#some creatives dont allow themselves that and it kills them

[get-back-homeward]

Saving these excellent tags from @inspiteallthedanger

“I think John in 1975-80 was stuck: he knew his current situation wasn’t making him happy, but he had given over much of his agency to Yoko, who was only happy to take it. Bereft of the ability to decide (and sometimes even think) for himself, he shriveled, as just about anyone would under such circumstances. I think he had the potential to change course somewhere in there — this was the guy who imagined what the Beatles could be — but I don’t know if, by the late Seventies, he had the strength. It would have taken as much strength as it took to make the Beatles happen in the first place, but he wasn’t twenty any more and had had his freedom and self-assurance nuked to bits by his arrangement with Yoko in a way that Julia/Freddy/Mimi/Alf/Stu’s absences/issues/deaths hadn’t done.

I also sadly agree that much of John’s life was tragic, too. Most people disagree with it because (a) it’s not the story that’s told over and over by official or quasi-official biographies or the Estate and (b) it’s really uncomfortable and sad, if you like the guy and his music, to realize that the arc of his life is fundamentally tragic after 1966 or so.

But to me, a summary is something like: "gifted, disturbed boy with tremendous amount of drive to outrun a bad childhood discovers love for music and creative soulmate(s) and gives everything he has to become the most famous musician in the world, hoping it will make him happy. He does, but it doesn’t, and people who don’t have his best interests separate him from his friends, his creation and creative spark, and ultimately himself. He’s too screwed up by addiction, mental illness, and unaddressed traumas to change things, so he retreats further into addiction and mental illness, wishing he could somehow regain his lost spark. He makes a few halfway steps toward doing so, but they’re not enough, and ultimately he is killed in front of his apartment building where, 24 hours later, his wife installs the man she had been sleeping with behind his back."”

— Michael Bleicher, Hey Dullblog: The Artist as a Dissipated Man: Fred Seaman’s “The Last Days of John Lennon.”

[bluravenite]

You can totally ignore this if you want, i just saw that poat you added to about fandom bullying and idk, I am just... gah, i wish this fandom wasnt so cruel. I had so much fun here when i first joined and i didnt really know what i was getting into except for the fact that I loved ghost! now i still love ghost, but i am in the process of de-ghosting my blog. I feel like every day I see people bullying one another in this community, and I feel like every time i post my writing, I risk drawing attention and being bullied. Congratulations to those assholes! they'll kill the fandom because folks will be too scared to share work.

I know fandom always has some drama, but none of the others I have been involved in have been this cruel. I dont know if people are just getting crueller, or whether Ghost somehow just attracts cruel people. I hate to think the latter, because the band is drenched in love. But i fear to think the former, though i worry it might be so.

I don't think it's the band itself Hun, I think definitely it's the sort of bubble the fandom itself has created.

Cruel people exist everywhere and it's unfortunate when they end up finding each other in a bubble, ghost has gotten so big that its really hard to regulate and you will have lots of unregulated environments where people don't feel comfortable.

You as a member can do what you need to endure YOUR safety, but that sometimes isn't enough or as effective when other triggers (i.e. hate anons) are still present in the environment.

I completely feel you and I am so sorry that you've been through this and feel like this as well... Ghost used to be my comfort fandom, and I am still so in love with the romanticized idea of it, I miss talking about our OC ghouls with friends, writing and reading about them and siblings of sin life in the abbey, about ghouls going on tours and being so silly with each other. About the love and romance that allowed people in the fandom to find new ways to love themselves and explore their sexuality and even bodies. I still think that was beautiful.

Unfortunately we lost that energy at some point, maybe with the hate anons to the writers, attacks to artists, maybe with the hypersexualization of presenting gay male ghouls and dislike for the female presenting ghouls. Maybe with the over-sexualization of unmasked members of the real band, which should've never happened.

The other day I found this clip from a Neil Newbon stream (voice of Astarion in BG3 and Heisenberg in REV) where he goes on to say some headcanons are just.. wrong, and you have to learn to separate fact from fiction. These are ultimately characters that the original creators wrote, while you as a fan artist have free range to give them physical designs and traits you also have to be aware that you need to keep a somewhat level of separation, AND decency between your own headcanons and the real canon.

I think ultimately that's where this fandom goes wrong... There is no separation because people get so fucked up into their headcanons in their made up mutual bubbles that I feel like they never go out to touch grass and maybe take a minute to evaluate their content.

Not that I'm saying it shouldn't exist. Just that it's important to understand WHY it was made, WHY, it exists. Is this ghoul hypersexual?? Okay well BUT WHY????? Who are they, how do they feel about it, when did they realize, how did it affect them??? That's never talked about, it's always "ghoul has lit of sex with same sex ghoul again!!!!" It's like plotless porn at that point, fetish. It becomes gross.

I ended up kinda ranting here but I made some good points so I hope this at least helps invite more discussion about what the frick has been happening here lately..

Lots of love and encouragement to you anon, and to anyone else who has felt this way at least once in the fandom. We deserve a decent creative space💀

[cafeeeeeeeeee3]

I HAGE BEEN TRYING TO DRAW DREAM STARING MENACINGLY TOWARDS CROSS AS HE BULLIES CHILDREN IN SOME RANDOM FPS FOR 2 HOURS. WHY GOD. WHY DONT YOU ALLOW MY VISIONS COME TO LIFE.

Anyways, elaborating on that, I was thinking about that one comic w/ goth and pallete, where Cross basically scares them for shits and giggles. Idk if it was as popular as I remember, but back in 2019 or so, I found it in my yt fy and proceeded to bury this for years

Until I decided that Cross likes to bully children online

I'm sorry, but I think this bitch is the most toxic ass bitchy petty Twitter user. Man decided to wipe an entire snowdin and would wipe more just cause he was moody. He, in person, is all serious and shit, but you give this man no accountability for his crimes and he shows his true colours. I bet he ends arguments w/ kys when he's without anything to argue about. Or by doxxing the person.

OH LORD

CROSS' FIRST WEAPON WAS THE HACK KNIFE

idk what the hell is the point of all of this. I might just be really frustrated and projecting this into fictional skeletons (my eyes are almost closing. I keep trying to envision how Cross would look like in front of a computer — how would he sit? How do I align the computer properly, so that he isn't a whole head taller than it, and HOW THE FUCK DO I DRAW THE WAY I ENVISION HIM SITITNG. WHY CANT I. GOD, YOU ALLOWED ME TO DRAW UNCOUNTABLE AMOUNTS OF MPREG IN MY LIFE. IS CROSS BULLYING CHILDREN ONLINE TRULY WHAT BRINGS YOUR WRATH UPON MY COLORFUL-FLAKING OFF HANDS? IS THIS WHAT CONVINCES YOU THAT I AM TRULY UNWORTHY OF REPENT!!!!!)

It's been 3 days. I will go insane. This is not a creative block, this is how fusing toppings into high levels in cookie run feels like.

Feeling so fucking useless rn

I also baked cake

I think I'll just draw cross baking a cake, idk. Maybe that gives me enough good karma to be able to draw him being an awful person.

(obligatory note, which I doubt anybody gonna see cause I ain't even gonna tag this, I don't actually endorse telling people to kill themselves. Nor bullying.)

[funkymbtifiction]

hi! so i wanted some general advice, i am an ISFP and 80% sure a 4w5 if that helps, but essentially I'm in my 20's and my entire life i've always just done whatever felt right at the moment and a couple years ago i finally found out that art was my actual passion so i just went ahead and started focusing on that eventhough i knew i wouldnt make money and had no connections i just knew it was my thing and i loved it, so that was almost 3 years ago and for the first time i felt kind of healthy in the sense that i was making art all the time so i had this always incomming sensorial experience and i was able to push myself to have a schedule (work a little on my Te) and make stuff with a certain amount of time, and i felt very balanced? it was good but lately idk, its been getting harder for me to make stuff and working on my interests? Idk I guess my question is how do I get out of this funk? I just feel so lost and just standing on an empty space of nothingness that also doesnt allow me to create and i feel like i know the answer is probably you have to push yourself and create even if u kind of like ehhh about it and that will help but i'm scared? like normally i dont really care about what will happen to me career wise, i just do what i want and believe the universe will solve itself and everything will fall into place because of my will but lately i'm just terrified that my art will not get me anywhere, suddenly i have this fear that i'm waisting my time and i just want to know how to forget about that and just do what i always do but then again, should i even forget about that? is that even healthy? and if it's not, how do i find a balance? I'm sorry if this is a little long, I just needed some type of advice if it's even possible? Either way tysm for your blog and comments <3

I'm sorry. I know that this is frustrating, to reach that point where you are wondering if there's any point to doing this, because you are not being successful at it.

For what it's worth, a lot of IFPs (and EFPs) choose careers based on what they love and/or think that they should monetize their passions -- the problem is, as you point out, they lack the know-how and social skills to be self-promoting; they are often introverted loners who just want to paint or write or create things, rather than be out there actively selling them, making connections, and socializing. Most artists are sensitive, creative loners, because that's how you create things -- alone. They are not natural self-promoters. For this reason, artists need other people to sell their art, in the same way it's better for a writer to have someone else promoting their books, while they focus on writing another one. There's also the problem of, as you are currently experiencing, trying to make a living or a success at it, being discouraged when that doesn't happen (for most people, it doesn't), and then facing indecision and angst about your craft. If there's no point, why am I doing this? am I wasting my time? does anyone even care? should I be doing something else instead?

That's why most higher Te users tell creatives not to try and make a living at their art -- because the need to sell it becomes so all-encompassing, either out of a desire to succeed or a need to make an actual living -- that it taints the creative experience; it's no longer self-expression and enjoyable, it's no longer relaxing, because there's so much pressure on you to "make something of it." Some people do make a living doing what they love -- but even then there's a trade-off of trying to produce consistently, give people more of what they want, etc. Most creative types need to do what they love for themselves and in their spare time, and find a job they can tolerate that earns them enough money to be creative for fun and personal enjoyment.

I obviously can't tell you what to do, but it may be time to step back, evaluate what you love about art, and whether trying to be successful at it is going to kill your love of doing it (it sounds like it's happening now? and creating apathy?), and look at your other options. You may find that relieving the pressure of NEEDING to do this helps reawaken your love of creation just for ME. If you love art, and you want it to be part of your inner experience, your way of sharing your emotions in the world, then you don't need to make money off doing it -- you need to be doing it because you love it, and it's enjoyable. You need a job to pay the bills, and a hobby to fill you with personal satisfaction and enjoyment. Higher Te's understand this dynamic better than FPs -- I work so I can do what I love in my spare time.

