#so obsessed with this form its so cool and intriguing

[joshuamj]

Spirit of a Swordfighter

Alt colors

[solitaryandwandering]

A Ramble: Love in the Big City Eps 1-2

I just watched episode 2 of Love in the Big City and I am... reeling. Cried when Kim Nam Gyu died, when Yeong and Mi Rae sang together at the wedding, cried at the crushing ending line. I loved the direction in these two episodes; one of the reasons I was super excited to watch this was because they're switching up the directors for each part. Such a cool way to signal transitions in Yeong's life. Now that I've seen the caliber Son Tae Gyum operated at I'm intrigued to see how direction will affect the next parts. Maybe I'll write up a thing about that in the end, but I'm hopeful others will as well! I am chomping at the bit to read the book, seriously!!

I have to mention first what a BALLSY move it was for them to open on Yeong's tryst with a man who was cheating on someone currently in the military. And he walks in the door, STILL IN UNIFORM. What a fucking slap in the face to hegemonic masculinity!!

After this first part what I am really lingering on are two things: queer loneliness and heteronormativity's relationship to misogyny. I'm just gonna put down my half-baked thoughts, I don't have the time or spoons to formulate coherent sentences haha

Though I saw Nam Gyu's death coming just based on vibes in the first episode, its impact wasn't lessened. Its significance didn't really hit me until I saw how empty his funeral was. Loneliness shaped his life - repression, liberation in meeting another gay man, falling in love with him way too fast, forming a dependent attachment, his desperation/obsessiveness in losing it so abruptly. He expressed his queerness in his photography, voyeuristic and seeking closeness with his subjects in the only way he felt was available to him. He had no friends, no relationships outside of his with Yeong. When Yeong breaks up with him and when he visits him drunk in ep 2, he says "falling in love is not a sin." To me, this shows just how removed from a loving community he has been, how nascent his queerness. He's still processing homophobia, it still influences every move he makes, everything he thinks. Clearly he has not had close relationships with other queers, where he may feel free to unburden himself. He falls back on heteronormative performance of romance, searching the best places for dates, not having anyone to ask. Knowing he's older makes this hurt more.

His story brought to mind the futility of AIDS-related deaths in the U.S., to be honest. I lost my gay uncle before I even knew him, and I know no one from his life. I know it's not a perfect parallel, but that funeral... this emptiness carries beyond one queer person's death. And Yeong's journey in these two episodes is about queer loneliness, of course. But his story is not as tragic as Nam Gyu's. He has (amazing) queer friends, and at one point had Mi Rae. He is much more connected to the queer community than Nam Gyu ever was. Despite his immaturity, Yeong is also much more familiar and comfortable with his queerness. I imagine this thread of self-actualization in the face of loneliness will continue in the rest of the show.

@twig-tea and @poetry-protest-pornography also wrote about queer loneliness in this show: here and here

And then we have Mi Rae, a vitally important relationship in Yeong's life, the love this part of the story is about. I met my best friend in college as well, so this part of the story was bringing up a lot of feelings too. To me, their friendship was as much about navigating heteronormativity as anything else, reflected in Yeong's reflection that "she learned that being a gay man sucks, and I learned that being a woman sucks just as much." Mi Rae is impacted by misogyny in every step of her character's journey: male classmates labeling her a slut and claiming her body for theirs, being groped, her challenges obtaining an abortion and mistreatment by a male doctor (where she literally claims her uterus back), her conflict with her parents (I'm assuming her mother had very rigid ideas of what a woman should be, based on her behavior at the wedding), hiding her past from her boyfriend, forced to defend herself when he questions why she lives with a man, shutting herself off from her relationship with Yeong (and thus rejecting her past) after the wedding. I looked up the status of abortion in Korea (a legal gray zone) and was reminded of how badly women there have it, which provided more context for her behavior.

Yeong must also traverse heteronormativity, which is what ultimately drives a wedge between the two and ends their friendship. In the beginning, their mutual rejection of heteronormative scriptures is what brings them together. He stands up for her against those male classmates, in an interaction steeped with assumptions of his heterosexuality. In rejecting her objectification he made himself a pariah for refusing to participate in normative masculinity. And their relationship continues thus, with her promising never to out him. She betrays him in a moment where she feels her participation in normative heterosexuality is threatened (and, indeed, it is a legitimately precarious position to be put in as a woman). Their brief reconciliation mainly consists of Yeong participating in a heterosexual ritual - he has no access to marriage in Korea. Her singing with him and letting go of her inhibitions for one last time was her goodbye to him and her ultimate acceptance of a more heteronormative life. One he can't participate in.

I hope that made any lick of sense. So looking forward to watching the next week. I am holding myself back from watching the next episodes right now. So hard.

[cybertron-after-dark]

oooo kimmie, can you tell us about the tfa and rb overlap?

Everyone prepare yourselves bc the floodgates are opened and now I'm never going to shut up about this

In a meta context, there's SO much overlap between the shows. A lot of the same people worked on it, especially the writers, and it 100% shows. Mr. Marty Isenberg you are not slick.

In terms of the actual content of the shows though, the similarities are overflowing.

First and foremost, the emphasis on cultural differences and exchanges with the human-bot relationships. TFA had a good bit of it and it was very very fun every time it happened (bots not really knowing what level of self defense is appropriate to teach a child, being very confused about what exactly humans eat, bee picking up video games, bulkhead picking up art, ALL that good shit), but you don't always get to focus on it with all the action and political intrigue going on. And while rescue bots has its share of intensity, there's a lot more space for the mundane interactions. Blades being tv obsessed, the bots celebrating Allspark day, boulder's love of just Everything on earth. They had a whole episode just about teaching the bots to fish.

There's also the fact that everyone on griffin rock is a little bit Unhinged in a lot of the same ways the humans kicking around Detroit are. Just. Vaguely Weird Vibes in very funny ways. And the same tendency to switch from revering the emergency services which they may or may not know the bots are part of to wildly distrusting them on a dime. Optimus would not leave an encounter with Mrs Nederlander unscathed bro. I don't know if any of the bots could.

Speaking of humans, the villains in rescue bots feel like what the tfa human villains could have been if not for being wildly overshadowed by the decepticons. Evan and Myles? I think you mean Henry Masterson's shitty cousins he only interacts with through the CoD lobby. Madelyne Pynch? That's just girlboss Porter C. Powell. Quint Quarry? Sir that is Master Disaster if he existed for more than like two minutes of a singular episode and bagged more than one bot. Dr. Morocco? Meltdown but better at, like, everything (especially lab safety).

Then there's the constant state of both teams grilling the hell out of each other All The Time. Chaotic. Absolute Creechurs. They love each other so much but they also all live in close contact and see each other all the time and thus they are So Mean To Each Other (though they're a bit meaner in tfa just bc older audience)

The Sumdacs and the Greenes being two duos of an absentminded but well meaning technological genius and his intelligent and Highly Cool pigtailed daughter who both have to deal with the dad's tech going completely out of control is pretty on the nose too. (Oh God now I'm just imagining an au where tfp starscream successfully gets rid of Megatron after the space bridge explosion and sends him hurtling towards earth and crashlanding right on griffin rock whee doc green finds his head. Can you imagine. The misery of tfp Megatron having to deal with a human. He's having several mental breakdowns, 100%)

Even Cody and Sari have a lot of similarity as characters. Cody is a lot more mild mannered compared to the absolute Gremlin that is Sari, but they both still struggle a lot with wanting to help but feeling too small to make an impact, even though they matter so much more than they could ever know. They're surrounded by heros, giants, and it's hard for them not to feel like they're fading into the background. And when both their families realize how they've been making those kids feel they put so much effort to make sure they're loved and feel like their efforts matter. It's the same arc in different forms. And it's so good both ways.

Overall they're both shows that feel like they're trying to say similar things to different audiences. That Earth is wonderful and worth protecting. That any effort can make massive differences, even if you don't feel like you can do enough. That a hero can come from somewhere humble, and the best ones usually do. That people deserve kindness and a genuine effort at understanding. That nobody is without value.

