being said, it's been less than 24 hours since I've seen the movie, so there may likely be some blind spots in my analysis, so my thoughts are subject to change, but that's where I'm currently at, as of this posting.

[sciderman]

wade’s not a loser he’s just doomed to lose in love because his type is controlling people who make him feel special because he’s their latest pet project and then it inevitably burns out and he gets hurt because he wants too much to please/to be someone else they like and most of them only want an idea of him 😭 that’s different from being a loser. it’s called being sensitive 😭

😔 see, peter's not exactly like that - in fact, he wants to be largely hands-off when it comes to wade's reformation but wade kind of - in his head, still makes those parallels to nate. it's why civil war was such a huge breech of trust for wade – that peter didn't "trust" wade to make the right decision all by himself.

it tanked wade's trust in himself - his own sense of pride and self-determinism, to have peter kind of - police him in that way.

wade's so apprehensive about this because he knows he's perpetually aiming to please. at the expense of his own authentic self. and it's a curse. wade hasn't really found a sense of self because he's always changing to be what his lover wants of him.

[x]

(and that's where the choker motif comes in - which is actually why i was reluctant to bring the choker back, because i wanted wade to kind of - have overcome this.)

the collar was symbolic for a very, very specific thing. and it's not a positive thing. wade's just a dog (bow wow) - his owner throws a bone, he'll fetch it.

i wanted him to have overcome it - which is why i got rid of the choker again after civil war was over - but - y'know, i guess he hasn't overcome it. it's still there. just manifested in a different form. and no matter how both nate and peter want wade to be honest and authentic - wade's certain that's not a good idea. that, or wade honestly - with his shifting brain terrain, doesn't entirely trust himself enough to know himself.

i think the unfortunate thing with wade is not only that he's unpredictable to everyone else - he's unpredictable to himself, too.

[x]

he doesn't put a lot of faith into himself, when it comes to restraint and impulse control. he's so, so uncertain, all the time. he never believes he's ready. never believes he's worthy.

he's constantly afraid of relapse, and of repeating the cycle, over and over. and i think the reason why wade's unable to evolve is maybe to do with the fact that he's not stopped to think about who he wants to be – he's so concerned with what other people want him to be.

i find it so funny that it's become a focal point to wade's character at the moment, because it was something the original draft of civil war explored before the uncle ben angle - wade was dragging peter for filth over him being too concerned over what other people think of him to embrace his own truth.

oh. projecting, are we?

wade - he just wants to be whatever will be wanted. whatever's in demand. whatever the preferred flavour of the week is. whatever's hot right now. whatever will get him sympathy, get him attention, get him approval, get him love. in fact, the entire deadpool persona was founded because he admired spider-man and wanted to be admired in the same way he admires spider-man.

it's a curse, and he's painfully aware of it.

so he'll put on an act and put on a mask and twist the truth to keep everyone interested. but he alienates people that way too. and for peter parker, who just craves some authenticity from wade - peter parker, who fell in love with the modest wade in swim trunks who put away the mask and lay down his weapons and laid his heart bare on the sandy shores of the bahamas...

for peter parker, it's kind of infuriating. that after all this time, wade still doesn't understand that peter loves wade without all the performances and pretence. wade doesn't need to keep pretending.

peter and wade are both guilty of masking - pretending to be something else to be more socially accepted or more appealing or more (or in peter's case, less) attention-grabbing. but where they differ is that when peter gets close to someone, he has this compulsive desire to unmask and be seen. particularly if he feels safe to do so.

whereas wade still lives in fear of it - every day. sometimes, no matter how close he gets to someone.

[jeweled-blue-eyes]

Derrick is such an unpredictable and wierd character. I can never really tell what's he's thinking. Maybe it's because I'm reading too much into it, I mean he was only a side character and not a lot of thought is put into the side characters. They're just there.

What do you think Derrick really wants from Penelope. If he just wanted her to love him bach he would have been nice to hear, i think. Does he want her to be completely dependent on him and does he like seeing her miserable.

What about the Duke and Reynold. Do you think they enjoyed seeing her suffer. Why didn't they try to help her. Or maybe they just don't care. Though they seem to care a great deal in the manhwa.

How do you think they would react if they saw Penelope enjoying herself with someone, might be a friend or a long lost family, and Penelope is just laughing like crazy and she's totally ignoring them. Would they be jealous. Sorry if this ask is too repeatitive 😅

This is more of a headcanon. I think Derrick seeks relationships where he can exert control, foster dependency, and provide protection and care. His type would be vulnerable people. Little girls, orphans, foreigners, sex workers, servants, slaves etc. Anyone who could make him feel a sense of superiority. That is not to say he wouldn't feel disgusted by his own nature and try to fight these feelings. What Derrick subconsciously wants is a relationship with a huge power imbalance, where he has all the control and his partner none. An equal marriage with a noblewoman would not appeal to him. For the sake of maintaining his image he would marry a highborn woman but sexually he would feel no attraction to such a person. Someone like Derrick, who never allowed himself to make mistakes or indulge in teenage vices for fear that it might taint his family name, could only feel free if he was with a person whose status was so low that their opinion did not matter to anybody else. A person he could treat however he liked without consquences.