[charliedawn]

How would they react if you ask them to dance?

Freddy :

"Heck yeah !"

Freddy is one of the only slasher that is musically cultured. He can spot good hard rock from a mile away. He is a rock and roll fan to the end. Just, put on any hard rock song and you will see his eyes literally sparkle in delight. He would dance with you until the end of the night. Literally.

" Come on darling, let me turn your world upside down !"

He would pretend having a guitar in his hands and laugh while shaking his head up and down with the rhythm. In rare moments, he would actually forget where he is and start singing with the lyrics.

"~She's got a smile that it seems to me

Reminds me of childhood memories

Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky

Now and then when I see her face

She takes me away to that special place

And if I stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry..."

Surprisingly, Freddy has a great voice and, when given the opportunity, will make the slashers enjoy a live concert of his. In those moments, not even Pennywise dares make fun of Freddy. Freddy understands your love for old music, and god, does he got the moves ! You swear that when he is dancing, you forget all about who he is and who you are. If you weren't dancing before, you certainly are now. 😂

Surprisingly enough, Arthur would not join right away. He would first see you dance and enjoy himself watching you having fun with the other slashers. But once he is sure that nobody will judge him ? He will join and dance to his heart content. Many people have ways to express themselves, hobbies that help them de-stress..But unfortunately for the slashers, that hobby was mostly killing people. You try to make them see that they can do the same in many different ways. Joker, however, is a very special case, because he actually tried to escape with dance and jokes..People destroyed his dreams. Now, you have to help him get back his hope and the dreams he lost. The first step to do that ? Make him remember what he loved, before becoming the Joker.

" Why do you want to make me believe in something that is gone ?"

" Because I believe in you, Arthur."

He waited for someone to actually believe in him for so long that he can't help but cry at your words. He would then take you for a dance and make you laugh for the rest of the night. He doesn't mind you old-fashioned taste, as he prefers old songs as well, especially the catchy ones.

" Dance ?! Dancing ! Yesss !"

Penny screams while throwing his hands in the air. He loves dancing. It was the only thing he had when he was alone and penniless. He was dancing in the street in his old clown costume, hoping for some generous souls to find him entertaining. However, when he became Penny, his dance became the last thread of his old life he hanged on to. It may have been a way to lure his victims in as well, but it was also much more for Penny. He loves dancing. He is also very good at it, being a very flexible person with a great creativity. His dance may look childish at first, but it's only because he never got the proper training. You asked the hospital to give him some lessons, but unfortunately, they didn't want the dance teacher to become dinner. This is how you had gotten the idea of Friday's dancing nights. It allows the bond between the slashers to strengthen and for Penny to learn more about what he loves.

" Penny dances ! Penny is so happy !"

Well, just make sure he has the dance floor to himself, as you wouldn't want any of the slashers to receive a slap or a kick on accident..He doesn't really care about the music, as long as he can dance on it.

Dance ? What is dance ? When he sees you and the other slashers dance, it makes him think of those teenagers at Crystal lake. He is not too fond of dancing. He will however stare at you and sometimes, even nod his head up and down with the music if he likes it. But, if you try to make him dance with the others ? He will freeze. He is not used to dancing and never cared enough to learn. For a long time, it had only been his mother and him, therefore he hasn't had the chance to make friends or open up enough to dance at parties. He likes watching though. Most of the time, he will stay with Five or Michael, the only ones to understand his predicament. Plus, he doesn't know or understand most of the songs you're playing. He tried to ask you what they meant, but most of the words you used to answer him only made him more confused. Love ? Hope ? Loss ? He doesn't understand them. However, he does understand grief and sorrow. Those are feeling he can relate with as he felt them when he lost his father. When a sad song comes in, he will pay more attention and feel a tug in his chest.

" My boy. You have to live your life as you intended. Don't let anyone tell you what you should or shouldn't feel. One day, the ones who bullied you and called you names will see how amazing you truly are."

The words of his father echo in his head as he listens to the music. He has nearly forgotten about his face, but his voice is still with him, advising him wherever he goes. He just never took the time to listen to him until now. He always thought that his mother was everything he needed, that she was the only one who loved him, but maybe was he wrong after all ? Maybe other people could accept him ?

*internal panic*

He knows how to dance, that's not the problem. It's just that it's been so long that he's afraid he's gotten a bit rusty. This is why you will most likely find him hidden in a corner, watching over you all. At this point, he is more likely to play the role of the quiet big brother who is making sure none of his siblings accidently hurt themselves or have too much to drink. However, if you really insist, he will try to enter the game and make a few tentative steps on the dance floor. But, dont expect too much of him. He is embarrassed enough as it is. However, he will help in the kitchen if you need to bake something of prepare some snacks for the slashers. Another thing to know about Michael, is that unlike Jason that doesn't mind raising his mask a little to eat or drink, Michael will prefer to wait until everybody is gone or asleep before letting himself do the same. He is very keen on his mask and doesn't want anyone to see him without it. So, maybe prepare a little space away from prying eyes for him to have intimacy ? As for the music, he doesn't mind. Everything is fine with him.

Unlike Penny, Pennywise is not that much of a dancer. Penny is a dancing clown, Pennywise is a grouchy clown. He would rather be sarcastic all evening than partaking in the fun. However, something that he is good at is inflating balloons. He will help organize the party and will try to entertain Penny as much as he can. Pennywise may not be a dancing clown, but he cares about Penny. Penny is the closest to family he has left, and even though he would never admit it, he would do anything for him. He is protective of him and if it meant making Penny happy ? He wouldn't mind playing the clown for a night.

" Stop looking at me like that. I'm not gonna dance. You can't make me. Invite Penny instead. He's far more excited to make a fool of himself than me.."

He would reply when you invite him to dance. He doesn't care about the songs, as long as they don't have any curses in them. He loves cursing, but he doesn't want Penny to follow his example. He wants him to keep the little innocence he has left.

(couldn't find a gif with Five, so imagine it's Five in the second gif.)

He will not dance. Not even if you beg him. He will be happy if you leave him alone with the drinks. He will mostly stay with Michael and drown his bad mood in alcool and most likely complain.

"Goddammit. Can't we have decent whiskey in here ?!"

However, if you really insist and he has enough alcool in his system ? He may follow you and make some moves on the dance floor. Maybe.

" I swear you all suck. It seems I'll have to step up to level the game. It's not because I'm having fun or I like any of you, it's just because you bunch of idiots can't differentiate good dancing and monkey dancing."

Five got many classes on how to be the perfect spy while being trained. Let's say that there were some more enjoyable classes than others. He knows how to dance as a result and will steal the dancefloor when given the chance.

[draconicarsonist]

💚🌀🗣🐯🌈

thank you for the ask anon! i appreciate the attention, thank you for tossing enrichment into my enclosure/j

💚: What’s your favorite thing about your kintype? (The species, creature, etc)

I'm quite fond of dragons for more reasons than just because I am one. If we're talking dragons in general, I love how versatile their designs can be, you can find thousands of unique depictions of dragons from human civilizations and as an artist I love that you can take the basic draconic idea and make such interesting and different species, types, and looks that all fit under the term dragon. Its a really fun exercise in creativity to draw different kinds of dragons, and as a shapeshifter its fun to take on different draconic forms with different appearance features. Dragons are also just fucking badass and beautiful creatures whatever form or environment we live in. -[cl]

As for wolf theriotype, I love how caring and complex and thoughtful wolves can be. In human history we are painted as vicious monsters of trickery and violent desires who only wish to kill and feed themselves, but once you take your head out of pure stereotypes by humans who were only salty for the cow they lost to a wolf pack one time, you see that we have complex societies, relationships, emotions, and are a meaningful part of the ecosystems that different wolf species inhabit. Wolves are more than just themselves, they are intrinsically woven into nature and each other, can grow to care for certain humans and let them into their packs, aside from hunting and small mishaps wolves are very gentle creatures who care for each other deeply. -[gr]

🌀: Do you think kins are spiritual or psychological in nature?

I believe that both spiritual and psychological kin exist, and for us personally we experience both. We are very much spiritually drawn to nature and the sky and the experiences of being nonhuman, but feel that our shifts and phantom limbs and even the feeling of being in a memory tend to have more of a psychological source. Both are valid and genuine nonhuman/kin experiences.

🗣: Does anyone know you are otherkin? Friends, family, etc? If so, how did you tell them?

Aside from online, one person in our life knows about our identity as nonhuman and otherkin. A few months ago after "therian" was referenced in a conversation our partner and us talked about our kin identities and we/I came out as nonhuman and helped him look at and reconnect with his own nonhumanity, it was really nice and I'm very glad we can be ourselves with each other. Other than him, weve briefly mentioned small aspects of nonhumanity to a small handful of people but never elaborated any further than "i dont see myself as human." or "some people do identify as something nonhuman" (the second was while explaining the use of it/its pronouns)

🐯: Do you wish you were your kintype? Why or why not?

I very much do. There are things in this life I love, but it just isnt me. I can have deep relationships like we have here as a dragon, I miss just the experience of going through the world as a dragon, whatever form I took. So much of this life feels wrong, our body, home, family, so many people and none of them can see me. it can be hard sometimes but with our boyfriend getting to be ourselves around each other and feeling seen with him is... really nice. Having a form and an environment in our system's headspace also helps with dysphoria, but to answer the question, yes i do wish I were a physical dragon. -[cl]

It's a similar sentiment as a wolf. I miss the life of a wolf, the family of my pack, being wild in the wild and being connected with and a part of nature. I miss having a wolf body, my strength, my claws and strong jaws and tireless muscles for running hours on end. My ears that could hear sounds from far away and identify them, my nose that could smell what walked by and how long ago, could smell that a deer had passed by a bush by smelling the leaves. Paws with claws that I could dig with, bristling my fur as a warning, chewing on things. I could go on, but again, to answer the question, I wish I were a wolf, with my wolf life back. -[gr]

🌈: Talk about any other kin thing!

tldr; i go on a rant about how stigmatized alterhumanity is and how much i hate it and wish ppl would just let us be ourselves, putting it under the read more cause i dont want to just put this on ppls dash on an otherwise non-discoursey post

I hate how stigmatized being an animal in a human body is to the general population here. people who like to wear ears or be treated like a dog doing normal things in their house are put on cringe compilations and wearing ears and a tail at home is seen as sexual intrinsically and I just hate that. Too many humans are too afraid of what is different from them, they like to peg us as insane or stupid or something to be "kept in the bedroom" or otherwise private and that really irritates me because suddenly doing anything deemed a little bit too far from normal "human" behavior is something to be laughed at and shunned and this hurts not only the alterhuman community but the disabled community at large (not intended to claim alterhumanity as a disability, it is an identity not a condition, but i'm comparing the way "society" views us) when people's body moves in a way that strays from the usual way "normal" humans carry themselves its viewed with fear or unease or disgust and this is just something that I feel is one of those things in human society that hopefully will get worked on over time so people get more accepting and accepted but right now its just causing a lot of shame and frustration. sorry for going on this rant but i do think about this. Forgot to mention the furry community in this too, it should be ok for people who do identify as human to also wear ears or a tail or a fursuit and have fun playing as animals in a nonsexual manner (not shaming ppl who do like kink pet play and stuff but im talking more out in the general world) and be allowed to do so without fear of being shamed and viewed with disgust or fear of literal actual violence because of expressing something they want to do.