And honestly? That what I love most about both of them.

[lonewolflupe]

Trick or Treat! 🧛

The door stays shut. Just when you decide to move on to the next door, an ominous fog starts creeping up towards you. You're intrigued by it; it almost looks like the real thing. Wait, it is? How the- Your neck hairs stand on end when you notice movement in front of you. You blink a few times when a clone in full armour walks through the closed door, not sure if this is really happening or if your mind is playing tricks on you. But your eyes shoot wide open when you notice something is missing; and it’s none other than his head. A moment later, the licking flames between his armour start gathering where a head should be, and begin to form a face, being of a shade of red you've never seen fire painted before. You stand frozen to the ground, unable to move as he comes closer. Your mind is racing, unable to comprehend what is happening - and that you're blocking his way. Suddenly, you feel how a pair of hands grab your shoulders, before they urge you to step aside. But you can see the headless man's arms right at his side. “Move,” he demands in the most harrowing, bone-chilling voice, one that sounds like it isn’t something from this world. “W-what are you gonna do?” you squeak, your throat feeling tight, as if one of those invisible hands is squeezing it shut. “I'm about to kill,” he replies after a brief moment, his voice icy and metallic, echoing through the soul like a corridor ghoul locates its prey. Petrified, you watch him leave, and it takes a while before you regain yourself. Time to head home.

Don’t burn yourself on the (trick or) treat below the cut:

For @eclec-tech

Alright so I might be a little bit obsessed with your The Headless Guardsman story. And after drawing him for my 100 follower event, I wanted to give it another try after finishing the story! So here's another Headless Guardsman (FireFox, although I wouldn't use him as a browser), this time getting all his frustrations and anger and sadness and the misunderstandings out in a harrowing, smoky scream. (Note to Ever Love: give this man the comfort and love he deserves!)

I did use a reference for the expression, because I wanted the emotions to be visible, but the way I did the smoke/outer flames was an accident (which turned out pretty cool, I think!).

Amber, thanks for dropping by for inbox Trick-or-Treating and giving me another opportunity to draw your amazing Headless Guardsman <3

Fox taglist: @peggy7447 @ghostymarni

The Headless Guardsman for @pinahallowsevecloneparty

[danyvhell-writes]

Hi hi hi !! Idk if ur TS headcanons asks are still open (I am, so so sorry if not) but if they are I was wondering if you could do some Pirate Ais Au? >:3 I saw that idea in one of ur other posts and i think the idea is just MUAH MUAH

It could just be general Ais headcanons or X Mc :0 anything with him just being a pirate because bro I just love pirates so much 😭 they are SO COOL and Ais as a pirate captain is just ??? Even better ???

Anyway, I hope you have the best rlly good day 🫶

Pirate Ais AU 🏴‍☠️ Touchstarved

GN reader - no warnings | Yes my asks are still open !!! So happy you liked my idea :') OMG OMG OMG WHERE DO I EVEN START ?!!!!? The brainrot is real and fueling eachother with ideas like that is making it even better (or worse u choose uefgzifguz). As a kid who was obsessed with pirates and a current One Piece fan, your ask is exactly what I needed, thank you so much ♥ This AU is more joyful than what's seen of his canon life so yeah, hope you'll like it ! Okay, ready to sail ? Let's go !

• First : the ✨fashion✨. Ais could be at sea for weeks but would still make sure to look good, real good. I mean look at him ! He even has a pretty hat he wears on special occasions ✧.

• In this AU, Ais has his crew but is still affiliated to Ocudeus. Instead of being the spirit of the Seaspring, Ocudeus is literally the incarnation of the sea depths, a whole big Kraken ! Its energy, force and magic are linked to the abyss.

↑ Ais powers manifest differently here. Instead of seeing through the eyes of others, Ocudeus gave him some sort of marine omniscience. He can use the kraken's senses to a certain limit, a real advantage for navigation. Bro can literally listen through the sea itself if he wills enough :') He must have seen a lot...

• Ocudeus isn't the only spirit of his kind but is genuinely intrigued by mortals. It's not his first time forming a pact with 'lower beings' but Ais is actually one of his favourite holders/vessels so far lmaoezoihf. He kinda cares about the pirate, who's the closest thing he has to a friend.

• His ship is his second home, he takes absolute care of it. If his whole crew has to stay up all night to tidy & wash everything from top to bottom, they will ! And of course, the ship has a japanese name ! Ais named it "Hayai" [速] cause she's the fastest boat you'll ever see (his words not mine). First time you hear him talk about her you're like "...Wait who's Hayai ?" "This big girl over here >:)" and he shows you his amazing ship with a proud smile, which you really weren't expecting !

• Loves, loves, loves to travel ! Any new destination in his adventures is a reason to explore more, search for information and mysteries. He's just so curious about everything :')

• He picks up expressions, phrases and languages from his previous trips ! If he can remember as much as possible, he'll note everything in his log.

→ After every daily island/town tour, he makes sure to write a little about what happened so far. How much they traveled, how much they visited, how much they learned from passengers and citizens.

• Ais originally comes from a village on a small island, lots of yokais live in there as a community.

• He moves a lot but always comes back to his hometown when he can ! He's someone who gets attached and I just know he'd never abandon his little village.

• As a captain, his main role is to make sure everyone's fine. He checks up on his mates whenever he feels something might be wrong. He's got a sort of sixth sense for that... wonder how he got it hm 👀

→ Being the big softie he is, he actually really likes sleeping in the same room as his whole crew instead of his own cabin, he knows they're safe with him so he feels way less stressed. (Would 100% read bedtime stories to the youngest members.)

• His goal isn't even to find treasures or anything, he simply enjoys the freedom of being a pirate, the message behind it and especially the sailor fights !

• Knows how to sword fight and is pretty talented at it ! If you want to learn one or two tricks, he'll teach you >:)

• That man already had the smell of blood, smoke and metal well... in this AU it's even worse ! His smell is so distinctive and strong, anyone could recognize it from miles away.

• Our boy enjoys a good drink, we know that. Almost every night all his gang gather around and share some booze together in a comforting atmosphere, around a small fire. They enjoy the night together while chatting, playing games and much more !

→ Of course they also share tea in daytime when they're not busy navigating or whatsoever.

• Could also fit in general hcs but, his tattoos move or/and glow at specific moments. Sometimes it's like he's bioluminescent, when he goes in water at night, completely in the dark, his skin starts to glow under the moonlight. First time it happened he was so confused zegbkzuhf.

• After his pact with Ocudeus, he started to feel even more at peace when closer to the ocean. If he stays away from shores or marine areas for too long, little oni starts feeling homesick.

• He really appreciates collecting small objects from his travels. His room is full of souvenirs, strange artefacts found in the sand, small treasures, sea shells, cards from around the lands, old books in foreign languages, cultural jewelries offered by locals etc...

• Never really sets up a specific destination, except if he needs to. He loves the adrenaline of finding new places by complete hazard.

• Ais being a pirate who doesn't like seafood, the most accessible food at seas, is well... ironic.

• The sound of seagull chants and waves soothes him. He usually falls asleep on the deck, sunshine on his skin with the sea rocking him gently.

• First time you come to see him, it's one of his crewmate that tells you about him but you don't even know he's a captain ! You see him for the first time and you're just "Helloooo sailor ! How can I join your pirate gang handsome?"🥴

• Every single member is attractive. That's it. It's not the biggest crew really (around 20 people) but the diversity is here. Young ones, old ones, skinny ones, fat ones, pale skin, dark skin, humans, monsters, all the types really. And yes, some tried to woo you (how could they not, MC is 10/10).

• Kids on the ship view you as the cool unty (is that the gn term ?). Ais thinks it's cute except when you start spending more time with them when he originally invited you over…

• And yes, Princess & all his other soulless are here !!! Now they're more some sorta semi marine creatures. They really like to swim and it's the cutest thing :') Like, Ais and his pets swimming in the sea while some are playing in the sand ??? Too cute for me I-

• Talking about our favourite girl, she's the mascot of the crew ! Everyone is so in love with her, she's everyone's precious lil baby (even tho she can and will bite). They'll sometimes try to dress her up to fit their aesthetic and surprisingly she doesn't seem to mind. Also, the sounds she makes are…a mystery !