I found it curious that Derrick gave Penelope a bracelet with disguise magic claiming it would make her appear to be a young boy around her age but when she uses it she appears to be a child to Vinter. Not only that but she also starts resembling a younger version of Derrick.

It's a bit strange. Why would the clerk sell a disguise bracelet to Derrick that would only change his age but not appearance? Assuming Derrick was the one going to wear it, it would be of little use if it changed almost nothing about his physical features. It's also disadvantageous to look like a child since it would restrict your movements in the city, prevent you from doing business with adults and make you an easy target of street thugs. That's why I'm wondering if there could be a deeper psychological reason behind the bracelet's magic that is influencing the illusion. The magic makes her look what? 14/15 years old? Is that his ideal age?

You could interpret it that way: Derrick wants Penelope to be eternally <17, which is impossible because you cannot stop the flow of time. The older she got, the more he felt her slipping through his fingers, the less he could control himself, the more unforgiving he turned when she fought him on anything. At that time he didn't need to possess her in every sense, he only needed her not to be possessed by anyone else. So if she just remained in the gilded cage and listened to his every word he wouldn't lay a hand on her. I think that would have been enough for him. But Penelope isn't an object that you can put behind a glass case and expect not to move. Besides he knew she was being abused by the staff. Perhaps he had hoped that she would lash out in such repulsive ways his feelings for her would decrease with every time until one day they were no more and he could get rid of her without regrets?

I view Derrick as a very emotion driven person full of contradictions. Derrick has many different desires that are incompatible with one another. He wants to uphold his outstanding reputation that would surely get damaged if he were to court a girl like Penelope. He lusts after Penelope, but the only way he could obtain her (lifelong confinement) without risking his reputation was if his father were to die making him the next Duke, and as horrible as Derrick is I have to give him that he cares for his family and wouldn't wish death on anyone belonging to the Eckart duchy. Doubtless he wants his father's approval too. Lasty I have the impression that from the day he lost Yvonne he imposed impossible expectations on himself and didn't allow himself either distraction or amusement. In short his guilt prevents him from seeking happiness. Derrick was still living in the past. They all were. He sabotages his chances with Penelope because accepting the fake might mean to him a betrayal towards his real sister. It'd be like losing Yvonne a second time, but this time also killing her and desecrating her grave.

Derrick disobeyed his father once when he took Yvonne to the festival and lost control of the situation when she was kidnapped. That's why he might have devoted himself entirely to his family to atone for it and it could serve as one of the reasons why he needs to be in control of everyone and everything. He doesn't have it in himself to tolerate Penelope's childish behaviour. Derrick worked so hard to make up for it, wheras Penelope can make so many mistakes and still get his father's attention like when she stole the necklace allegedly, but was rewarded instead of punished (her father called a jeweller to the mansion and Penelope wasted a fortune on accessories). There might be guilt, shame, but also anger, even a little bit envy and feelings of unjustness too. Derrick has never learned to cope healthily with negative emotions, he only represses and bottles things up. As a result his "love" got twisted.

If he just wanted her to love him bach he would have been nice to hear, i think. Does he want her to be completely dependent on him and does he like seeing her miserable.

Was he aware that he fell in love with her at first sight or did he only realize much later on what those feelings meant? He and Reynold have already build themselves up as a bullies, it's too late to take back everything that was said and done. If he tried to make amends and were to confess his feelings, he wouldn't be able to take the humilation of the rejection. Additionally I think of Derrick as an extremely prideful man who is severely allergic to the display of any form of vulnerability. Denying mistakes means an inability to reflect their own actions and no growth. The only option he saw was hiding behind a familiar mask and carrying on with the things he's started, while turning worse and worse with each day, because with the time being Penelope got used to the insults and his usual threats and punishments probably didn't have the same effect anymore. He cannot have her love, but he can have her attention. If he becomes the bane of her existence, it means she's at least thinking about him and he's haunting her just like she's haunting him. Maybe he hates himself a little and uses Penelope as an outlet for his frustrations, maybe he hates Penelope for hating him back when he has successfully convinced her how much he loathes her. He hates her even more, abuses her even more when he has just gotten the result he wanted.