[troped-fanfic-challenge]

Chopped Madness Masterlist

To say we are overwhelmed would be the understatement of the year for sure. This challenge was so incredible, the fics we received were spectacular and we couldn’t have been more pleased with the positive and supportive space that we were able to create with your help. During such a crazy time in the world, we hope that this was able to distract you, even just a little, from the harshness of reality, and bring you some level of joy. We received an astounding forty-seven (47!!!!!!) fics in our anonymous collection, that were submitted for voting, as well as four (4) amazing fics that were added to our non anonymous collection following prompts from this event, bringing our fic total to a mind blowing FIFTY ONE (51!!!!!) fics! We honestly cannot even begin to express our thanks to all of you for putting in the time and hard work to share such creative, exciting, well written pieces of fan fiction for this event, and we hope that you all enjoyed it as much as we did! If you haven’t had a chance to read all of the brilliant fics shared with us for Chopped Madness, you can find them all below, or in our AO3 collections, which will be linked at the bottom of this post.

To all of our writers, for Chopped Madness and all other Chopped events, Chopped would not be what it is without you. You take our ideas and turn them into beautiful stories that we are privileged to read and share with this fandom, and we owe you all a huge thanks for everything you do.

We hope you all (and all your loved ones) are staying safe during this uncertain time. Keep being creative, positive, and sharing your art with the world. And dont forget to keep your eyes pealed for the next Chopped events ;)

And obviously, a huge congratulations to our CHOPPED CHAMPION, the lovely @the-most-beautiful-broom​!

We love you all,

Sara & Bailey <3

The image above is not an entirely accurate representation of how each writer was paired up, it was the best we could do considering we shifted the order each round based on the rankings. The number next to the authors name in each bracket is their rank for that round!

———

Qualifying Round

Character Focus: Bellamy Blake

Theme: Canonverse

Tropes:

Fairy Tale AU

Write a Good Guy as a Villain or a Villain as a Good Guy

When the party’s over (Rated T) [Bellamy & Octavia] by safeandsound13 @captaindaddykru​

Summary: Bellamy goes into the anomaly to save Octavia. What he finds, is a trail of bodies. {Or: a canonverse take on Hansel & Gretel}

don’t be who you were (Rated T) [Bellamy & Diyoza] by sapphictomaz @iexasheart​

Summary: Bellamy’s forced to stay in the bunker, alone, for six years. Diyoza trapped alone on her ship. They find a way to help each other survive, because that’s what they know how to do.

Straight On Until Morning (Rated G) [Bellamy & Kane] by she_who_the_river_could_not_hold @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold​

Summary: Bellamy and his unruly band of Delinquents have been living life as they wish. Their days are filled with games and exploring while their nights are spent coordinating attacks against the dreaded Wanheda and her Mountain Men. It’s all fun and games in a world where no one gets older. But then a strange man appears one day and Marcus Kane provides a reality check to Bellamy that he’s not prepared to accept.

Where is the path to Wonderland? (Rated T) [Bellamy x Clarke] by myonetruelove @justwalkedaway​

Summary: Separated from their friends in the Anomaly, Clarke and Bellamy find themselves lost in a world so different from their own.

The Sixth Bride (Rated M) [Bellamy x Roan] by Shen_Gong_Oops @shen-gong-oops​

Summary: For their wedding, Roan gifted him an antique skeleton key attached to a thin, leather cord. Rough, callous fingertips grazed the base of his neck as they secured the necklace in place. While his husband allowed him full reign of the tower, the key provided access to the only room he barred Bellamy from entering. He was never to set foot in the sole room on the highest floor. Into Roan’s private reprieve from the world. And to be fair, Bellamy respected Roan’s right to privacy - for a while.

Gunning for Glory (Rated T) [Bellamy x Gina] by teeandrainbows @teeandsnowflakes​

Summary: While on a routine mission for Kane, Bellamy comes across a mystery girl who points him towards a treasure trove that might prove useful for Arkadia, but danger lurks up every spiraling staircase. It may just be the distraction he needs, though, to get over Clarke leaving.

On the Ground and What Bellamy Found There (Rated G) [General] by elle_stone @kinetic-elaboration​

Summary: Bellamy has a prophetic dream. An Alice in Wonderland AU.

to dream about a life (where you’re the shining star) (Rated T) [Bellamy x Murphy] by ProbablyVoldemort @probably-voldemort​

Summary: Bellamy has been dreaming about going to the coalition’s annual Camp Rock since he was a kid. The chance to escape his life and his step-father and spend his days travelling between clans and singing. This year, he finally has a chance to go–as a chef. Murphy hated what came of Clarke’s treaty with the Grounders, but even he knew it could’ve been worse. But that didn’t mean he wanted to spend his time performing for the people who had kidnapped and tortured him. He could do it, though. He could sing at whatever the fuck Camp Rock was, and he could help pick whichever winner the Grounders wanted him to pick. He could play nice. That didn’t mean he had to like it.

There’s Gonna Be a Party When the Wolf Comes Home (Rated T) [General] by kuklash @kuklash​

Summary: “Dante?” she asks, her voice a mixture of confusion and surprise. Bellamy straightens the nameplate on his desk, and the gold plaque reflects the dim fluorescent lights above him. He taps it twice, drawing her attention to the words “Dante Wallace” written in a fancy script. “That’s what they call me.” A Canon Divergent Fairy Tale AU staring Bellamy Blake

No Ordinary Apple (Rated T) [Bellamy & Josephine] by andthelightbulbclicks @andthelightbulbclicks​

Summary: When Josephine awakens in Clarke Griffin’s body, she has no reason to believe anything about her reincarnation is anything out of the ordinary. Then she learns that Clarke was far from a willing host and meets Bellamy Blake. She doesn’t expect to become invested in their love story, and she certainly doesn’t plan on risking her own like to make things right. And yet, here she is. All in the name of true love.

Brother Knows Best (Rated G) [Bellamy & Octavia] by Dylanobrienisbatman @dylanobrienisbatman​

Summary: Octavia grew up in a cave, hidden from the world, with only her brother to care for her. He kept her safe, safe from a world where people like her, where nightbloods, were hunted and slaughtered. But even with so much danger, she longs to see the world, so when a handsome stranger stumbles into their cave, she makes her escape to spend one night out under the stars. But in just one night, she begins to wonder if everything she’d grown up believing was true after all.

seeds in silence (exploded in riot) (Rated T) [Bellamy & Clarke] by justbecauseyoubelievesomething @justbecauseyoubelievesomething 

Summary: Seeds. Not the modified seeds Farm Station constantly churns out in unending batches. Genuine seeds. Earth seeds. The kind of seeds that the scientists from Alpha will sell their souls for. Doctor Griffin talks a lot about genetics and lost patterns, but Bellamy’s mind is a million miles away. He can get anything he wants for Octavia and his mom. He can make it so Octavia doesn’t have to live in hiding. He can bring the chancellor himself to his knees, if he’s careful enough.

i’ve got a heart in me (i swear) (Rating T) [Bellamy x Murphy] by hopskipaway @hopskipaway​

Summary: Belonging was not a familiar word in the Book of John Murphy. That was a fact that seemed grounded in concrete; what he wouldn’t give to stumble upon a sledgehammer someday and be reunited with his bruised and feeble, but still beating, heart.

2199 Nights (Rated M) [Bellamy x Clarke] by Mobi_On_A_Mission @mobi-on-a-mission​

Summary: Every day, the Commander Bellamy took a new wife and executed her the next morning, until one day his fleimkepa’s daughter volunteered. She kept him entertained with tales of far-off places, sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise…

we’d up and fly (if there were wings for flying) (Rated G) [Bellamy x Clarke] by the-most-beautiful-broom @the-most-beautiful-broom​

Summary: Bellamy and Wells are held captive and interrogated by the Grounders, and when he returns to Arkadia, Bellamy finds some things have changed.

The Storyteller (Rated T) [Bellamy x Clarke] by thelittlefanpire @thelittlefanpire​

Summary: A heartbroken Commander, betrayed by her beloved, vows to slay each and every one of her future lovers after they’ve spent their first night together. Bellamy Blake, the latest to be taken into the Commander of Death’s chambers, will try to save his life by weaving a succession of tales to the woman that lasts for one thousand and one nights.

How to Kill a Two-Headed Turkey (Rated T) [Bellamy & Octavia] by vmreed @vmreed​

Summary: After everyone at camp collapses from a mysterious illness (thanks Murphy), Bellamy and Octavia are sent to hunt enough food for 100 sick teenagers. When they find themselves lost, far from camp, what else can they do but move forward? Thankfully, a kind woman took them in, but all is not as it seems. Anya’s been waiting to meet these Skaikru…

simmer, simmer, simmer (Rated M) [Bellamy x Clarke] by Pawprinter @pawprinterfanfic​

Summary: When Sanctum falls to starvation, it is up to Bellamy and Clarke to find a solution. They aren’t prepared for the horrors beyond the Sanctum barrier.

So Familiar a Gleam (Rated T) [Bellamy x Clarke, Bellamy & Octavia] by Anonymous

Summary: When the dropship first lands, Bellamy is hopeful. It doesn't last. After all, the humans who were left behind, they've been on there own for a while. Things have changed. (Maleficent meets The 100 meets the author's glaring ignorance about either franchise.)