• Okay but just picture it : Ais hair flowing into the wind while he's watching the horizon, hues of the sea reflecting on his skin looking so peaceful.

• Thinking about his jolly roger, it would be a oni skull surrounded by red eyes with two teal sabers behind (I did a lil sketch hehe) :

• His favourite thing to find are old maps ! Especially if they lead to ancient locations with unchanged names. He has a lot of them and it also might be why he gets into a lot of fights (maps are a treasure themselves so of course people are gonna take risks).

• Even if he's young, he has a big reputation among other pirates. Rule number one : Don't mess with him or his crew. Number two : If you want information there's always a price to pay ! He's nice and generous but hey you know : don't except mercy.

→ Known for his loyalty tho ! If you show that you're worthy of his trust, he'll be your best ally for the rest of your life. He's intimidating but full of qualities.

[occasionally-good-ideas]

Void hopper

The Infinite Realms: the ‘void’ that separates dimensions, and the home of The Dead.

A boy sits alone in the void and writes about his travels

—————————————————————

It really is infinite!! time is non linear over all and all the realms/zones have their own ‘land’ formations and colors

so far I’ve seen:

—the classic green ‘ghost zone’ [that names a little bit inaccurate; there’s ghosts everywhere] green, a bit slimy, flouting islands, doors, ghosts with strong obsessions

—the ‘furthest ring’ that one’s mostly blank with… frogs?? And really BIG anncient entity’s [are they a specific type of ghost?] that blow bubbles into the void, ghosts that look eerily human sometimes make it out of the bubbles… don’t know what that’s about.

—the ‘Phantom zone’ (lmao) couldn’t get a real good look it’s gaurded really well, I saw clouds? Pilers and.. living? Villains?? Not dealing with that.

—one that’s all fire and rock, it’s inhabits are mostly skeletons and demons… I’m pretty sure it’s straight up Hell but I didn’t stick around to ask for a name.

——————————————————————

Danny closed his journal, he’s been wandering the Realms in both his forms for almost two years now, and it’s fun! Don’t get him wrong, it’s just- when there’s no ghosts around the silence gets… disturbing. So he goes about in human form! Thinks out loud and listens to his organs work. There pretty noisy when you’re not used to it.

Before he left His Realm, all those months ago, he packed a duffel bag with nonperishable food, under clothes [thin long sleeves, leggings, tang-tops and sweats] tools, weapons [blasters and knives mostly] and a blank book/writing stuff.

He’d put on a hazmat/jumpsuit like the one he died in, steal toed boots, and modified fenton phones he calls ‘coms’ and headed to the Ghost Zone. On his travels he picked up a black coat, utility belt and a cool viser that gets compacted into his coms

He hasn’t visually aged past 16, he’s got no idea if that’s cause he’s in the Zone or it’s All Him. still 5’3 and well- not ‘baby faced’ but not all that sharp.

Right now, he’s sitting on an empty island, watching the swirling purple, pink and orange sky as he picks at the dull red grass after finishing his latest little journal entry.

“Huh” the ‘clouds’ of this place shift abruptly as they hit a wall-like membrane on the far side of this… area/realm/zone “It kinda looks like a wall…” a cave? he looks more closely at the horizons around him “yeah there’s another one… walls…” walls between what?

He packs his book and writing stuff into its pocket of his bag, gets into a crouch at the edge of the island he was sitting at and kicks of, watching his black hair drift around his face as his momentum carries him towards one of the ‘walls’.

When he’s close enough he reaches out a hand, the wall is… soft? Like rubbery- not so much a WALL-wall but like a lining, kinda flesh-like and living “Woah…” awe and intrigue lace his voice as he presses and runs his hands over the barrier to feel it move. Some areas seem… thinner? Easier to move deffinetly, one part in particular feels about as thick as a half filled water balloon, so thin “what if iiiii”

he pushed into the thin spot, not expecting much when he felt it give, a deep hum filling the air around him the smell of rain filled his nose and static ozone filled his mouth as a force pulled him forward by the hand that used to be on the wall “Oh FU-“

He’d torn a hole through the barrier and was now /Free-falling/ on the Other Side.

Rain pelts his face as he falls, so that’s where that smell came from! He wills off gravity in order to slow his fall.

Now he’s falling at the same speed as the rain instead of faster, he opens his eyes to see- the rain drops. At this speed they look still, suspended in air refracting the dappled light of the sun through the clouds. Like silver stars on a backdrop of gray clouds and green- green?? What’s green?

He looks up- or, is it down… towards the ground. Which is still rapidly approaching! Turns out rain drops fall pretty fast. He quickly scans the forest for a good place to land… “that’ll do”

He lands in a bush that splinters under the force of his fall, some of the sturdier branch’s don’t snap and end up stabbing Danny through his right leg, the skin of his waist- no guts thank the ancients, and two places in his right arm. “FUCK WHY?! AUGHCK” he takes a deep breath in, holds it then lets it out “huuhhhh this looks so much better in cartoons- ooookay how do iiiiii-“ wait a minute.. he’s a ghost! He turns intangible, falls through the Death Bush and rolls on to his back in the clearing the bush was bordering.

“Well that… could’ve gone worse! At least the rain feels nice..” and the rain does feel nice, refreshing in a way that’s hard to come by in the realms, it drums gently on his face and suit as he calms down, rinsing the blood away from quickly healing wounds.

As he lies on the grass catching his breath, rain soothing his scratched skin, breathing in the smell of mud and wet leaves, blood long washed away, tasting fresh water as the rain seeps into his mouth.He feels Alive.

He lets gravity push him into the mud “hehe squish” he laughs at the sky, giddy and a bit out of it as the adrenaline settles.

“Ha! how far did I fall??” He sits up clicks the button on his com to activate his visor. The screen materializes in a wave of rectangular pixels from one com to the other. Looking up, now he can see the tear about ehhhh four story’s up? Pretty dang high to get Launched from.

“Huh I… tore a hole through a ‘wall’ in the zone… and ended up in the mortal world… was that the veil?? I thought that was a metaphor..” he mumbled that last part.

That hum when he broke through, it resonated in his core like intangibility cranked up to 10, a familiar frequency kind of like when wulf would open portals- “Ancients I made a portal!!! Wow that’s really obvious. How did I not get that until now?!?” If he could make a portal out. That means he can make one going in.

Reaching for that Hum, he feels himself shift through the planes of reality like turning a nob to find the right radio station. He focuses on his core, feeling himself pass all planes of human perception -he closes his eyes as the world around him becomes a flashing mess of unknown colors and seemingly meaningless shapes- Trying to get it to match the Hum from before- There!

Eyes still closed, Danny listens closely… that’s it! That bone deep Hum. When he opens his eyes the first thing he notes is that the world has reformed from that splotchy haze it was before, the second thing is The Veil, translucent Walls criss crossing over Everything like a spider web made three-dimensional. “Woah…”

He slowly reaches out a hand to touch one of the walls- part of The Veil man that’s so cool! It feels… less fleshy, more flexible, it has more give without breaking. “Cool!!” Now to make a portal back, he pushes on the veil like before and… it just stretches. Hm.

Maybe it just takes more effort going this way, he pushes harder on the stretchy membrane, nope it just stretches! “Hm. Okay” Danny takes a few steps back, “how about, this-“ he runs headfirst into the wall, and promptly gets thrown back by said wall. “DANG IT man it was so easy to get through the first time what gives!?” He punches the wall, nothing. He kicks it, nope nothing. He starts clawing at the wall trying to dig through it but nothing is WORKING- he slammed both fists into the veil and they bounce back and hit him in the face. “AUGH”

ok this isn’t working. He takes a step back and takes a breath, he looks around at the shattered glass like walls around him, some are thick, others thin. They reach up into the sky and don’t seem to rely on anything physical to keep them in place… nothing physical. how about non-physical?