He wants her to hate him, he wants her to love him like a slave loves their master, he wants her to depend on him with the helplessness and naivity of a child, but when she's in need he lets her down every time. He wants her to be shallowed by the earth never to be seen again, yet he panicks when she does disappear and searches high and low for her. He wants her to live as quiet as a mouse and never come under his eyes again. He wants her to never leave his sight and would chain her up in his basement if he could. Derrick would be revolted if she tried to touch him, hug him but he would want to fuck her and mark every part of her body as his. He can never be satisfied. There's no end, it just escalates until someone dies.

Derrick wants Penelope to be isolated, dependent, weak, in pain, completely at his mercy with only himself to help. Does he want her to love him? Ehh...probably? At the same time I keep thinking that if Penelope had a childhood crush on him, he would have pushed her away, shamed her for her feelings and acted disgusted. Honestly it probably would have driven him even more insane. I don't buy it that this 18 year old actually fell in love with a 12 year old. Just like in many cases of incestuous abuse, I would imagine Derrick acting on his desire for power and control. His love is an amalgam of obsession, lust and sadism. Ergo he doesn't necessarily need her to love him back, although he would like it, because her loving him back would increase his hold over her and would make her less likely to fall for anyone else, seek help and flee from him. Fear? yes. Obedience? yes. Love? He has such a negative and distorted view of her I'm not even sure he believes she's a human being capable of love (quite ironic).

I'm a bit torn about that topic. Part of me thinks it doesn't matter to him. As long as she hungered for his affection like when she was a kid and she was trapped with him, he could convince himself he would, with time, make Penelope come round to his way of thinking. Then there is a part of me thinking that a very dark side of Derrick wanted to break og Penelope. Turning her into a vile creature that no one could ever love. Someone who would seek him out and want to be dirtied by his love, because it was the only kind of love he permitted her to have. A nasty little girl that was hated and hated everyone in return and only had eyes for expensive dresses and jewelry. If she were to grow up to be a villainess who hurt innocent people, he would not have pangs of conscience about the things he did to her. Had Penelope become a person deserving of his punishments, he wouldn't feel like a bad guy anymore. And with the blurring lines of victim/perpetrator there would be not enough guilt stopping him from acting on his urges.

You are right he could have been nice to her and she would have loved him (I doubt in a romantic way but whatever), but that's not the only thing he wanted. Gaining her love by acting nice would mean the loss of many things he valued and a betrayal of his principles. Along with that who could guarantee him that his sacrifice would be worth it and she would love him back romantically? Penelope could mark his affection as brotherly, which he would hate to see. Should the first-born Eckart son treat her right, soon the rest of the staff would follow and so would his family. The duke treating Penelope like his daughter would make it much more awkward if Derrick were to collect his courage to ask for his stepsister's hand. Lastly a Penelope who learned self-love and became more confident with the support of her family would make friends and could steal the hearts of many men.

Taking advantage of Penelope would have been easier if she already had a reputation as a thief and liar, and had no one on her side. Even if she was not in love with him, a person who was starved off love since their childhood would do anything for a few crumbs of affection. That kind of person would cling even tighter onto the hand that was offered to them. It'd be easier to sell her obsession as pure love and pressure her into doing things she doesn't feel comfortable with. He ensured her standing as an Eckart would be on shaky ground whilst reminding her that he was the one who could make her life better or worse (like when he temporary took the Eckart name from her). Og Derrick preferred the path where he would have absolute control of her at the price of her sanity over the path where she could be happy but would never belong to him.

(I don't think Derrick was thinking too deeply about it. He just acts on the emotions he feels at the moment. I believe he barely understands himself.)

see also: why I think Derrick liked her (anon ask)

What about the Duke and Reynold. Do you think they enjoyed seeing her suffer. Why didn't they try to help her. Or maybe they just don't care. Though they seem to care a great deal in the manhwa.

The Duke and Reynold were ignorant of her suffering because plot™. Reynold felt schadenfreude whenever Penelope was punished but that was because he lacked context and thought it served her right. If anyone was a sadist and secretly enjoyed seeing Penelope suffer after actively contributing to her pain and triggering her it was Derrick.

How do you think they would react if they saw Penelope enjoying herself with someone, might be a friend or a long lost family, and Penelope is just laughing like crazy and she's totally ignoring them. Would they be jealous. Sorry if this ask is too repeatitive 😅

Derrick would be jealous obviously. He'd either wait until the other person was gone and would talk down on her or he'd want her removed from the scene immediately and would send a maid to bring Penelope to him with the excuse he or father wanted to discuss something urgent. Reynold would unlock a new emotion that he can't quite place. Depending on his age he'd either be confused by this and act like a kid that saw another kid playing with a toy he threw away or he'd just grumble and say something like "I didn't know you could make that kind of face." and sulk. The next day he'd want to get closer to her. The Duke would just be happy that Penelope is finally making friends. Would help Penelope arrange another meeting if it was a girl her age. Would pay her more attention and take her to an outing if it was a man his age (feels lowkey threatened by any potential father figure).