———

Round 1

Character Focus: Harper McIntyre

Theme: Angst

Tropes:

Strangers to Lovers

Road Trip AU

into a cloven pine (Rated T) [Harper/Maya] by justbecauseyoubelievesomething @justbecauseyoubelievesomething

Summary: Maya starts sitting with her at meals, shrugging aside the judgmental looks of delinquents and Mountain Men alike. When Harper tries to delicately suggest that she sit somewhere else for her own good, Maya levels her with an icy glare and threatens to kick her under the table. For some reason, that makes Harper giggle and she figures that someone who makes her giggle must be alright to sit with. So, she ignores Miller’s warning head shakes and Fox’s teary-eyed frowns and she plays footsie with Maya Vie. Life is weird. She might as well just go with it.

I Need You (Like I Need a Gaping Head Wound) (Rated T) [Harper/Echo] *Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death* by kuklash @kuklash​

Summary: “And that was the new track from Lou Bega: ‘Mambo No. 5’ off his new album ‘A Little Bit of Mambo’. Stay tuned for Backstreet, Britney Spears, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers comin’ at’cha in the next hour.” Harper shuts off the radio and leans back in the driver’s seat, taking her hands off the wheel and rubbing her temples. Traffic is worse than normal today, meaning she’s gonna be late. She’s already 45 minutes late getting back from lunch, meaning that Roan will probably call her into his office. That’s the last thing she needs today. Harper nearly jumps out of her skin when the passenger door opens and a tall, brunette woman vaults into the car. “WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU D–” “Drive,” the woman says, voice barely above a whisper.

venus, planet of love was destroyed by global warming (Rated G) [Harper/Monty] by safeandsound13 @captaindaddykru​

Summary: In a world tainted by darkness, Harper meets Monty.

Take back my life (Prove I’m alright) (Rated T) [Harper/Monty] by myonetruelove @justwalkedaway​

Summary: Harper and Monty have been married for ten years and she is beginning to notice the cracks in their marriage. Will a road trip for a job interview be able to save their marriage?

Like dust behind the wagon (Rated T) [Harper/Monre] *Major Character Death* by teeandrainbows @teeandsnowflakes​

Summary: Harper and her family were in search of a better life in Oregon when tragedy struck. She didn’t think she would ever recover, and then she met Monroe, a lone traveler looking for a ride to Fort Bridger.

you can bloom again (Rated T) [Harper/Clarke] by sapphictomaz @iexasheart​

Summary: Harper’s always been a survivor. She’s survived an orphaned childhood, kidnapping, and torture. When a wave of fire stretches across the sky, she knows that she’ll survive this, too - but when she meets a girl with a smile brighter than the sun, Harper wonders if surviving alone is what she really wants.

The Hardest Thing (Rated T) [Harper/Emori] by Mobi_On_A_Mission @mobi-on-a-mission​

Summary: After shooting Baylis and escaping to the woods, Emori was utterly alone. She travelled through the lands of the Coalition, stealing from anyone and everyone. All of that changed when she met the last sky girl after the Mountain Men wiped out the rest of her people. Harper had a map to a peaceful village across the sea, and Emori had nothing to lose.

Release (Rated T) [Harper/Murphy] by elle_stone @kinetic-elaboration​

Summary: Her whole body is still tense, but this long habit of distrust has been formed in her, is not native to her, and his lazy, laconic air tempts her to put herself at ease. And she is curious. Behind them, the Detention Center is teeming, yet the desolation of the dim light and barren highway makes Harper feel as if they were the only two on the wide Earth. Upon being released from the Arkadia Juvenile Detention Center, Harper takes a road trip to California with an old friend, his boyfriend, and another recently released delinquent.

What the Hell is a Pulmonary Embolism? (Rated T) [Harper & Clarke/Murphy] by vmreed @vmreed​

Summary: Harper McIntyre wasn’t trained for this. She was just a tour guide, how was she supposed to deal with the bus crashing in the middle of nowhere?

something more than momentary (Rated T) [Harper/Murphy] by ProbablyVoldemort @probably-voldemort​

Summary: The first rule of working for the Princess Protection Program was, well, keep your princess safe no matter the cost. The second rule was don’t get attached. Agent Murphy had followed that rule to the letter for years and never had an issue. But now he’s stuck in a car for the foreseeable future with a princess and a gunshot wound, and everything he’s ever believed in just might be changing.

and the road gets tough (Rated M) [Harper/Monty] by she-who-the-river-could-not-hold​ @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold

Summary: It’s the end of the world and Harper McIntyre is done running. She’s done fighting against a life that relentlessly keeps pushing her down. But she has her son to worry about and she desperately wants him to have a new life and to experience it all. When they hit the road, she’s helped by a kind stranger who changes the course of things. Monty Green represents a life she wished she had been able to have, but it might still be too late.

everyone’s a different flower (Rated T) [Harper/Monty] by andthelightbulbclicks @andthelightbulbclicks​

Summary: Harper McIntyre’s life on Earth has been a simple one, and she’s always been happy with that. But with a single diagnosis, her simple life is completely upended. Her best friends think that an intergalactic trip across the universe is just what she needs to get her mind off of things. Raven thinks the change in scenery will do Harper some good. Clarke thinks the girl time will help. (Harper thinks the cute space-botanist she meets might just do the trick.)

I wanna shoot the whole day down (Rated T) [Harper/Monty] *Major Character Death* by hopskipaway @hopskipaway​

Summary: Tell me why I don’t like Mondays...Or Tuesdays, or Wednesdays, or any day since you left us.

Never Gonna Give You Up (Rated T) [Harper/Raven] by Shen_Gong_Oops @shen-gong-oops​

Summary: Unknown: Hey, Monty guilted me into a road trip with those damned puppy dog eyes and seeing as neither of you can be in the same car, I am your road trip Uber. Name’s Raven. Harper: Rookie mistake, you never look Monty in the eyes. That’s how you lose. A road trip, huh?

Macushla (Rated T) [Harper/Monty] by the-most-beautiful-broom @the-most-beautiful-broom​

Summary: Harper Noelle Margaret McIntyre, Countess of Rothes, must survive the unthinkable, when the unsinkable ship hits an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic // aka the Titanic AU that isn’t Jack and Rose

Both (Rated T) [Harper/Monty] by the-most-beautiful-broom @the-most-beautiful-broom​

Summary: “Emori doesn’t understand why I’d want to go back up.” Their backs are against the wicker, just waiting now, as the balloon floats downward. “Emori’s my sister,” Harper clarifies. “She thinks I should be scared, and just leave it behind. But if I left, if I never went up again, then everything I’ve lost would be for nothing.” It hovers in the air, like the snow, like a balloon. “All my life,” Monty says, “I’ve found certainty in science. In numbers, quantifying things. But...this has shown me. You have, I mean. There’s a beauty in the most barren of science, and my equipment and notes cannot account for it. And I thought it was science, logic, before, but now I see: the only person that could’ve taken me to the stars was you.” {a marper Aeronauts AU based heavily off the 2019 movie}

———

Round 2

Character Focus: John Murphy

Theme: Dystopia

Tropes:

Partners In Crime

Bed Sharing

poison but tasty (Rated M) [Murphy & Josephine, Murphy/Emori] by safeandsound13 @captaindaddykru​

Summary: In a world where genetics and individual resilience decide who gets to procreate and who doesn’t, babies are a rare breed. That’s why Murphy gets the lucrative idea to steal one, and sell it. In comes Josie, who kind of, sort of? Maybe? Has the same idea? He figures, what the hell. Might as well combine their efforts and split the profits. or, Two Psychopaths and a Baby.

even heroes have the right to dream (Rated M) [Muprhy/Emori] by justbecauseyoubelievesomething @justbecauseyoubelievesomething

Summary: He doesn’t deal with people one-on-one anymore. He works his shift at the factory. He comes home. Takes his pills. Drinks himself to sleep. He doesn’t go on road trips. Or smuggle little girls under the cover of darkness. Or make small talk with his ex.

don’t mess with the flow, oh no (stick to the status quo) (Rated T) [Murphy/Clarke] by ProbablyVoldemort @probably-voldemort​

Summary: Harper and Monty tried out for the spring musical, and now everything is going to shit. Jocks think they can bake. Nerds think they can dance. Stoners think they can play cello. And Harper and Monty, Jock and Nerd respectively, think they can get callbacks for Murphy’s part. This is not what he wants. This is not what he planned. And, he’s just gotta say, he does not understand.

Good to be Back (Rated G) [Murphy/Emori] by the-most-beautiful-broom @the-most-beautiful-broom​

Summary: Murphy has been out of the wet work game for years now, but when someone from the past shows up at his bar, he doesn’t think twice before diving back in.

make a wish (count to three) (Rated T) [Murphy/Emori] by teeandrainbows @teeandsnowflakes​

Summary: In Alpha City, anyone who isn’t a Prime, the top tier of society, is claimed by a factory to work for a meager living at the age of 18. When Murphy is selected for the factory overseen by the mysterious Alie, he thinks life might finally be getting better…

The Taste of Hope (Rated T) [Murphy/Raven] by elle_stone @kinetic-elaboration​

Summary: Murphy has lived his whole life on Factory 6, stripping the planet of its resources for the benefit of the elite ruling class on The Jewel. His existence has never been more than work, sleep, and the mindless distractions of gossip, drinking, and parties. Until he and his girlfriend, Raven, start to wonder: could there be more?

Survivor’s Move (Rated G) [Muprhy/Emori] by she_who_the_river_could_not_hold @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold​

Summary: In a dying society ruled by an iron fist, it’s crucial to stay low. John Murphy has mastered that, an ex-thief doing what he can to stay out of trouble. But trouble finds him with the arrival of another ex-thief, and more importantly, his ex-girlfriend. Emori needs his help and he finds himself confronting their breakup while also trying to express to her the importance she has in his heart.

Complex Wiring (Rated T) [Murphy/Raven] by andthelightbulbclicks @andthelightbulbclicks​

Summary: According to the Commonwealth of Arkadian, cyborgs have been wiped out from the nation for years, any scientists willing to do the surgeries arrested or worse. John Murphy, whose primary goal in life is to be a general nuisance to the guards in his crummy village, has no reason to believe otherwise. That is, until he unexpectedly meets a group of cyborgs in hiding who are looking for “the Cockroach” to do a job for them.