He gatherers plasma in the palm of his hand, when the Plasma Ball is about as big as a tennis ball he chucks it full force at the section of the veil he’s been abusing for the last ten minutes, the wall makes a sizzling sound as the plasma makes contact and then the plasma- gets absorbed?? Soaked up like coffee on paper, “well. It did something at least”

What about electricity? The black haired boy walks up to the flimsy, deceptively strong membrane, he squares his shoulders, places his left hand on the veil. he lets the energy build for a moment before sending it running. It shoots past his shoulder and races down his arm in arks of electric yellow/green till it shocks the barrier. The veil goes stiff like brittle rubber under his fingertips -now-

Hand still on the wall he curls his fingers and claws into the weakened veil. It crumbles under his hand, releasing the acidic smell of the pure ectoplasm of the realms, an opening. He quickly gets his other hand in the tear and struggles to pull it open, he can see reality fold and ripple as the hole in The Veil opens into a portal just large enough to fly through.

He takes a step back, eyes wide under his visor, he lets out a deep exhale that frosts the air around him “woah” breath heavy with adrenaline he looks at the portal, small oval shaped and swirling electric green and ice blue. He looks down at his hands electricity still sparking between them and his just-now-noticed claws. When did that happen? His usually blunt nails have grown to sharpened points, pressing against the tough rubber of his gloves but not breaking through.

A mischievous grin split his face revealing sharp fangs, “oh this is gonna be fun”

[ponyponyponyyy]

I am so intrigued with the idea of a "chaos" pony I would love a dedicated post explaining them

OOOOOH YAY THANKYOU FOR THE ASK I WAS GONNA SAVE THE CHAOS POST 4 AFTER THE 8-PONY-RACES POST(S) BUT I THINK I WILL DO IT FIRST HERE BECAUSE U ASKED ABT IT HUEHEHEHE

so as previously explained: CHAOS MAGIC forms when there is a lack of magic in a single area, which causes many different magics to rush in & fill the void. a chaos pony can be formed in 2 ways: the first is when different magics are introduced in utero, OR the pony has their magic permanently stripped from them artificially.

the 1st kind, commonly known as lesser chaos ponies, are generally pretty weak magic-wise due to the clashing of magics in the individual being smoother & ultimately leaving more room for the chaos to cool off, leaving the poor horsie with very little magical abilities(if at all). if they do have an ability its usually pretty weird for what the chaos pony's race is supposed to do. 2 examples of lesser chaos ponies are scootaloo & pinkie pie; scootaloo is a chaos pony due to her lack of sky magic(& inability to fly as a result) & pinkie became one due to her living around a fuckton of rocks(& a whole lot of earth & crystal magic as a result) as a filly which messed w her magic levels enough to generate enough chaos magic to give her the supernatural sixth sense u see in the show.

the 2nd kind(greater chaos ponies) are often sigificantly stronger than their natural counterparts due to their magic literally being plucked out all at once, resulting in a much higher generation of chaos magic. ponies wanting to get powerful FAST often perform purge spells on themselves to jumpstart the process(though depending on how much magic they had already + how much they purge theres a fair chance that the poor horsie just fucking explodes from the sheer pressure lmao). 2 good examples of greater chaos ponies are king sombra & nightmare moon; king sombra was one of those crazy horsies who purged ALLL his magic to become a chaos pony & blew himself up as a result(its why hes semi-incorporeal & obsessed w crystals in the show; hes using crystals to stabilise his barely-there body). nightmare moon(& technically also luna) is a chaos pony because like sombra, she also partially purged her magic to transform into a chaos pony(due to this, princess luna is technically no longer an alicorn, shes a chaos pony w an alicorn-like form)

if a chaos pony keeps their magic at a certain level, they can transform into a draconequus aka a being of PURE chaos that barely counts as a pony the longer theyre a draconequus. ill save the draconefication process for the transformation post cos this ones already long as fuck lmao

[noodlesha]

Sex Education: Season 4 (2023) – Just some thoughts.

Over a span of four days, my housemates and I sat down to watch the final season of sex education; the show had started in 2019 (which feels like a lie, but we move I guess) and was loved by the masses. People really resonated with it as they showcased people dealing with all sorts of different complexities and natures and it was truly wonderful to see so many demographics being represented.

And while I know some of the criticism comes from the fact they favour representation over solid writing, I can understand that sometimes it’s just nice to be seen on a tv show with no ulterior motive and to be frank, this show has some great writing with certain characters. But like most TV shows, it didn’t mean it didn’t have its faults much like this season. But I think the best way to talk about this show is through its characters, which are the driving force of this TV show and it both benefits and fails from it.

The New Characters

When going into it, I was quite sceptical about the new characters, and coming out of it, I think I still am. I enjoyed the representation of ‘The Coven’ or whatever they were called, I think Aisha was written the best out of the three considering she had a broader storyline and I loved how they discussed accessibility for disabled people it was very refreshing. But coming out of the show, I don’t think I felt anything for these characters, and I found myself wishing they had Lily and Ola back.

O felt like a complete waste of a character – it felt like they made her very purposefully antagonistic, and yet when it came time to redeem her character it felt like a last-minute decision. I also think the way they handled her asexuality was very odd and felt quite forced at times, I remember during season one the writers seemed to be suggesting Otis was asexual but then didn’t push through to it, O just seemed like a rehash of that exact thing. There was clearly some stuff left out because O felt very antagonistic back at Otis, but Otis didn’t really do much towards their opposing sex clinics.

Adam (and Michael too)

This storyline became a favourite when the show ended and I didn’t think it would hit me as hard as it did. Adam’s character arc through the show has been very interesting to see, when looking back to last season I was never really a fan of Adam and Eric’s love story but that was the storyline that made me like Adam so I guess there was something to it. I also enjoyed that Adam didn’t go into sixth form and instead followed what his interests were, it’s quite cool to show there are different options rather than just sixth form, then university etc. But I loved the interesting parallels between the son and father, both were coming into their own person which was needed for both of them so they could accept one another and their heart-to-heart at the end was very sweet.

Jackson and Viv

I love the platonic bestie vibes this duo have, it’s so wholesome and I enjoy that the writers never compromised their friendship for a relationship because it’s something you don’t really see that often. I liked the storyline Jackson had surrounding the stigma of cancer in men, it was different and very unexpected but I liked that because it is scary and it weaved very well into his intrigue with his identity. One thing I was a bit confused about was Jackson’s journey with his sexuality; I feel like they slightly breached the topic but there was no clear closure for that storyline which was a big part of his character arc last season, but perhaps I missed something. With Viv, her storyline also quite surprised me; I truly didn’t expect her romance with Beau to take an abusive turn – but in retrospect it’s very interesting to see all the qualities of possessiveness and obsession that Beau had throughout the season. But either way I liked the resolutions in their ending (also loved that Aimee and Viv kind of became a duo), and I’m sad to let them go.

Ruby

One thing I really didn’t like this season was Ruby’s storyline; it was just her pining over Otis again and Otis not giving her an inch despite using her to help his campaign. It felt very backwards to me, especially seeing as Otis didn’t even thank her (more on that later because I have so much more to say on Otis); although she found her own confidence at the end and didn’t dance with him, I honestly would’ve preferred if they were just friends, but I can understand the need to have tension and drama to make things more interesting, but I was just left wanting a bit more with her character rather than her problems being purely surface.

Jean (and her sister… and her baby)

I will be honest, it was very odd to see Jean without Jakob (or Sven as my housemates and I referred to him), but truly I kind of didn’t miss him because they introduced a much more compelling duo with her younger sister. Jean’s storyline was quite interesting; to see a woman struggle with post-partum depression on-screen and not be villainised for it was very refreshing and I thought linking it with her fear of being like her own mother was very good. Her sister’s storyline was also very interesting, I liked how different they were and also that they had a very natural sisterly bond, which is something you don’t see among older women anymore in media.