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

The emergence of new adult lit on booktok throws me off as an adult. You are asked to imagine adults with the mindsets of teenagers, who fall into tropes commonly found in YA books, engaging in explicit content. That's wild. You would think authors wouldn't make use of tropes for books about adults - there is plenty of adult lit that focuses on characters and worldbuilding, and doesn't use tropes. The whole new adult lit phenomenon feels kind of condescending, honestly. "Oh well you're becoming an adult, let's ease you in!11". But you don't have to be eased into adulthood once you reach it. When I became an adult I just started reading adult lit and I really liked it. No adult should have to be told that they need to read this book full of YA tropes aimed at adults in order to understand adulthood, that's kind of ridiculous.

It's another flavour of escapism. Booktok is typically aimed at teens to people in the early twenties, which is quite a lot of age difference. Authors, in recent times, recognise that Booktok is a guaranteed (well, as guaranteed as becoming an author can be) way to have your book reach people and be success. So they use Booktok's wide demographic by writing Adult Lit books with YA tropes. It's a pity because it compromises the Adult Lit genre as a whole.

I've observed that the reverse is also true. YA books are darker than ever, because, again, authors want to appeal to the widest demographic. Both these phenomenon waters down the quality of reading material, and it's interesting how they go both in hand. I do wonder how this will reflect on the behaviour and mindsets of adults and teens out there, if it hasn't already.

I think it's also an insecurity thing (among readers)? There's always been a parade of people telling you what to read at a certain age, and, more specifically, what not to read. So, blurring the lines between teen books and adult books is a solution (a bad one. A terrible one) to get rid of the negativity.

It's a vicious cycle: authors write watered down Adult Lit, readers eat this shit up for the escapism it provides, other authors see its success, and repeat. It seems as if authors scroll on Booktok to see what's popular, mix in a mish mash of the tropes in the books, make the YA darker and the Adult Lit more YA and sell. And it sells incredibly well, unfortunately (something something there's a conversation about consumerism to be had here).

This phenomenon only stops when people stop being insecure about what they read, imo. And THAT only stops when people stop policing what other people should read. And that will likely never stop. The problem now is that social media broadcasts this stuff far more than it did in the past.

I happen to hate most YA stuff (at least, in the way it's written currently. No doubt that'll change in the next thirty years or so). The insufferable teen who has to learn to be less insufferable (and somehow always ending up with a boyfriend) is a tired, tired trope I am very ready to move past. I read middle-grade even though I'm past the age for it because, hey, it's a fun read (imo, middle-grade stories have much better arcs than YA stories do, but that's personal opinion)! And if you honestly need a whole (two) genre(s) to bend over backward because of an insecurity you aren't reading the "right thing" you might have bigger problems than your taste in literature.

Thanks for the ask! I hope this is what you meant by what you said. It's my interpretation of it, anyways, and that's as good as any.

[dotthings]

In the Impala talk Sam and Dean have at the end of 8.03 it’s really clear Sam genuinely actually does not want to be doing this, the hunting. He wants out. It’s not a rejection of Dean, although I get why Dean is always going to see it as a personal rejection, it’s that the way Sam’s talking there, he’s not slightly disassociating like he was doing at the start of S8, this is Sam being honest on how burned out he is and how much he wants the gates of hell closed so that it’s okay for him to stop hunting. Sam was looking at universities.

That idea of getting out, of not having to hunt, is a long running theme with Sam.

It’s also been a long running theme for Dean, and there is a perception that Dean unambiguously loves the hunt and doesn’t yearn for anything else or never talks about something else, or never resents hunting. But that isn’t the case.

They both have that yearning. They both think about it.

Sam is the one who has a hopeful belief he can get out, that this isn’t all there is for him.

Dean otoh believes he’s doomed to die too young and bloody—and it’s tragic he believes that.

There’s perceptions about spn and about Sam and Dean, that it never questions the hunting life, and that again isn’t the case.

Obviously, spn isn’t going to break its own format. So they are going to keep hunting. But the “what if we could get rid of the monsters” or “what if we could get out” is a carrot spn dangled in front of the characters in a cycle. Even Dean in later seasons moves beyond some of his despair and starts talking about toes in the sand.

I like genre and I like monster hunting shows, but the main appeal of SPN—articulated by the people who make the show themselves—is the characters and their emotional anguish and relationships, and shooting monsters in the face provides a compelling canvas for that. Which is why any genre TV show is compelling at its core, it’s that mixture of emotion against a backdrop of adventure.