———

Round 3

Character Focus: Raven Reyes

Theme: Modern

Tropes:

Superpowers

Found Family

if you choose to fly (Rated M) [Raven/Bellamy/Echo] by teeandrainbows @teeandsnowflakes​

Summary: It’s always been the three of them, for as long as she can remember, and she’s happy. Bellamy kisses her forehead and Echo raises a hand to her cheek, reaching across and pressing a featherlight kiss to her lips. A week later, she finds herself missing the tranquility of the moment. or the origin story of Raven Reyes

Hands That Burn (Rated T) [Raven/Clarke] by elle_stone @kinetic-elaboration​

Summary: WELCOME, reads a large banner, hung up between two poles in front of her, TO FLOUKRU RETREAT. The font on the banner matches the font on the invitation Raven received two months ago. Why she decided to attend this particular event, she cannot entirely explain, even to herself. Six ex-superheroes, and ex-best friends, meet for a weekend retreat, ready to confront their feelings and the past tragedy that tore them apart.

Into the Blue (Rated G) [Raven/Zeke] by the-most-beautiful-broom @the-most-beautiful-broom​

Summary: Her name is Raven Reyes. She was bitten by a radioactive spider her senior year of college; for the last two years, she’s been the one and only Spider-Woman. She joined a band, saved her dad, couldn’t save her best friend, so now she saves everyone else. She doesn’t really do the friends thing, not since her last best friend was turned into a giant lizard and she had to kill him, but things are mostly fine, going solo. Until a kaleidoscope opens in the ceiling. She’s suddenly in Times Square, but it’s not, it’s like some Other Times Square. There’s a billboard for Cocoa Kola (what even?) and there’s a Spider-Man (typical) here, and on the Other Times Square screens, she watches Zeke die again, this time as Spider-Man. // or a zaven!into the spiderverse AU

the color of truth is gray (Rated T) [Raven/Murphy] by andthelightbulbclicks @andthelightbulbclicks​

Summary: Raven’s firm beliefs on super villains have held true for as long as she can remember. And she prides herself in being a part of the Spacekru team, protecting their territory in Polis and bringing those villains to justice. But slowly, she comes to realize that maybe their super-powered world isn’t as black and white as she’s always chosen to believe. And maybe a certain villain isn’t really a villain at all. (Or: Three times Raven fights a villain, and one time she saves him.)

And It May Sound Absurd, But Don't Be Naive (Rated T) [Raven/Zeke] by Anonymous 

Summary: "Yeah, well, if life were to suddenly get fair, I doubt it would happen in high school." A Sky High AU where Raven just wants to sit there and do her Mad Science homework in peace, but life has a funny habit of removing that as an option.

———

Round 4

Character Focus: Luna kom Floukru

Theme: Thriller

Tropes:

Parallel Universe

Doppelgängers

Excuse me, where are the dinosaurs? (Rating M) [Luna/Raven/Roan] *Graphic Depictions of Violence* by ​andthelightbulbclicks @andthelightbulbclicks​

Summary: Luna is living her life on the island of Floukru with two goals in mind. 1. Keep her animal rescue up and running. 2. (Somehow) turn her relationship with her two roommates into a romantic one. When the three of them find themselves on a very different version of Floukru where living, breathing dinosaurs still exist, she supposes she should add two more to the list: 3. Avoid the psychopaths who inexplicably look exactly like them. 4. Make sure no one gets eaten by a T-Rex.

we cross our bridges and burn them behind us (Rating T) [Luna/Lincoln] by the-most-beautiful-broom @the-most-beautiful-broom​

Summary: When SHRDR powers up and tears a hole in the world, Luna watches Lincoln die. Three years later, he steps out of thin air and asks for her help. So yeah, that's how her day is going. It's fine. Everything is fine.

Promise (Rated M) [Lincoln & Luna] *Graphic Depictions Of Violence Major Character Death* by teeandrainbows @teeandsnowflakes​

Summary: During the Conclave, Luna and Octavia find themselves in another version of Polis where vampires have been terrorizing what's left of humanity.

Please take a read of all these incredible fics! Leave the authors some kudos/comments! They worked so hard this whole event. Thanks so much!

Just as a reminder, our non-anon collection is always open and we are always so excited to receive any submissions! The Chopped Madness official collection has been CLOSED but if any of our prompts inspire you, please share your fics with us in our non-anon collection! Simple put ‘Chopped_Non_Anonymous’ where it asks for the collection name, and be sure to put what round you are writing for in your notes so we can be sure to tag it appropriately when we share! Also, just as a note, fics submitted to the non-anon collection do not have to follow the word limit and do not require the same strict adherence to the tropes, though we do ask that you comply with our other rules regarding no rape, incest, negativity, and things like that! Happy writing!

Chopped Madness AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Chopped_Madness

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[hazelenergy]

What happened that final night.

One year ago today was my last Elysium in Atlanta. And in a mere 48 hours, I will have betrayed and killed my adoptive sire, blood bonded myself to the wild sister of two famous Malkavians, and lost two people I loved. 

A few days prior to this night was the beginning of the end. A bloodhunt was called in Atlanta. Not for me. Not for the other thinbloods. A salubri had entered the city. Our adoptive sire, Mary Andrews and primogen of the Tremere (and the only Tremere in the city..I dont know actually why she was alone but I have theories) ordered her children, myself and my two shovelheaded broodmates to bring this man to her alive. We complied. At first. 

Solomon had been working closely with Reverend Clancy, the primogen of Clan Brujah. We never knew Solomon’s bloodline, but he vibed with the righteous and nonviolent nature of Clancy’s leadership. Clancy told us the other half of the history of clan Tremere and the Salubri. We were devastated. And now our adoptive sire wanted this man and would probably experiment on him like she did to us. And it would be worse. He can heal. He’d be able to endure what she did to us. So Clancy asked us, two lowly thinbloods, to help him and his clan free this man and get him out of the city. We said yes without questioning the consequences. 

Long story short we put our ability to blend with humans to the test at Airport security. We managed to slide through the TSA check with ease- without tipping off the inquisition either. Solomon and I had intercepted the international flight by getting the plane to dock in the incorrect port, allowing the Salubri to slip past the sheriff and his hired guards. Things didn’t go as well as we hoped- as the Sheriff caught on to someone was messing with the radio tower and hopped over to where we were hiding. We had already called the brujah boys to the airfield to intercede the sheriff’s men. A huge fire fight broke out. The brujah were losing so Solomon and I made a rash decision. We used far reach together and launched a fuel tank at the gun fight- fire engulfed the scene. Solomon and I fled into the night- starving, but unscathed. Cue camarilla media blackout and clean up. 

The next night we were ordered to return to the chantry. We refused and gave pitiful excuses saying things like keeping face by going to a night job or Solomon had a legit excuse of needing to write his Yom Kippur service. Instead we tracked down Clancy and the brujah and high tailed the Salubri out of Atlanta. Clancy handled the money for the dark flight and I wore less clothing to convince the guy to bypass security. Our Salubri was in the air and out of Atlanta. But the sheriff was on our trail. Someone had to take the blame. Clancy knew how hard we had worked. He was the only kindred who knew about the safehouse project. He took the fall for freeing the Salubri and let himself be staked by the sheriff as we fled unseen into the night. 

The following night, we did go to Mary’s Haven. She immediately shoveled us into the car and took us to Elysium. She knew we had something to do with this. Or just wanted to see us squirm. Regardless. Clancy had been placed on trial for his crimes against the Prince and the brujah were ready to Throw. Down. The air was tense and violent choleric resonances dominated the room. There is one brujah in particular, Jamal. He was basically an anarch. The only reason he wasn’t a Baron and fighting the Prince was because of his faith and trust in Clancy. He was nearly going to free Clancy then and there- if it wasn’t for Solomon. Sol begged him to let him play the political game first. Solomon  offered himself to the prince as the duskborn primogen. He advised the prince that Clancy’s life was the spindly thread that kept the brujah from rioting. Solomon ruled that Clancy should be exiled but allowed to live. The Prince agreed. The brujah and Jamal backed down- begrudgingly. Clancy was still staked and was to be driven out of the city once Solomon achieved a few goals as his new primogen. Mary was furious. Was it because her ex had arrived in the city and had gotten close to her other child? Oh that was a part of it- for sure. Somehow this night really did not go according to plan and the car ride home was AWKWARD. 

That night Mary tried to get me to drink from her again- which uhhh no. Idk what you all know about Tremere who follow Carna- but they can still blood bond. And that made her even angrier. She was willing to try anything to get either myself or Solomon to comply. We resisted. That’s when I figured out Mary had slipped on some control over us and wanted to reclaim it. So, I left the haven that night and went to get some sweet distractions at Atlanta’s Asylum chain. That’s when I decided to stop being careful and took that final drink- as a huge fuck you to Mary and to give myself the edge I wanted. I’d have the swirling madness and premonitions in my system for a while and could be thinking ahead of her. I didn’t realize how loopy I’d get. I felt higher than ever before and couldn’t keep my thoughts from spilling out of my mouth.  I stumbled back into the chantry and told my adoptive sire this:

“I reject your blood.”

and

“Any kindred that bothers with me is up to something. You. You chose me. YOURE Up to Something And I wont let it happen.”

She looked me in the eye and said, "tell the truth."

I babbled about everything. The page from the book of Nod and how I copied it. The alchemy I kept from her. The thaumaturgy I tried and made a mess. How she blood bonded Tommy. Letting the Salubri go. How I knew about her plan to usurp the Prince- the madness told me what she’d do. We argued until the sun came up. I went to bed, thinking that I’d have to continue the talk in the evening. I didn’t expect to find myself warded into my own room, windows loaded with explosives, security cameras installed, and my girlfriend Lisa trapped with me. Mary had called an emergency Elysium- excluding Solomon. They were planning our executions. I made it out, barely. Mary’s ghoul and Lisa were killed when one of the explosives went off. There was nothing left but her necklace. In a fit of grief, rage, sorrow I don’t know what emotions I was feeling but it was a lot of them. I obliterated the wards around Mary’s private lab and took whatever I could carry. 

We drove off, thinking we’d lay low for a few hours before Mary could use trail of prey on me. We could beg borrow and steal to get our things and get out. I had just parked the car when I vomited the first time. My blood began bubbling and boiling and oozing out of every open surface it could. I had three bullet holes in my stomach- the bullets were pushed out as my blood gushed. I spent the next fifteen minutes in agonizing pain as Mary called my phone. She heard every gag and wretch- and laughed. The ultimatum was to bring me before the Prince to be put out of my misery, and return what I stole. I told her to go fuck herself. Within seconds, my blood was boiling again and I was a mess on the sidewalk. 