Cal

I really enjoyed that we got more of a look into Cal's life because that was one reason I didn't really connect with Cal last season was because we didn't get a sense of who they are. But this was majorly broached in this season and I was glad because I really enjoyed their character. Their story was wholly centered around their identity and I thought it was very heartwarming that the school charity came together for their top surgery. Two things that I struggled with though were the fact that their attempt to take their own life was very much brushed over and the fact that their and Jackson's storylines didn't really get completed either. But overall, I really enjoyed their character.

Eric

Honestly, he and Aimee are the best characters on this show, and you can’t even change my mind. One thing I was very glad for was that they tabled the whole Eric and Adam relationship and that they recognised that someone shouldn’t be in a relationship with their bully (and because Eric can do so much better, and I say that while loving Adam as a character too). Something that surprised me but in a good way was his relationship with his religion, it’s so interesting to see because you don’t see a lot of this, especially nowadays. And it was nice to see him flourish with friends that understand him and his views on things (OTHER THAN OTIS WHO DOESN’T CARE), and his turmoil of wanting to be baptised but then realising he doesn’t need that to reaffirm his relationship with God. And Ncuti is just SO funny and charming as Eric, he’s going to be a star one day (especially since he’s been in Barbie and Doctor Who) and I genuinely can’t wait to see it.

Aimee and Issac (but mostly Aimee)

Oh god where do I start, Aimee Gibbs is genuinely one of the best TV show characters ever; she is so likable and the journey her character has gone through is amazing. When the show opens with her documenting her recovery, I was immediately struck that she was going to have a fabulous ending to her story. I loved that she was trying different things like art to express her trauma and seeing her have fun with it was just so, so human and I love when media replicates that side of humanity. One thing that was a pleasant surprise was Issac and Aimee’s relationship; now this may be a controversial take, but I was never really an Issac hater… I know, how insane. So, seeing him get fleshed out more and more was really moving; their relationship was something very different and also made so much sense. I wouldn’t have put them together, but the actors had a lot of chemistry and I enjoyed that they uplifted one another but never crossed any barriers of their own agency.

Maeve

Maeve is a very interesting character; now for another controversial take, I was never a big fan of Maeve, it’s nothing I could really pinpoint but she often seemed very abrasive. But on the flip side, I also respected that about her character, that the writers were never afraid to make her spunky and outspoken, and for her to not be punished for that either. Her storyline this season was great, it made me enjoy her character so much more than I thought I would; the way she acted around the death of her mother was so good and felt very real – and I loved how mature the ending of her, and Otis’ love story was as well. Again, I know some people may think differently but I’m glad they didn’t stay together because let’s be honest, the two wouldn’t last a week ESPECIALLY long distance. She got to focus on herself and her career in the end, which was something she wanted since the beginning of this show; and it was incredibly satisfying to see that on screen.

Otis Dickhead

My, my… you know for the literal LEAD of the show, you’d think they’d write a character that’s at the very least tolerable. Because oh my god, now I’ve never liked the way Otis’ character is written, but Jesus Christ I think we’ve hit an all-time low. One thing he does that drives me up the wall is that he never texted anyone back; like when Ruby kept asking him where he was, he didn’t even message or anything and that was before Maeve’s mum passed away, he is just so inept.

Also, the fact that he’s a so-called sex therapist yet he struggles to article his own problems with BASIC problem-solving skills actually amazes me – I admire the writers for being able to write someone SO thick in the head without going braindead themselves, I really do. Okay rant over – Otis’ storyline really felt like a backdrop to everything in the season, the only interesting thing was his and Maeve’s story and that wasn’t even his main dilemma on the season. Overall, his character is shit and I’m so glad I never have to see his face again (sorry Asa Butterfield, love you!).

[beevean]

brutally honest opinions on sonadow sonamy and whispangle 🙂

bro :P

Sonadow: I should like it. I know I should. It's a very typical rival ship, and a relatively civil one too. But I just find it so boring, sorry 😭 I can't get invested in their relationship at all, let alone see the spark of attraction. I think the issue is that I see Shadow as his own character first, and Sonic's rival as... fifth? I don't like him as Sonic's mirror at all, I prefer other rivals. <- result of playing ShTH before SA2, probably

Another nitpick I have is that usually this kind of shonen rival ship hinges on some kind of obsession, or seeing the other one as special in some way - something like "only I can defeat you". Sonadow... really doesn't have this. Shadow is just one of Sonic's allies. Shadow was mildly intrigued by Sonic in SA2 and Heroes but then he got used to him. I'm really not sure what they're supposed to see in each other.

Fandom behavior, of course, doesn't help - Sonadow is immensely popular, inescapable, and extremely prone to fanonization. Ever since I was a kid I hated how Sonadow almost always meant "seme Shadow/uke Sonic", and from what I've seen, the terminology has changed but the "interpretation" hardly did.

Back in the day I liked He Is My Master a lot, though. Hugely recommend it to modern audiences. It helps that it was a deliberate parody and breaking of the stereotypes of the time :P

Sonamy: I have a bit of a Wildly Inconsistent™ relationship with this one lol. I went from loving it as a kid, to distancing myself by the time Generations rolled in, to accepting it in a different form. I think it has the potential to either be a very interesting take on such a basic premise, or recipe for utter mangling of characterization to fit the characters into prepackaged molds. Solution: I don't engage with the fandom :P

The only version of Sonamy I like is one where the two are very close friends, engage in well meaning banter, and travel and fight together. The relationship should all be about fun, and trust, and appreciating how far they've come together. Despite how basic it looks, I reject the "settling down and having kids" scenario.

Perhaps I'm cheating :P but I think Sonamy can be cute without sacrificing their personalities that have IMO interesting similarities and parallels.

Whispangle: at its core, it's a very cliché "shy girl/bubbly girl" ship, not my thing but it could have worked out nicely. The scene where Whisper opened up about her past with Tangle and she offered her support, showing emotional intelligence despite her antics, is honestly nice.

It could have worked out nicely. Then IDW proceeded to shit on Whisper at every moment, turning Tangle into an utter insensitive dumbass who blurted out the name of her bestie's dead comrades for literal cool points and she got away with a "oopsie daisy" while Whisper had to profusely apologize for daring to still have PTSD over it. And I didn't forget how then the Duo fiasco ended with Whisper being artificially humiliated just so that Tangle could hug her, give me a break. Terrible. Whisper deserves a better friend.

[deepseacityunderground]

i did a pokeymon tierlist that took me three hours to do ;-;

i put it and explainations under a cut because its so big lmao. if you want it to not be blurry then open it seperately in desktop idk

lesbian tier: self explainatory (ill explain why i like them so much later)

my babies: good designs, sentimental, AND i like fighting with them

sentimental tier: various favs across the years, theyre more individuals than species to me because of my memories with these guys.

i wish pokemon were real: for pokemon that make me say "i wish pokemon were real"

ebic: i like them lots and i like to have them on my team

the funny little creatures: i smile when i see them and i like them

intriguing: hmm there is something here... but i'm not quite getting it maybe?

not rlly interested: this one is self explainatory... if ur fav is here im sorry :( im sure these guys are cool i just dont rlly think about them ever

fucked up: i dont like seeing them they make me uncomfortable

scyther was my first partner in my first pokemon game :) it was diamond. i overtrained scyther way too much and he (because it was a boy scyther) would do that thing where he doesnt listen in battle so i build his entire moveset around it. he was lost when i transferred him to heartgold and then dropped heartgold in some water. rip scyther always in my heart

togekiss was my friend alongside scyther. she was the first pokemon i ever trained up to lv.100. she was also a victim of the heartgold incident. rip togekiss always in my heart.

absol was the only one from my initial gamebeating diamond team to survive the incident. she was transferred over to my copy of platinum and after i ended up losing diamond, remained there happily. i dont want to transfer her to bank or home because i think itd be like moving an old cat to a new house. i dont want to upset her at her old age. also absol's design fucks. emo fringe lynx. absol is what sparked my emotions about dark types. also i played pmd1 as a kid.