But SPN canon does not idealize hunting. For 15 seasons SPN has a complex examination of the personal costs and trauma of being a hunter, and it’s about the relationships. It’s about the bonds that form between people. It goes far outside that only being about Sam and Dean’s traumas and Sam and Dean’s relationship.

Dean is in a perpetually complicated, intense love-hate relationship with hunting, he wants to hunt, he also wants other things in his life and resents hunting, he resents the trauma, the grief, he resents the chances he never had, he also finds personal fulfillment in hunting and feels very conscious of the value of the lives they save, the value of the work. The hunting also is a way he copes with hunting—he hunts to deal with the trauma hunting caused. Or he hunts to deal with his roiling emotions, because it’s not all about hunting, there’s people…feelings. Dean expresses his own wish that Sam didn’t have to hunt, or he warns others off the life, or tries to shield them, or tries to talk people out of pursuing hunting. He also resents Sam’s talk of quitting, or tells chosen ones like Kevin, once the veil’s lifted, this your life now suck it up and deal. Dean sees avenues of escape from it, he sees hope, he also sees doors slamming shut and chains. Dean swings like a pendulum.

Dean is not less yearning and or thinking about what else is there than Sam. Dean has dreams and wants, just as Sam does.

Sam has more of a steady wary relationship with hunting. Less of a back and forth in his views. Sam steps up and does due dilligence as a hunter, but perpetually and with less inner conflict chasing that brass ring of “getting out.” Eventually Sam acknowledges all of that, and how he came to acceptance that this is his life. But Sam’s actual reason for staying in, is to hunt with Dean.

Sam is not less family-driven and or heart-driven in his motivation than Dean.

The difference is that Dean personally has a much stronger connection to the act of hunting itself, and it has a different meaning for Sam.

[zennyshoneybunch]

Adam du Mortain x F!Detective

Disclamer: These characters do not belong to me, they belong to The Wayhaven Chronicles, an amazing interactive fiction game from #seraphinitegames. If you don't know it yet and enjoy well-written romance games, I advise you to take a look.

This is just a drabble of an idea that popped into my head during lunch time. Fluff. May contain personality/traits spoilers if you haven't read Adam's route yet.

Wordcount: 866

After everything that's happened you'd think staying in the same room as Adam would have little effect on you by now. But that is not the case. As we wait in silence for the rest of the team to join us I wonder if my living room has become even smaller since the last time I sat here. The tension and heat in the air is sizzling, merely from being in the same confined space together.

I steal a glance at Adam, standing with his muscular back to me, arms crossed as he looks intently out the window. I could never understand what he finds that is so appealing outside or if he's just always in surveillance mode. For a moment I think I caught his eyes in the glass’s reflection, but I am probably just hallucinating at this point. 

I force my eyes away from the man that owns my heart and my every thought to look back at the folder in front of me. Stifling a sigh I reach for the pen, when I catch movement from the corner of my eye, a shadow crawling on my coffee table, creeping closer and closer. I slowly look at my side and there it is. Its eight furry legs carry it a few inches closer yet before stopping, as if taunting me. 

My body paralyzes for a moment, my mind freezing at the mere sight of the horrible threat, before my legs are forced into action by springing me up and away from the table. 

The movement as well as the sound of my fumbling legs scattering me away brings Adam's attention to me. In less than two seconds he's already next to me. Not that it would take him much longer than that to cross from one side to the other of my entire apartment, even if he wasn't a super fast vampire. 

“What is wrong?” 

The obvious concern in his voice, no doubt resulting from what I can only guess is my terrified expression, makes me feel even more pathetic about the whole situation. Nevertheless I point a finger at the disgusting creature. 

“Can you… can you get rid of that, please?”

His eyes follow the direction I'm pointing at, his eyebrows lifting slightly as they land on the goddamn thing. It takes him a beat to react, but clearing his throat he walks up to the table with ease. 

“Should I kill it or set it free outside would suffice?”

My brain immediately screams for the first option, but noticing the tinge of amusement in his voice I settle for the latter. 

“Just get it away from me.”

I can't see the look on his face, but there's the slightest shake on his shoulders before he leans down to scoop the beast from the table’s surface with his bare hands - which I'm not embarrassed to admit drew a gasp from me, goosebumps erupting all over my skin at me mere thought of touching that thing. 

Adam proceeds to move to the window to dispose of it outside. Once he closes the window I realize I was holding my breath and I sigh in relief. Adam keeps staring at me with a strange tightness in his expression, as though he's trying not to smile. 

“What?” I ask, my embarrassment making me sound more defensive than I'd like to admit. 

He shrugs, eyes downcast as he slowly walks closer to me. “Nothing.”

“Well, your face doesn't exactly say ‘nothing’.”