The next few hours were agony waiting. I didn’t know if she’d do it again. But the clock was ticking. The Prince had ordered a hunt for us. And Mary’s ritual to dominate the Prince and the entire court was already ignited. We could have just fled right then. Fuck the Camarilla of Atlanta. Fuck everything about this place. Lets leave and never look back.... But Solomon still had too much to lose in Atlanta- and was willing to fight for it. And Cass had old wounds from Mary (they were an item at one point omg). And I wanted to go so badly- but what I wanted more was to see her vitae spilling out onto the floor as I drove my knife through her. So after cleaning myself from the third wave of dagons call and alleycat hunting for the first time- we took what little time we had left in the city to put an end to this. 

We used the first hour before sunset to gear up. I immediately drove out to the few spots to where thinbloods were hiding and told them to RUN. Find a new city or something- just get out. A few times they looked at me with power hungry eyes. It was a perfect opportunity to take a wanted kindred to the Prince and move up the ranks. I reminded them that they are not known by the prince. And to take me in was to also announce themselves- amidst a time when they are using thinbloods as scapegoats for anything gone wrong. And BOY. Is it going wrong. The last stop I made was to my alchemical dealer. I drained my bank account and bought some of the most powerful brews I’ve ever drank. As a parting gift, or grift if you ask me, he let me have his best brew: Potence.

Solomon went to free Clancy with a group of the brujah boys. A minor fire fight broke out. Solomon was a bit roughed up- both physically and spiritually. I think he had broken one of his own oaths and it was weighing heavily on him. 

When we met up at the edges of Mary’s Haven- we didn’t realize how quickly she had redone the wards. As one of the Brujah boys drove up the path it kept twisting and winding to steer us back to the front gate. Eventually I crawled into the drivers seat. Even though I wasn’t welcome anymore- I was the last one to drive this path and now armed with malkavian whispers. It wasn’t my best driving. Certainly creative. But I got us to the bottom of the hill and we could see the lights to the haven. Mary had laid tons of traps as we made our crawl up to the porch. Landmines specifically. Seriously, where the fuck did she get these? Were they always here? 

When we made it to the porch, the sheriff sat illuminated by the single flickering light. That certainly explains why it was so easy to bust Clancy out. Solomon took the diplomatic approach and tried to reason with the sheriff. I knew it wasn’t going to work and hovered one of the explosives over him. If anything happened to Solomon I’d-- two gunshots. Solomon clutched his chest and fell to the ground. There goes the second person I believed was actually good in this world. Thats when fresh vitae rained from above. Yeah, this is where I get frenzy bombs. The brujah boys immediately attack each other. Clancy and I keep our cool. 

I dropped the explosive and the sheriff flies back into the haven. I go to enter the door, and am met with Mary’s hell cat. Far reached the cat aside. I didn’t care. Nothing was going to stand between me and ending this. The sheriff, his skin singed and peeling, turned to me with frenzied eyes. Far reach again. He’ll never lay a hand on me again. I held him still as Cass drove the stake through his chest. We tossed him aside. 

Thats when we realized the basement was warded. It sent Cass flying back everytime she got close. Even Clancy couldn’t get closer than five feet to the doorway. So I pulled out that potence brew and drank it. I slammed my fist into the mahogany floorboards and crashed through two levels of the haven. I fell to my knees surrounded by rubble and looked up to see my adoptive sire performing her ritual- the circle nearly illuminated. “Mom, I’m home.”

When it came down to it, my hand shook and I couldn’t pull the trigger. At first I tried to far reach her out of her circle, but my hunger had gotten the best of me. So instead, Cass took my hand. She fired at my adoptive sire. The Tremere collapsed and fell to ash. I hadn’t seen someone suffer final death before. I stared at the wispy grey ashes fluttering around the room. Suddenly, the house began to crack and crumble. Clancy grabbed both me and Cass and leaped out of the rubble. When we got back to the ground level- the sheriff was gone. Jamal had taken all of him-the last drop. He told Clancy that Atlanta won’t be the same without him- but its going to change in a way he didn’t like. Clancy looked so disappointed. Without a word, He turned and picked up Solomon’s corpse. Sol was now warm. He was dying. He breathed his last breath in Clancy’s arms. The old brujah carried him to his family that night and they got to give him the proper funeral for his faith.

I told Jamal my dark secret and it’s why I couldn’t stay in Atlanta. He told me to get moving and come back when I’m zeroed. “I need a chameleon that can put on charm and take a punch like you.” I was still chased out of Atlanta by a few kindred who wanted that sweet sweet blood hunt boon- but Jamal used it to his advantage. He took them out as I sped away with Cass to Miami. I don’t know what the affairs of Atlanta are like- a mere year later. I know Jamal was going for the Prince since was now without a sheriff missing his two heavy hitting primogen. But regardless of who is in charge- the duskborn trio perished in that haven that night. And we keep it that way.

~HB

_____

Here Jackie, this is the sob story. @ventrue-in-control​

[izzyliker]

i think like.... some of this ‘fanfic isnt above criticism’ discourse fundamentally is built on some weird ideas and understandings of criticism, creative freedom, and variance in ppl reading the exact same thing. 

like: just because you dont like a specific thing about someones writing doesnt mean its objectively, concretely wrong, bad, or inappropriate. nobodys going to kill you or jail you or whatever for leaving a mean or unnecessarily blunt comment on someones fic, but it is kind of sad/funny to see people talk shit about writers for ‘not taking criticism’ as if their opinion is objective truth and not just.....their opinion.

like: i have had people tell me my writing is too abstract, or it doesnt make any sense, or that i use too many metaphors or whatever. thats their opinion! i have also had people say that me writing the way i do is dreamy/mesmerizing/whatever nice, sweet things they had to say about it. as a hobbyist writer and someone who ENJOYS writing that way i am not going to change it because someone didnt like it, and people being mad about that is... kind of funny to me? just dont read my fic then! i write six line long sentences and use five em dashes in a single paragraph because i like doing it. if you dont like reading that you dont have to read it!

there’s... of course room for gently calling people out for writing in -phobic and -ist stuff while obviously having no idea that it was -ist or -phobic (eg. having characters misgender a trans character and not warning in the tags, or referring to a trans character as their deadname and using the wrong pronouns until they transition [’x was a girl blah blah she liked blah blah then she suddenly realized shes a boy wow anyway now im getting to the actual story after misgendering my character for no reason. them being trans never comes up again’], or writing deeply bigoted stuff or otherwise inserting unfortunate tropes in writing) and im not going to say that it’s ~bullying~ someone to let someone know that it seems like their writing reflects their own, genuine bigoted beliefs or misconceptions, and a lot of time people will be mortified and thankful to hear that (and when they aren’t theyre usually either openly bigoted, or theyve had other people tell them otherwise and chosen to believe those people instead, which you can feel however you want about).

like: ive left a strongly worded comment on a fic before because it turned out to be completely untagged for the rape depicted in it (as in: no archive warnings apply - not even chose not to warn), and featured a twoc ‘’’’’’having sex with’’’’’’’ a trans guy, where the author was a white cis person who did not see anything wrong with the lack of tagging OR the damaging tropes used with zero self awareness. i dont think you can NEVER say ‘im trans/gay/bi/ace/a person of color/a person of this ethnicity and you don’t seem to be - did anyone beta read this, because you have depicted the character with my marginalized trait in a very stereotypical way, and idk if thats on purpose or not’ or anything similar. sometimes people who are racist or homophobic or biphobic or transphobic also write fic. sometimes a fic makes your spider senses tingle because of the way something bad is depicted in it. 

but like and especially re darkfic - 

when people say ‘you need to take criticism when people say your fic glorifies bad relationships’ i think... what people fail to take into account is that although sometimes people do in fact write narratives where they do not even realize theyre writing a shitty relationship (this is often made obvious by a complete lack of tagging or a flippant attitude about the actions of the characters rather than anything that happens in the work itself) sometimes when you read a fic and think ‘this obviously says that this relationship is good! and that you should read this and think the relationship is good!’ it’s not actually an objective, true criticism that the author needs to... idk...rectify? reflection is always good for yknow becoming a better writer and looking at possible issues re: how you see relationships or certain people or whatever (this isnt just writers or artists btw, this is also you as the reader or the consumer or the person, existing in the world), but sometimes it’s just a fic that either was triggering for you, or that didn’t fill the specific narrative need you had.

again: i have written unhealthy relationships. i like writing codependence, and relationships with bad boundaries, and relationships where people are in denial about how their relationship makes them feel. i have, ON THE SAME FICS, had people say they thought it was validating; or cathartic; or respectful; or realistic and kind and compassionate portrayal of those relationship AND other people say they were uncomfortable; that they thought the narrative not using the word abuse meant it wasnt meant to be abuse (despite the ‘unhealthy relationships’ tag); that they thought it was disrespectful to write two characters they liked in an unhealthy relationship. and theyre all allowed to have those opinions! sometimes someone’s writing just doesn’t spark joy. but just because you didn’t like a fic doesn’t mean the writer has failed. when a fic writer has multiple people say ‘i liked this; this felt real; it felt compassionate and respectful and i will come back and read it again’ and one person say ‘i think this is bad’ i don’t think its... evil of the writer to say ‘yknow, im sorry you didn’t like this fic, you might want to read x fic where the story has a happier ending instead,’ and not change or delete or otherwise do anything to that fic.

i dont know guys like... again, just because you didn't like something doesnt mean theres something intrinsically wrong with it. and a loooooot of posts here conflate ‘this person wrote a fic that uncritically used a bunch of tropes the author did not tag for and thus was not even aware of having used and i have left a comment saying that the implications of that are kinda fucked’ with ‘this person wrote a fic about an abusive relationship/sexual assault/whatever and it wasn’t written the way i want those topics to be written about, and i have left them a comment saying that they need to kill themselves for it.’ 

[petitprincess1]

My Heroic AU (Now With OCs)

Warning: Long(er) Post!

I’m back at it again with another thing explaining my Heroic Au. Figured that I should probably explain some of my OCs (even though the main four are technically OCs too, but shush). So, for those who are interested, click here to read my first post (for those who read it, now they got heights and ages) about my AU. I would say you don’t have to read that one, but it helps to get a gist of things. But if you dont want to, here’s the main idea:

Central/Main Idea: Mine are more on the chaotic good side of things than lawful because I find it more fun and they kind of explore the whole “if villains can kill and destroy and people just accept it, why can’t a hero do the same, especially when justified and with a corrupt justice system?” Basically, whenever a hero does anything like kill or destroy, no matter the reason, they are automatically seen as corrupt or they have a dying need to be stopped, even more so than villains. My Heroic characters basically exist to prove such a thought wrong…even if they aren’t the most mentally balanced people.