gengar is gengar. also i played pmd1 as a kid and read a copious amount of fanfic focused around pmd1 gengar (everyone go read pmd victory fire now it doesnt even matter that its on forever hiatus and ended with a cliffhanger go read it)

the tentacool variations are here purely out of sentimentality. when i was much younger, id let my little sister borrow my copies of the gen 4 pokemon games. she was really young and didnt really care about rpgs in general at the time, so shed always just explore and catch random pokemon instead of actually playing the games. one time, after i got the games back from her, i looked in my pc and saw like. two full boxes of tentacool and tentacruel that shed caught. and they've all got nose themed nicknames like "nosey" or "nosenose" and other stuff like that. so apparently she was surfing about and saw a tentacool for the first time and was just. obsessed with how they looked and thought they looked like big noses (with the red spots being like nostrils i think) and just decided to catch loads and loads of them because she liked them so much. so it became an inside joke between us. i dont really have much in common with my sister anymore and our relationship is pretty cold rn but pokemon is the one thing we still hold in common. and ill always associate tentacool with her.

we all know why grovyle is where he is. same with dusknoir. theyre also good designs.

i really dont like enamourus because its fucked up how they designed three big buff genie men and then made one that was pink and skinny. awful. makes me angry. if they were buff theyd be one of my favs tho.

i really dont like the pla designs for dialga and palkia... theyve already both got very busy designs and i think these forms are Too Busy. i really wanted to like them but well... i look at giratinas two forms and cry over what could have been.

i dont like the tumblr sexyman lizard.

a lot of pokemon are in higher tiers cus theyre based on animals i like... i like a lot of cat pokemon for this reason. also i like the litten line cus it fucks. and my litten in sumo was a female and i like the idea of big buff wrester catgirl :3 incineroar is a really good design and shes big and strong... whats not to love.

also, i generally like a lot of designs which other pokemon fans dislike... i especially love more humanoid/furry "feminine" designs like primarina, lilligant, gardevoir, lopunny, tsareena, etc etc... i really dislike how a lot of these designs are just seen as like sexygirl designs by the community... sadly porn will exist of everything but these pokemon are also creatures. theyre animals. they may look a bit like a girl but they are still magic animals. like one time in moon i had a whole team of grass girlies and it was just fun to hang out with my funny grass lady creatures.

i like giratina because theyre a big ass antimatter caterpillar. drawing giratina helped me draw antropomorphic caterpillars actually. i like their big ass legs.

all eeveelutions are CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the lunar duo are my ultimate fav pokemon forever as a team for a big mix of all the other reasons. partly its sentimentality, cus i really liked them as a kid and i would always chill on fullmoon island in my copy of platinum and just listen to the music, i also always tried to do the void glitch to get darkrai but i always fucked up and never quite saw her! (i couldnt do the event cus living in shitty rural region reasons) i also liked battling with them in oras :3 i think their designs are very well done. they remind me of the "swan" series by hilma af klimt specifically, which is a series i really liked on its own. i dont think that was intentional, but i was looking at the work about a year or so ago for an essay and i sorta realized how well the overall color palette of that series matches the pair and cresselia specifically, because shes based on a swan ofc. and ofc darkrai is also birdlike but in a more abstract way. she actually reminds me a bit of the skeletons of one of those really fucked up breed pigeons with the receeded necks and huge fantails and tiny beaks and weird spindly legs. i also really like how unabashedly edgy darkrai's design is... i feel a lot of nostalgia for edgy character designs from the mid 2000s which were edgy in a very un-selfaware way (another reason why i like absol specifically and also like. so many ghost and dark types) and as an angsty kid i always used to gravitate towards those designs lol. i also think its kinda romantic, the idea of a creature which kills others simply by being around them, a typhoid mary type creature, which isolates itself due to that, with its only friend also being the only creature that negates its negative affects. and also that creature killed a kid in america (fucked up). thats how i interpret their relationship. anyway ive been having lots of thoughts about them for like over 15 years.

this is unrelated but its kinda annoying when ppl use gendered pronouns for genderless pokemon... its not gonna ruin my days its just. funny lol (ignore that i have used she/her for darkrai throughout this entire comment... when i do it, its ok <3) one of the sad flaws of the pmd series imo bcus the mainline games dont do that at all.

in general i think my likes and dislikes are more dictated by character design/sentimentality as opposed to ability in battle or fanservice or competitive meta ... this is just part of being a longtime fan who doesnt rlly keep up with the community anymore methinks. im kinda beating myself up for not putting more complex thought into this buuut also i wanna be true to myself yknow... but then again this community sucks so i feel like im gonna be attacked for putting idk wingull too low or something lol

[ot3]

hi! i love reading your analysis/thoughts/etc on media (i think i sent in an ask about kim kitsuragi way back that you very thoroughly responded to—thank you btw loved reading it!). i finally got around to playing the first chapter of soul of sovereignty—don’t want to put outright spoilers in the ask but i’d love to hear anything you have to say re ysme and loic! they truly have taken up so much space in my brain. keep thinking about a) the subtext of ysme being trans (in addition to her whole deal) and b) loic making his choice at the end of the chapter & his Big Line re the world a character will create and what that says about him. i knew i’d become obsessed with soulsov like all of ggdg’s work but i didn’t expect for it to be so outright political? i’m so intrigued by what’s to come.

thank you! i wish i felt like i had something to say here for you! but i feel like it's still way too early into things for me to really have anything coherent to say. i feel like i'm notoriously kind of bad at having complex or insightful things to say about media where not a lot of stuff is locked in yet. my first go through of anything is really just a wow! cool robot! level of engagement where i try and take whatever i'm being given. i'm sure i'll be getting around to replaying it at some point because i love all of gg's stuff so much, and once i do i'll definitely be able to form some sort of more thoughtful things to say other than 'its good'. ill try and post whatever that ends up being when the time comes !

[ya-zz]

Hi I’d like to provide counter-angst, AKA stupid crack fluff shenanigans! So you know how Ram’s favorite animal are ants? Imagine how he’d react to somehow finding a bunch of Pikmin, which are basically like a d v a n c e d ants. (Yes I’m putting this on the table in honor of Pikmin 4 releasing today after 10 years of waiting)

ooo this was a fun little one to write! I had to ask the discord group about Pikmin because I had no idea what they do. I have heard of the games, but never played any of them-

But hey! Here's another req done! ♥

Ramattra and Pikmin

Word count: 1140

Some time ago, Ramattra was asked what his favourite animal was, and at the time, he found it a rather ridiculous and perplexing question. He hadn’t exactly thought much of it, nobody was ever interested in his favourite things, be it animals, literature or even music. 

Although, despite the sudden question, he replied back just as quick, almost as if his processor had just done over a million searches in just under a second. 

“Ants. They build marvellous structures and cooperate when threatened. I find them... Inspirational.” 

The small guy who asked didn’t seem too convinced with the answer and that was the end of that conversation. Ramattra deemed it; irrelevant. 

It wasn’t a question that weighed on his processors though. He had more pressing matters to attend to which was the liberation of omnics. 

As time passed by, however, he had researched more about these ‘ants’. What they do, their purpose in life, how they act and form their colonies. Ramattra was intrigued by these creatures and perhaps that’s some sub thought behind his attacks with Null Sector. By fighting as one, we are stronger.

The more he looked into them, the more he found them fascinating; ants can lift up to 10-50 times its body weight, each ant has a specific job to do within its colony and that ants are this worlds strongest insect compared to its body size. Papers upon papers of research stacked on his desk of just ants. He was practically obsessed with them. 

As his war went on, many cities destroyed and chaos trembling the streets, Ramattra wanted, no, needed, a small break. Tension and anger was rising as his attempts of liberation were failing. He needed to clear his systems but going back to the Monastery was only going to sour those feelings more. 

Instead, he settled on a small area of nature, trees and high grass, flowers and life blossoming despite the war going on a few kilometres away. It was tranquil, the breeze shaking the leaves, some falling off the branches as Ramattra walked the dirt path. There was no destination in mind, there never was whenever he wanted to feel peace. He would wander for hours if he could, letting his processors go through every thought, every error. 

Taking a seat by an old tree, he rests his staff on his lap, hands entwining together as he meditates. Images and videos run through his head, where it all went wrong, how it could be different. If his brother would join him, what would the outcome be? 