He lets out a breath that sounds a lot like an amused huff before raising his gaze back to me.

“If you must know, I was thinking that you are the bravest, strongest woman I have ever met. And I would never have expected you to be scared of a tiny spider.”

There’s a shadow of a smile on his lips and it only makes me feel more flustered, heat flushing to my cheeks. 

“Hey! First of all, that thing was not tiny in the slightest!” 

My outburst makes his smile grow wider, the breathtakingly cute dimples appearing with the sole purpose of making my mind go blank and my heart race. It still amazes me how one single smile from this man holds this kind of power over me. And now I'm flustered for a whole different reason. 

“And… it's not fear, it's disgust.”, my voice decreases in intensity as I avert my gaze, ending in barely more than a mumble. The lighthearted chuckle brings my attention back to him, his expression is soft and his demeanor relaxed. 

“Well, then I stand and correct it, Detective.” 

The tenderness in his voice and the hidden emotion behind his eyes pull at my heartstrings, bringing back those shreds of hope I am always pushing back. We don't look away from each other, instead we smile as our obvious unspoken feelings hang around us. And it's not until we hear familiar voices growing closer that our bubble bursts and we reluctantly move away, back to our previous spots. But this time, as I look at where Adam stands by the window, I am sure I can see his beautiful green eyes looking back at me through the reflection.

✨✨✨✨✨

For this man I don't mind being a 🤡

[synesindri]

how do you think lucifer knew about pop culture and such? like even in season 5 when he was the original version of himself the writers hadn’t ruined yet, he uses a lot of slang and modern idioms. and i guess we could just say bad writing lol but what’s your opinion?

hiii hi lucifer's s5 pop culture references are one of my favorite dialogue writing choices of the show tbh! the tl;dr is that i think lucifer did a lot of digging around in nick's mind while he was hanging out in nick's body, but i'll like, show my work and stuff also lol

so, in 5.01, before lucifer has a physical vessel and is appearing in nick's dreams, there are no pop culture references in sarah!lucifer's speech, and very little slang. the same is true when lucifer speaks to azazel through the sacrificed nun in the flashback in 4.22.

the pop culture references start after lucifer has taken nick as a vessel and has full access to everything in nick's mind and body, not just whatever can be accessed through dreams. he also starts moving more casually and fluidly, with little gestural quirks that imo have a similar effect to the pop culture references: communicating with humans in human-oriented ways that humans will easily understand and that will make him more relatable to them (not necessarily more likable, but maybe less alien, at least)

so, i think the pop culture refs are picked up from his vessels' memories and thoughts! he got in there, he got total, internal access to nick's memories and his body's habits and his speech patterns and stuff, and starting using those materials in his own communication styles. and then maybe also picked some up through exposure once he had the basics down, after he'd been out of the cage for a while

speculatively, i'd guess this was part of why nick was appealing to lucifer as a vessel: from what we see of nick, we know that what he wears looks like he has a job that has him in work boots (so, probably not white collar, and probably therefore has a vernacular more similar to sam and dean's than someone who would be spending his days in a corporate office, for example) and has pretty standard spn-core ways of speaking. having nick as a vessel puts lucifer more in sam's world visually, in speech, and in movement style more than other possible vessels would. he probably knows a lot of the same pop culture sam does, and he probably talks the way people sam is comfortable and familiar with talk — so, if lucifer learns to talk like a human from nick, lucifer also will come across as a familiar, relatable type of person to sam (didn't work too well but like, A for effort). idk if lucifer would have known enough about human class structures etc to be able to identify nick as the right kind of human to learn human culture from in order to talk to sam, so disregard if that seems too circular...but imo it's smart from the writers/costumers/etc, even if it didn't factor into lucifer's choice at all

(all of this makes different angels' characterization really interesting, i think, because some of them do a lot of human-ifying of themselves like this, while others don't. does castiel not do it much for the sake of jimmy's mind/memory privacy, or because he just doesn't care very much about seeming human? what's up with uriel and michael using pop culture referneces but not much human body language? like i know it's largely inconsistency in writing and acting choices for different characters but just assuming it's actually character-based reasons, i love it. and imo it implies that lucifer is very curious about humanity, even though he wants to get rid of them, and is good with rhetoric in that he understands the value of speaking to people in a way that feels familiar (he sucks at rhetoric in some other ways lol, but he was doing a good job on that, at least))

[fallloverfic]

Thoughts on Solo Leveling, Episode 23: It's Going to Get Even More Intense

This episode was interesting. Spoilery thoughts for the anime, novel, and manhwa prior to Ragnarok below

So they didn't get rid of the Japanese backstabbing plot entirely, after all. That's fascinating. And Matsumoto Shigeo exists! His design is neat, too. They still cut it down a lot, which the manhwa did to a degree, as well. I've talked about it enough in previous episodes so I'm not going to rehash. They'll probably blame it on a few corrupt bureaucrats or something, even though Goto Ryuji is very clearly in on it, too, along with at least some of the other Japanese Hunters.