Also, I will be using imaged from others that I have commissioned/requested, while also tagging them. If they do not wish for me to use their drawings, then that is perfectly fine

Sayua Kobayashi/Cross-Boa (created by @little-geecko) Age: 34-35 Height: ~7 foot at full height, but can be about 6 foot 8 Job: Hero for hire/Archer Species: Naga (even though she doesn’t know how to shape-shift) Background: Very little is known about Sayua’s past, due to her being found as a baby in the middle of the forest…and her not willing to tell anyone about her background. Her parents, who were elders, often taught her to stay within the wilderness and often keep moving, due to them being nomads. They also taught her how to live off the land, how to defend herself, teaching her archery and how to create/fix her own weapons.

Her parents ended up dying, due to natural causes, when Sayua was 19, forcing her to live on her own. She didn’t really bother moving from where they last had made shelter, since it was in a pretty well-protected and bountiful. And because she didn’t want to leave her adoptive parents’ graves. Everything was pretty calm as she did whatever she could to take care of herself, until a year or two later someone had ransacked her place and her parents’ graves were dug up.

Sayua was able to track them down easily to a small town and had gathered information from people (who she snapped at few times from them taking too long to answer her) from where the thief seemed to be located. When she found them, it seemed like she had found them also having an illegal pawning business where they basically stole whatever they could from people, sell it off, and run before cops are notified. Needless to say, she was going to give them hell for disrupting her peace and interrupting her parents’ eternal peace.When she came out with a few wounds, bruises and only a fractured arm, as well as the criminals being taken away, Sayua was approached by a man with a white top hat that was very interested in her deed. Personality: She’s a very strong-willed woman with a fiery temper, while also taking absolutely no shit from anyone. if you ever tell her that her short temper and snappy behavior is from being alone in a forest for so many years, she’ll tell you it’s not, while also holding a sickle to your throat. Despite her behavior, she also is a natural leader and will often take the lead or make the first move. 

She also tends to be very indifferent to what your status is and what you have down. So, it’s pretty hard to intimidate her, but she does have her limits. just hardly ever shows them. Don’t expect her to be terrified of people like Demencia or Flug because the moment they breathe to even say one sentence, Sayua will yell, “HOLY SHIT! JUST KILL ME ALREADY!” …She’s impatient.

Despite all these “negatives”, she does have a soft spot that she shows from time-to-time and will often try to inspire younger heroes to work harder to be their best. …Does telling people that they will die if they don’t man up count as inspiration? Also, she may or may not be asexual. She just says that she would rather not figure out how snakes have sex. That and Lucius doesn’t make it any better with all the sex jokes he makes.

~~~

Lucius Wickes/Heartbreaker/Reaper (created by @skribblie) Age: 25 Height: 5 foot 8 Job: Hero for hire/Womanizer Species: Incubus Background: Lucius did live a pretty normal-ish life with his dad being a former demon from Hell that was one of Satan’s warriors, banishing all those that dare get in his way, and his mom being an accountant. He was raised and born in New Orleans, where his dad retired and met his mom. Lucius also met his ex-fiancee, Maria (yes, I know that Metauro’s ex-wife is named Maria. I made these backgrounds a long time ago…I am not changing anything). The two hit it off very quickly, due to Maria being immune to his passive infatuation ability and being more into just him, which he found absolutely incredible. He hadn’t really met anyone that wasn’t into him for simply being an incubus. Plus, Maria was also really into the supernatural, so that was something that put him at ease.

The two ended up leaving out of New Orleans to a smaller town that wasn’t even really on the map. Maria wanted to go there because she had always wanted to live a small, simple life and Lucius wanted to go there to propose. Unfortunately, neither got what they wanted.

Lucius refuses to say what all exactly happened, being vague on purpose to seem guiltier, except that her death was on his hands and that Maria’s last words were: “It’s not your fault.” …A man with a white hat also found him covered in blood, in the middle of a city that was littered with bodies, and had a thousand mile stare in his eyes. The only thing that made him snap out of it was of the man promising that he will make him atone for his sins. Personality: Lucius is a quick-witted smartass that really knows how to and when to get on somebody’s nerves. He has an extreme ego and isn’t afraid to boast about his best qualities He always looks for any opportunity to make an explicit joke or even to seduce someone. He will fervently deny that it’s some kind of self-medication and just say that it’s the price of being a demon. He also loves to play around or mess with people in any way that he can, even if it means that they may want to punch or kill him afterwards.

He’s the kind of guy that likes to cheat death or toe the line of danger, whatever gets his adrenaline pumping and unleashes a bit of the sleeping hellish beast within him. Whether that be through sex or even a bit murder, he’s all up for it. His preferred weapon is a hatchet or an axe.

Lucius can also barely control his demonic side and often keeps it under wraps. The only time he uses it is when in an emergency or when they both have a common end goal, which rarely happens. White Hat must be present when his demon side is let loose or else he’ll lose control fairly quickly and go on a rampage.

Lucius also often attends bars and even will be a bartender or even put on a show for the people. Anyone of any gender or configuartion loves him and loves them for helping him forget how much he hates himself.

~~~

Mari Belmont/The Marionettist (created by a friend and @redmoondragon-art) Age: 16 Height: 5 foot Job: Assassin for hire/Student Background: Mari was born without any powers or anything really all that unique. However, her father was researching a way to genetically engineer a hero. He didn’t really have any other test subjects, but Mari, who was 5 years old at the time, had volunteered to help him. Mari’s mom was against her helping her father, but after a long argument, she realized that she wasn’t going to win. So, she just only wished for her to be closely monitored and safe. There isn’t much to her background, since she’s so young, but the process to become what she is now was very long and grueling. She often remembers times waking up in the middle of the night in her test tube, almost drowning. Personality: Despite her age, Mari often is the mother of any group that she’s a part of. Always making sure that everyone is ready and taken care. She also had taken dancing and aerial silks lessons when she was around 10. It was just something that she always found interesting and graceful. Mari also loves any activity that requires any bit of creativity or using her hands.

Her powers also allows her use her strings like a tightrope, aerial silks (without even hurting herself), and that she can swing on. Not only that, but she also can use them to control peoples’ minds and make them like her puppet, which she often just makes them kill themselves with whatever is nearby. 