All he could do was think, errors clearing, fans cooling him down as his processor slows down. His body hums quietly amongst the sounds of the forest, birds above him chirping and leaves rustling. He was finally calm until a sound he had never registered before sounded near his receptor. 

His head tilts upwards and then to the location of the sound. His optics look around but he couldn’t see anything. There was nobody there, no human nor omnic. 

He stared for a moment longer before returning back to his meditation. 

The sound started again. 

Ramattra turned, but nothing was seen, so he turned back and bowed his head.

It sounded again but this time Ramattra released his hands, thumping one into the tree behind him with an irritated groan. Strangled sounds emerged, small things fell beside him, a few landed in his cowl. He almost seemed surprised, hand reaching down to grab these little things.

He looked down at them, sensors scanning these peculiar entities but nothing came up. Nobody had written or seen such a thing before, Ramattra seemed to be the first one. 

The small creatures looked back up at him, cocking their heads to the side to mimic Ramattra as he did it too. The small leaves and flowers on their head bobbing against the wind only confused him more. 

“Curious little things…” He turns his hand, watching as they scramble to sit gently on top of his hand. The ones seated in his cowl watch on, making squeaky and unnatural noises as their friends move around him. 

“What are you?” 

Ramattra watches as they jump down from his hand and gather together in a group. The little noises they made irked him slightly, receptor trying to lower their frequency so it wasn’t as irritating. 

The group near his thigh consisted of a multitude of colours, mainly red, yellow and blue. He wonders if they have specific uses, so he cocks his head to the side once more, processors trying to find some information on them, no matter how obscure. When he was met with nothing, he simply speaks. 

“What is it that you do?” 

The red ones quickly gather together, running off and picking up a large rock whilst the yellow ones began conducting electricity. It was practically a shock to Ramattra, especially when his finger hovered above the yellow ant-like creatures. He chuckled, the little shock tickling him. The blue creatures stood together in a group, seeming unsure of what to do as they look around. 

“And you, little things?” Ramattra points to the blue group. 

They make some noises as if to communicate but Ramattra doesn’t understand. 

“Peculiar…” He hums, leaning back slightly against the tree. His optics look down, seeing the ones seated inside of his cowl. He chuckles once more before looking at the surrounding area. 

“You remind me of ants. Little insects that can… well, lift heavy objects. Maybe not conduct electricity, but stay together as a group.” He looks down again. “Are there any more of you?” 

They make the noises again, looking at each other as if speaking to one another. The rather gigantic omnic looks on, wondering what they could be saying. 

Almost, as if unionised, they call out only to be met with silence. It took a moment before many more little creates appeared, surrounding Ramattra. Different kinds appeared too, chunky purple ones, little pink ones with wings buzzed by his receptors and danced around his head. White and rock looking creatures appeared soon after. 

Ramattra was stunned, but he was intrigued. How come there is no information on these little creatures? He watches them scurry around him, some climbing over his thighs, others clinging onto his arms, while the ones buzzing around his head settled within his cowl. He was swarmed with these “ants” and he enjoyed it. He was fascinated, wanting to learn more about each and every one of them. 

He sat there under the tree, the breeze passing by as he watched these creatures. He spoke on occasion, trying to get as much information as he could with their little noises and gestures. It was going to be a long process to study them, but one he was determined to carry out amongst his liberation.

[naha-division]

2p! Alternative Universe (ver. Wild Shīnu)

(mun: last week, I was just minding my own business then I stumbled upon my fellow peeps talking about 2p! versions of their oc’s because of the latest news of the hypmic game. It got me intrigued so I took upon brain rotting what were my oc’s like in the opposite alternative universe. Oh and also kuddos to my friends in discord for inspiring me to write this post. Lez go!)

Ryuunosuke Sakeguchi

Unlike his counterpart, Ryuunosuke is a loner rather, he was being cold to others as he hates interacting people in the neighborhood or even forming a relationship with others. He isn’t also a kind big brother or a hero in this universe. Instead, he made himself a bad name in the city and anyone who dares going against him will wind up dead. In his childhood days, his real parents were dead from the car crash that’s why his scars wer exposed around his body and face and Hajime never came to his life but at this point, Ryuunosuke rans away from the orphanage, raising himself on his own without a foster parent or guardian and commit petty crimes to survive in a harsh environment. As he grows up, he still works as a Karate Instructor but his kind of teachings and techniques were pretty vengeful and messed up as his own beliefs was to become stronger for dominance.

Kyō Sakuma

He’s a self-proclaim playboy and doesn’t feel shame on going a one-night stand playing around people’s feelings, whether be men or women, while enjoying the life without worrying about the consequences. Kyō isn’t innocent like his counterpart. He enjoys talking dirty like it’s casual but his own teammate’s were disgusted by his dirty-minded remarks or jokes that they want to throw him off the bus. Most of the people he meets were easily taken advantage by him for his charming looks and his cheap proclamation of love. He was able to do it because Kyō surprisingly bears an intellectual mind of manipulating that one’s who will do his beeding and calculating strategy to take down his enemies (emotionally).

Naoki Hamasaki

Naoki is a spoiled, arrogant, and selfish actor who thinks he’s the star of the show. Unlike his counterpart, his current occupation is a movie star who loves modern and trendy gigs than traditional but he doesn’t enjoy cute things like wearing makeup or wearing cute dresses but rather cool clothes, yet he still bears the flamboyant taste of fashion. Whenever there’s a competition, Naoki gets overly obsessed with winning, finding its way to take down his rivals by getting his hands dirty. Unlike in the original timeline, Naoki voluntarily to join Ryuunosuke’s team because of his malice revelation of dominance and It’s probably his intention is to socially and emotionally tormenting his foes out of spite while Ryuunosuke and Kyo in the background getting chills and disgusted at the same time.

[riddle-me-ri]

i’m gonna follow the pattern here lol:

your thoughts on…the different scarecrows? especially MOF jon?

Oohh spooky Twig Boys that I may or may not slightly slightly enforce my southernness on (only the good southernness like cooking, music, hospitality none that other shit) I'll be more than happy to oblige anon hehe. It's not often I get to talk/discuss the masters of fear.

Again gonna just kinda discuss all the ones I write for since I'm the most informed on those versions so sorry if I missed one and the post got long lmao

Masters of Fear Scarecrow: since you asked for him specifically I put him first lmao. And this Jon is just incredibly endearing? I think he's an adorable spry kinda guy that, like most, deserved better. I'm also super fond of his design. Also as someone who writes for "x reader" it was nice to see him...actually have a romantic interest? (albeit she was a bully bitch) listen listen...any extra info in a romantic sense of a character I will take

Arkhamverse Scarecrow: Uhh can I just say, absolute whiplash in design and mannerisms lol. While I enjoy both its like...such a bizarre change? Like yeah he did go through something traumatic (being very close to dying) but like...a total voice change? Maybe there's some behind the scenes explanation or something I don't know but yeah...I do enjoy him being whimsy and silly in Asylum and brooding and stoic in Knight with his waxing poetic lectures...but also also...does anyone have any idea how Knight Scarecrow's face works? Like his mouth and such?

TNBA Scarecrow: Definitely a more gritty and intriguing take, especially considering its a revamp of BTAS. Allegedly this is the idea of Scarecrow with a noose started? And now we've seen it incorporated in other designs which is pretty cool.

BTAS Scarecrow: Much like Jervis and I think Batman as a whole, this was my first Scarecrow encounter, and cause of such there's a wee bias to him being one of my favorites lol. Super rich voice, I don't care if he's terrorizing me, I will die of fear peacefully. Solid design and a super strong depiction of the character overall? Also my god his theatrics, top notch such a dramatic lad I love him.