One of the interesting casualties of all the changes to make Japan look less bad is that it also makes Ryuji way less interesting as a character. They stripped him of nearly all his emotional reactions to everything, his ties with anyone. He's now just a powerful guy who's not even in the story for much time. I can't say him being more of a scumbag like he is in the novel and manhwa is better, but the modifications definitely makes paying attention to him less appealing. He's too cold (and not in an interesting way) and quite frankly just generally boring.

RIP Min Byunggu. Your flirting with your husband was a beloved part of the episode. Also healers, for the win! This is why we rock (I miss healing in video games, I haven't done it in ages)! This is also why you kill healer enemies first in fights alkdjlajdlaj

Choi Jongin also got in some lovely flirting with Yoonho. Yoonho get all the flirting before Trauma TM.

Yoonho's transformation was pretty fun. They tried to do a panel recreation of the manhwa, which worked okay. It's not as impressive as the original panel, but it's nice!

More Beru!

As someone else pointed out, why would a creature raised in a matriarchal society, which solely contains a queen, care what a king is or expect a different species to have one, rather than a queen? Did eating the other Hunters make Beru realize what patriarchy is? I always found this entire plotline stupid, and the novel explains it thusly:

“The first to fall was the human king. The monstrous beast made quick work of all its subordinates as well. That was when one of them yelled something at it as he sobbed before finally being killed.

What are you?

The Predation skill allowed the beast to absorb the critical thinking abilities of the humans it consumed, so it pondered the question.

What am I?

It had simply been one of the queen’s soldiers until then, but what was it now that the queen was dead? It was the only being capable of leading the soldiers of this empire.

It knew only one word fit to call someone in that role.

…King.

Having eliminated the king of his enemies, the monstrous beast believed he was qualified to be a king.” (Yen Press English translation, Volume 4, Chapter 5: King of Ants)

So... -shrug-

But yaaay, Beru :D

The fighting looked really brutal. Seeing everyone, but particularly Jongin and Cha Haein, hurt, was T-T

I'm also not gonna lie, it feels like they're short-cutting a lot this episode. Like I love Dark Aria, but they couldn't come up with another sad song? It just felt kind of... off? Using it? And a lot of the fight animation, while good enough, felt a bit rushed. I'm assuming they spent all the money they could on episode 24, if only because it's the season finale and Sung Jinwoo is in it, and maybe this episode lost out, I don't know. Jongin got some nice effects! Haein spin-dashed a lot!

He tries T-T He tries so hard T-T

And now that we've waited long enough for Jinwoo to make a dramatic entrance and multiple characters have been de-limbed and smashed to pieces and the healer is dead, Jinwoo's soldiers appear and he arrives for the season finale. To be fair, Jinwoo showed up at all at this moment because he placed shadows on every S-rank Hunter present except Byunggu, who wasn't at the gym when Jinwoo placed the shadows. It makes sense Jinwoo didn't know to show up when Byunggu was in danger because he didn't have a shadow on Byunggu to tell him Byunggu was in danger. He still didn't show up when Dongwook's arms were ripped off or when Haein was smashed up, but well...

I had more than I thought to add but less than in other episodes. On to 24!

Other thoughts:

Season 1: Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12

Season 2: Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23 (you are here), Episode 24

[glassautomaton]

Maybe it’s because I’ve been sitting on Devil’s Advocate for a while without any forward progress but I feel I’m becoming increasingly dissatisfied with what’s already made for it. Aside from a few creative choices or lines I don’t feel great about (which I could theoretically go back and edit, I mean who’s gonna stop me) I’m concerned that the series as a whole doesn’t work well as a single piece that moves people forward. Individual tales, sure, but I worry that what I have doesn’t encourage people to continue the series enough with its pacing on a macro scale. And I’ve dedicated a good amount of time already, and plan to dedicate more, to antagonists that I like but increasingly worry have no real appeal beyond me just liking androids. I’ve got plans for them and how they bounce off of and foil the main cast but I wonder if people even much care for them in the first place, or if readers are, in general, just more interested in seeing me write the old Foundation characters and want me to cut to the chase.

Perhaps this dissatisfaction comes in part from how much time I’ve spent in the interim planning out later stories. I worry that the first part of the series won’t gel well with a more thoroughly planned continuation, with my aforementioned pacing issues compounding that problem. I don’t know - maybe Devil’s Advocate is scattershot and unsophisticated. There are parts of this next draft I love but I’ve spun my wheels for months and months trying to get everything to play nice together, and I think that’s how I’m starting to feel about everything. I might not be a good enough writer to make everything work together the best way it can, and I can see the issues but I’m not capable enough to be the solution.