Dark Knight/Nolanverse Scarecrow: pretty eyes...pretty eyes..strong jawline..pretty pretty scarecrow..huh, what? Oh..uhh yeah he's...fine I guess..I mean like not just fine as in fine as hell just...meh? I don't know I just remember him being stupidly criminally pretty. Although to be fair I don't recall much about him..sorry (granted I don't recall much about nolanverse as a whole...its been at most five years rip)

Year One Scarecrow: it took me an embarrassingly long time for me to actually read Year One rip. But it was very gut wrenching. It was the best updated take I've seen on Jon's origins and just how deeply rooted he is in his obsession, and it was a unique way too? Like it was an interesting take on the broken family scenario, I dunno I just thought it was super enriching.

Fear State Scarecrow: so I will say the designs for him are jarring as there's like..a different artist between the beginning, middle, and end of Fear State. But I like both looks, especially in the middle where he looks a lot like his BTAS counterpart. It was an amazing surprise to see the spikey red hair and wide eyes again in comic form and more realistic but still animated? I hope that makes sense. But I loved the story, and he was especially cunning and ruthless here.

Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! Scarecrow: asdgggh this boomer asshole lmao. But definitely one of my top three favorites. He's a decent blend of old and new for me. Like he bears resemblance to BTAS but also some other comic appearances, he doesn't even need to he in the costumer and you can just tell he's Jonathan Crane. Also his voice is amazing, and I will forever be grateful to the writer that decided that Scarecrow was a fucking Elvira fan boy. Like of fucking course he'd love Elvira, Mistress of the Dark asdfghjj one of the few times where canon got it right lmao

[melonbear51]

VTM V5′s Cult of Shalim, the concept of Holy Darkness, and its ingenious (and respectful!) connections to Judaism

So for the past year or so I have fallen head-first into the World of Darkness and have been studying up on the amazing lore present. I recently got my hands on the Vampire: The Masquerade v5 supplement, “Cult of The Blood Gods.” The book as a whole is an amazing guide to vampiric religions, cults, and ideologies, but one of the most intriguing sections for me was the section on abyss-obsessed Cult of Shalim. (This is going to be long, probably formatted horribly, and a bit rambling, but I promise I have a point).  For those of you who aren’t aware, I’m Jewish. Well, Jew-ish; I was raised in a rather secular home, and while I observe the big holidays, I have always considered myself more culturally Jewish. I’ve been reading up more on my faith though, in an attempt to connect more to my heritage and traditions. Now, I’d noticed when looking at Jewish prayers and such that light plays a big part in Judaism (I’m not scholar here, so if anyone wishes to correct me please do so). We praise the light of God, praise God for fashioning light, ask to enjoy its splendor, etc. We also, of course, have Hanukkah, the festival of lights. So when I read “Cult of The Blood Gods” and saw The Cult of Shalim being tied to Judaism via the character of Rabbi Basaras and the Hebrew in the name, I was confused. 

Then I accidentally stumbled into articles on the Ayin-Yesh, the Ein Sof, and Tzimtzum, important concepts in Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, and the connection hit me like a truck. I reiterate, I am no expert on Judaism as I am still learning, and VERY MUCH NOT AN EXPERT on the complicated subject of Kabbalah, but this is some fascinating stuff and I’m going to try and explain my mental connections.

The Ayin-Yesh, Ein Sof, and Tzimtzum

To give a very basic (and probably underdeveloped) summary on the Ayin-Yesh and Ein Sof, the Ayin is considered to be the nothingness from which our universe or “something” (Yesh) emerged. Inhabiting, or being present alongside, the Ayin is the Ein Sof: the immaterial manifestation of God before God manifested themselves as part of creation. Ein Sof is also associated with the concept of infinity and endlessness. The Ein-Sof and Ayin are often tied together due to the proximity of the primordial nothingness and the immaterial form of God. Additionally, God is said to have created the world by Tzimtzum, or contracting, to create a vacant, hollow, conceptual space from which to craft the world. 

In other words...

HOLY DARKNESS/NOTHINGNESS IS VERY MUCH A CONCEPT IN JEWISH MYSTICISM! The Cult of Shalim, spearheaded by the faith-shrouded Lasombra, who worship and wish to rejoin the abyss, oblivion and nothingness, would naturally find this concept and use it for their own purposes in order to justify their twisted agenda.

While you could discredit this as being a coincidence, I very much doubt it! I think Renegade Games did their research, and managed to take steps to tie the very Catholic-coded Lasombra to another faith in a very cool way. I also applaud them for providing more Jewish representation and opening the door for more Jewish characters, both good and evil. 

Think about it! You could have a Jewish Hunter: The Reckoning character who saw their temple become corrupted by the Shalimites and decided to fight against it. You could have a corruptor figure like Rabbi Basaras. You could have a vampire character who is desperately in search of something to believe in after the embrace, only to slowly fall into this perversion hidden under the mask of an Abrahamic faith.  To all those who’ve read this, thank you very much. For the rest, here’s a TLDR: The Cult of Shalim from “VTM V5′S Cult of The Blood God” ’s ideologies draw from Jewish mysticism in a way that perfectly compliment the Lasombra’s penchant for taking advantage of mortal faith, while also opening the door for more Jewish characters.  If anyone with a more knowledge on Judaism and Kabbalah would like to contribute or correct me, please don’t hesitate! 

[daisychainsandbowties]

hello hello doing a re read of star wars au, and i was struck with curiosity. what do you imagine camilas tattoos are of?? on initial read i pictured more abstract textual/geometric designs, but the more i think on it the more i’m super intrigued by what you had in mind. tattoos in sw are actually weirdly pretty rare? baring various prison/gang tats and like the dathomir cultural tattooing (side bar: lilith rocking some dathomirian tattoos a la maul?? hawt)

camilas tattoos are clearly deeply grounding for her with the whole becoming the light you need in the dark etc etc. i wonder if they are ceremonial or personal? does she share the same lines on her skin as her (pirate)sisters do? or did she meticulously consider where each drop of not ink was to stain her skin?

so the original inspiration for cam’s tattoos comes from my little obsession with bioluminescence. squid exhibit bioluminescent tendencies with incredible frequency, and of course there are jellyfish, and even on land there's foxfire, which is incredibly beautiful. so i just thought in a fic that's all about light and luminescence i'd be remiss not to include a reference to one of my favourite forms of light.

for one thing, the light-emitting molecule that’s chemically activated in biolumenescene is called luciferin, which comes from the Latin word meaning ‘light-bearer’. of course, anyone who wields a lightsaber is literally a bearer of the light, but i also liked the idea of the ocs in this universe as a group of people dedicated to carrying the light forward - through the literal dark and the shadow cast by the Empire.

the tattoos have no specific shape. i kind of imagine them as those bioluminescent algae (dinoflagellates i think) that glow when their environment is disturbed. they have this very Cherenkov radiation-type glow. so i imagine cam’s tattoos as a bloom of ever-shifting dots and lines and draperies of lightsaber blue.

they have no set shape or position or arrangement, which is why Ava sees them moving, curling up into cam’s palm, glimmering when touched. they’re not constantly in motion, but they do move, and cam does have some say in how, though the light has its own whims.

she can - and she would have for Ava, if she'd been feeling generous - shape them in certain ways, make glowing blue birds or dragons or darting scrap rats. she can form constellations - and like the ocs pendants the whole network of tattoos can, in times of real peril, spell out warnings for those who wear them.

most of the time the tattoos just form lines, or glow like stars, or sometimes just shine out from under the skin (think aurora borealis).

while thinking on cam's tattoos, i also read about coal miners who used to use the phosphorescent properties of fish skin as a very faint light source to avoid the risk of setting off pockets of firedamp. the idea in star wars au, then, is that the light does something like the opposite of this. it invites danger - which is why cam has to keep her arms covered up.

i was thinking of the canon ocs, who hunt things nobody can see, and twisted that around a bit to make the ocs in star wars au this radically visible group. as the Sith are so fond of saying about Jedi - they can’t hide what they are. and they refuse to.

it just seemed really cool to have a group of pirate-archaeologists carrying their faith trapped underneath their skin, and also having a very convenient light source in any dark place they might roam.

plus, i loved the idea of cam & her fellow pirates, with their dedication to being light, also having the properties of living organisms who are, literally, luminous beings. creatures who live in a world so dark they use their bodies to make light.