This all makes the issue of my horribly inconsistent schedule much worse. I feel out of the conversation once I stopped updating so regularly, and now it’s going to be a year since I moved the plot of the series forwards with Dead Man’s Party. If I want to pick up steam I need more confidence in my writing to power through it at a more consistent rate, but I don’t know if I can get there. To top it off, I’m worried part 1 of the series does a bad job of grabbing people, the hub page included. I think a lot of the issues I have stem from All Alone on a Friday, as while there are a lot of sections of that tale I still like a lot, the process of getting it out was arduous and killed my long-term motivation, and my output was never the same after it, plus the fact that it sticks out like a sore thumb in the tale order. It’s interminably long and not all interesting or meaningful, so I’m in the position where I have this tale with important scenes that I just want to get rid of.

I’ve been hoping a hub update and a reordering of the tales currently up will alleviate these issues but I don’t know about that anymore. Plus I want to finish this damn draft that’s been hanging over me since June of 2024 and I’ve found the writing process no less agonizing after going to re-outline the tale multiple times. To top it all off I’m scared that all this is going to show in the final product and it won’t very the strong comeback and continuation in think the series needs.

[one-pump-chump]

@stabknives haiiii again. hi.

how’d he meet trev trev? like disss of course. he’s the cameraman!! or, yknow. he replaces the cameraman in this cutscene.

yes i guess this means ending c is my canon worldstate (BOOOOO fake tragedy/dead dove enjoyer) anyway. he notices trevor scrambling away and manages to scramble away himself to chase him down! follows him all the way to devin weston’s house, watches the trio push him off a cliff. they “meet” literally 10 seconds after the credits roll when trev wonders away (WHY DIDN’T YOU GIVE HIM A RIDE MICHAEL YOU SELFISH PRICK.) he notices a little freak watching him from the bushes. who saw the whole thing. aaand yeah that’s it. i have very little else to go on. 👍

random bit of info i decided on years ago though, was that trevor learns connor is trans very early, like. in the first day or two, somehow, there’s no big reveal, and trevor’s curiosity and light harassment is a big part of their back and forth. back in those early-concept-connor days it was because trev kidnapped him instead of patricia, (as he worked for mr madrazo) and. yknow. groped him a lil, as you do. felt the goods, or lack thereof. don’t really know where i’m going with this but that doesn’t apply anymore. i do think logically the only way he’d find out early on is through sexual harassment/assault though cos connor is one of those binary, knew my whole life, stealth trans dudes. he’s not ashamed, far from it; just another obstacle he overcame, another bit of control he gained over his own fate - but he isn’t letting random people know.

i could see him meeting michael eventually? in passing? trevor talks about him a lot. he doesn’t really see the appeal. if they got to know each other well enough for connor to see michael for what he is, i bet the crazy dynamic they’d have would rival that of michael and trevor. i don’t really know How, i just know it would. his thoughts on franklin would likely be the same as trevor and michael’s. good kid 👍 respectable. he pulled himself out of gutter, just like him. you should smoking weed, seriously. and stop working for cunts who don’t pay you. get away from these two losers, go use that money wisely. PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOG AWAY FROM ME‼️ hey is that a guitar? you play? no shit we should jam together some time :) you like blues?

he’d really vibe with lester i feel. disabled creepy voyeur solidarity. he’d find lamar great fun. i like to think he maybe already knows them through other contacts? connor is one of those people who knows all sorts. always seems to be making connections wherever he goes.

weapons - early concept connor had a hatchet he named Henrietta and a dagger he named Chelsea. after the fratellis songs. because he thinks he’s so fucking funny. and even though his character really doesn’t need them anymore…. nah, they aren’t going anywhere. too attached to this silly idea to get rid of it. it’s too endearing to me.

guns - like most american things, he hates them. however ☝️ he ain’t being the only sucker without one. and he goes to the shooting range every other month with, what is probably only two pistols. one for his house, one to carry. he’s decent with them! i don’t know if he’s killed with them, though.

pre planner or opportunist criminal - well. i don’t know that he’s much of a criminal at all, really. connor is written to be less like a playable character and more like a colourful, slice-of-life ‘strangers and freaks’ type side character for trevor. like a weirder beverly. he’s definitely doing his share of weird nasty shit but no organised crime for him. he has a job at the pier, weird tortureporn to film, drag queens to generously tip, neighbours to bother with his accordion playing and cats to feed. he just doesn’t have the time. he can probably put you in touch with someone who does though, what kinda talent you lookin for?