She also is extremely playful and hyperactive. She will also defend the actions of her parents, especially to those that dare pretend they know better. She also attends White Hat hero academy whenever she has free-time. ..What do you mean you have to register?

~~~

Panna “Pan” Ward/Pandora (created by @lightpudding) Age: 10-12 Height: 4 foot 4 Job: Freelance hero Background: Pan was very sick when she was born, an illness that attacked at her throat. Luckily, she was saved, but it cost her her vocal chords, rendering her mute, excluding a few small, quiet noises. Her parents were pretty kept in the shadows, even keeping some of their life away from Pan. All that is known that they were into the dark magic and even, rumored, satanism.However, they made sure that Pan was given as much care and love that she deserved, even home-schooling her and teaching her a bit of sign language.

Unfortunately. Pan only knew her parents for 9 years, due to a random attack that happened in her house. She had no idea what was happening because her parents hid her away in a closet. When everything had quieted down, she found her house completely in ruins and her parents dead bodies. She also found a jack-in-the-box near their bodies that was latched shut with a note, reading, “Take this and defend yourself. You’re the new Pandora.”

Pan wasn’t afraid of the demons that lurked within, especially if it meant that they could help avenge her parents’ death.  Personality: Pandora makes sure that everyone is okay before herself. It can even just be a random villain that she’s fighting. She’ll always come up to them with a small first-aid kit that she keeps in her box and makes sure they’re okay to go home. Although, a bandaid in a large, gaping hole in someone’s stomach may not help all that much. They still appreciate it though.

Her favorite demon in the toy box is a large creature that has hundreds of eyes all over his body, gnashing mouths, large, skin-tearing claws, and deep, timber voice that shakes the very ground. He has caused many deaths, made Satan himself even tremble in fear, created many widows, and has devastated thousands of armies. …Pan named him Lord Fluffybottom. He takes that name with great pride.

Pandora loves learning anything new and often will not ask for help, even if she’s too short to reach for something or has a hard time understanding. Pan also realizes that she is pretty much useless without her jack-in-the-box, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to help or fight, even if her hits amount to nothing. Luckily, not many people are willing to fight a defenseless child, even if she does take that as an insult.

Pan created the dress herself as a way to remember her parents, since it’s made from several pieces of fabric from their and her clothes. Not only that, but she doesn’t live in one place for too long and often moves from place-to-place. ~~~ I have more OCs, but they don’t have images and this going on for a bit long. I may make a part two. I hope that you guys like them and sorry if their stories may be edgy.

[comicteaparty]

March 2nd-March 8th, 2020 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from March 2nd, 2020 to March 8th, 2020.  The chat focused on VALERIE by Rebecca Reynolds.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on VALERIE by Rebecca Reynolds~! (https://valerie-comic.com/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace until March 8th, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Discussions are freeform, but we do offer discussion prompts in the pins for those who’d like to have them. Additionally, remember that while constructive criticism is allowed, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic! Whether you finish the comic or can only read a few pages, everyone is welcome to join and chat with us!

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 1

1. What did you like about the beginning of the comic?

2. What has been your favorite moment in the comic (so far)?

3. Who is your favorite character?

4. Which characters do like seeing interact the most?

5. What is something you like about the art? If you have a favorite illustration, please share it!

6. What is a theme you like that the comic explores?

7. What do you like about the comic’s story or overall related content?

8. Overall, what do you think the comic’s strengths are?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

I've read this comic before and recommend it! I'm gonna go reread it and catch up on the latest pages before I comment, but I wanted to pop in and say that other people should read it too first!

eli [a winged tale]

This is a beautiful comic and I read it all in one go. 1. I thought it was spooky! Great atmosphere and the characters are spunky. Love the dialogue. 2. Favourite moment is Valerie talking about her past. I thought it was very poignant. 3. I love both Gab and Valerie. They both feel so real and relatable. 4. ? 5. I love the colours and lighting! I’ll get a link later :3 6. I love the theme about taking time to find out what you want in life. Especially in the current state life feels like a rush to get to the finish, I think it’s important to take a moment to reorient ourselves. 7. Loved the tone and mood of the overall story. Really polished. 8. The pacing, characters and story were all lovely. I followed the creator on my social media and I can’t wait to see more works from Rebecca.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Oh, the comic finished since the last time I read it!

So refreshing and satisfying to read a completed, cohesive short story like this

4. Well, Gab and Val were the majority of the comic. So, them. Seeing someone just talk to a ghost like a normal person was very cool. Love that dynamic- a supernatural encounter that's not anything to be scared of.(edited)

5. The backgrounds look structured and solid, which makes the characters stand out because they're drawn so softly. They look 'blobby,' in a good way. They look light and airy.

This page with the glass and the mirrors made me stop for a second and go, 'damn that's cool'

https://valerie-comic.com/post/182899830167

I like how Valerie's outfit looks outdated.

I wonder if Valerie disappearing on that one page means that she passed on in that moment?

On critique is that I found it a bit strange that the font size got smaller when the characters got farther away. I had to keep zooming in and out

RebelVampire

I like the color choices in the beginning of the comic. They provide a great atmospheric backdrop for the conversation. Plus, I kind of like that the story starts off with a transition from day to night, as it kind of gives off that feeling like you know something is about to change and really gives you expectations for something significant is gonna happen to Gab. As for favorite overall moment, I probably like the end where Gab and Valerie have to say good bye. There's just some beautiful emotional expressions in that scene and you can taste Gab's reluctance to leave. And I just love how that scene had the emotional weight that was needed. As for favorite character, probably Valerie. I like how, despite the circumstances, Valerie just kind of accepts them to a degree and makes the most of it in her own way. And I really admire characters who are able to do that since its a good showcase you dont have to let dire circumstances bring you down. In regards to characters interacting, I mean, I think for most it's gonna be Gab and Valerie. They do get the most screentime. And their relationship is pretty beautiful in the sense that even though it's fleeting, you can see how they help each other have a moment of respite and gain insight into themselves.

Something I like about the art is how its simultaneously clean and loose. Like the lines themselves are very clean, perfect for details and just general stylization. And yet, they aren't perfect. Like some lines don't connect, etc. I think it's just a nice style that suits the tone of the comic. I like that the comic explores the idea of finding out what you want to do with your life while also exploring the idea that what we think we want to do sometimes winds up not being that. I think it's kind of something important thing to talk about - that plans change. And that things we like can stop bringing up happiness sometimes and that committing to one thing for your entire life is hard. So I really like that this comic shows this side of things, since I feel contemporary works are pretty saturated with characters who know exactly what they want to do. What I like about the comic's overall story is just kind of the healing aspect of it. Like this is the perfect kind of story to read when feeling lost, cause it shows that sometimes all you need to do is talk to someone. Even if it only helps a little, it still helps. For strengths, I actually think it's the the overall story structure. Short stories can be deceptively hard since you have limited space and time to convey something. But I think the story here is structured perfectly with its simplicity. Interesting, but not overly complicated where you need tons of exposition pages. It's just the right length that it comes off as a tight and strong story that gets its messages in and leaves you with a strong impact since this is the entirety of it, if that makes sense.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

i agree with your thought about the comic capturing that feeling of a momentary meaningful interaction with a stranger you'll never see again

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 2

9. Why do you think Valerie is anchored to the mall and hasn’t passed on (assuming that’s possible)? What do you think will happen to Valerie if and when the mall is torn down?

10. Why do you think Gab of all people was able to see Valerie? How do you think both characters have changed from their brief encounter, if at all?

11. Do you think Gab will pursue photography after meeting Valerie, or will another path call Gab? Overall, what do you think the comic teaches us about career pursuits and how to find what makes us happy?

12. Thematically speaking, what role did Feebs and Casper play in Gab’s story in your opinion? How do you think these characters will be affected by the experience at the mall?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

9. maybe she just needed a chance to tell her story. She felt when she was alive that she wasn't living genuinely, right?

snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights)

This was a fun, short read! I'm very interested by the parallels between Gab and Valerie. Like, Valerie was pushed into a career she didn't want to, then ran away and ended up killed. So... what does that tell us about Gab? She was pursuing photography, but ran away. But, it seems like something she was really passionate about and pushed out of, rather something she was dispassionate about and was pushed into. So... what does Gab learn from this experience? It's very interesting.

eli [a winged tale]

I agree with Eightfish. Valerie mentioned only a select few can see her. I think she wanted to share her story and feel like there was a purpose for her being there

RebelVampire

@snuffysam (Super Galaxy Knights) I really like the differences between Gab and Valerie, as I think you're right. Their experiences with their career are quite a bit different, even if it resulted in the same feeling of being lost.

I think Valeria is anchored to the mall, cause ya know, murder. Most ghost lore holds that it's people with extremely regrets and/or people who met extremely horrific ends. And I'm pretty sure Valerie hits both of those. I'd like to believe Valerie will move on once the mall is torn down, but ghost lore so...she'll probably get to haunt whatever is built on top of it. Hopefully it'll be a starbucks. As for why Gab was able to see Valerie, I think it has to do with the fact they both have similar emotional circumstances of being lost. And I think that emotional connection bridged the afterlife to living gap. Gab might have also just been more open to the experience, as people who tend to be skeptical of the supernatural don't often see it. As for how they changed, I think Gab definitely got some insight into how to continue forward. Whereas I think Valerie was probably given some hope that even as a ghost, there can be purpose. Something like that.

I think Gab will eventually pursue photography, but I also feel like Gab might try other things first. Like take some pottery classes. Cause even if she aims for photography, trying new things helps ppl out of creative ruts which I'm willing to guess Gab is in. As for the overall message here, I think the comic shows that being happy is hard, careers are hard, everyone is lost on the inside, and that as we age, things we used to like we might no longer like.

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

Can I just say that I really liked the names in this comic

Eightfish (Puppeteer)

"Valerie Williams"

It sounds so rhythmic, like a celebrity's name

keii’ii (Heart of Keol)

That was a really good read. My takeaway message is, "you're not alone, even if those around you (like the two friends) don't seem to get you." Maybe your friends understand more than they seem, or maybe you'll find your connection in an unexpected time and place like Gab and Valerie did.

Comic Tea Party

DISCUSSION PROMPTS – PART 3

13. What are you most looking forward to seeing in regards to the comic?

14. Any final words of encouragement for the comic?

Don’t feel inspired by the prompts? Feel free to discuss anything else that interested you!

RebelVampire

So I needed extra time to consider Feebs and Caspar's role, and I think that thematically that sort of represent a disconnect. Like of coruse Gab still likes them and they're her friends. But sometimes we can't talk to the ppl close to us about certain things. Sometimes because they wouldn't understand, or sometimes just because it's embarassing. However, I think at the same time at the end that they help ground Gab back to reality and give Gab a sort of safe space to continue to work on her new insights. As for how they'll be effected...probably not at all cause I think the point is how they effect Gab. Anyway, all in all this was a well-structured short story with a very tight narrative, very nice art, and just really I have nothing bad to say about it.

Comic Tea Party

BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about VALERIE this week! Please also give a special thank you to Rebecca Reynolds for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked VALERIE, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://valerie-comic.com/%3E

Rebecca’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/brobexx

Rebecca’s Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/rebeccareynolds

Rebecca’s Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ie/shop/brobexx

Rebecca’s Gumborad Page: https://gumroad.com/rebeccareynolds

Rebecca’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/brobexx

[normal-thoughts-official]

when do you think magnus first started wearing makeup?

GREAT QUESTION ANON i hope you know that i would die for you

i think magnus developed most of his fashion sense (and use of it as a form of expression) when he went to England. I mean before that he was with asmodeus doing fuck knows what and i dont think he was encouraging magnus to do a lot of self expression lol. i mean he wanted to keep Magnus on a leash, so he would be close to him and obey him and asmodeus would become King of Edom and yada yada yada evil plan, you get it. so i think before england magnus wore, i dont fucking know, black robes or something.

but then!!!!! he yeeted asmodeus back into edom because hes a king and decided to live his own life, and fucked off to England because??? unclear. im gonna go ahead and headcanon it was because of ragnor, whom he met while he was still under asmodeus’ abuse and who helped him get away from his chains, because i do what i want. anyway. for a while, life was all about trying to unlearn whatever asmodeus had been telling him about his nature and his purpose in life and figuring out who he really was and what he really wanted, because it be like that post-abuse (also lets not forget there was the abuse from his stepfather and the traumatic relationship with his mother). so it makes sense that Magnus would experiment with clothing and makeup at that time, because that’s how you express yourself to the world, its part of identity-building and it also works as an armour of sorts - Magnus dresses to look elegant, powerful and put-together, approachable but never vulnerable. this use of clothing as armour is pretty much canon, too - when he was struggling after the whole bodyswap plotline, the first thing he did was change clothes and makeup, to look happier, whole-er. Fashion, to Magnus, is self-expression, while simultaneously being a way of protection (and to some extent, hiding); hes trying not to be ashamed of who he is, to own it, to allow himself to be and not be confined by anyone else’s expectations, but hes also trying to protect himself from others, because when he was at his lowest point, his vulnerability was weaponized to manipulate him, and he doesnt want that to happen again. and then he meets Camille and it does! haha! im fine

i think that interpretation that England was the defining point for Magnus’ fashion sense is also supported by, well, his style in general. while the asian influence in his clothing is present - with the abundance of silk and the longer shirts that resemble some of indonesian traditional clothing, not to mention the brocade patterns - i think its surprisingly western? with the pants, the vests (which are very english), a lot of the military-style clothing, the makeup itself which is 100% western style… i think his influence was mostly British. but, obviously, he would want to reflect his origins and cultural upbringing as an indonesian man into his clothing - there was quite an asian community in England at that time and also he had his memories from his time in indonesia. we also cant forget that asian fabrics and style were kind of hot in Europe at that time and also influenced their fashion as a whole, and also that when magnus was born the dutch were already settled in indonesia and therefore the clothing style was (forcibly) changing to conform to european beauty standarts, so theres all of that.

as for the makeup - yes i do remember the question was about makeup im sorry i get cARriED AwaY - it was actually pretty common for men to wear makeup in both Indonesia and England up to the 20th century, so this wasn’t really, like, scandalous or anything. men wore makeup, no biggie. although i do believe that Magnus got his products from Asia, because 1- theres no way Magnus would wear that white powder bullshit that the english did, that’s disgusting; 2- its more suited to his skin tone anyway; 3- to the surprise of absolutely no one, the english sucked, and their makeup was very bad for both the skin and health as a whole. literally when i looked up makeup in the 18th century for this ask the first thing that came up was an article on how europeans were dying left and right and going bald due to lead poisoning caused by their makeup????? and they knew it was the makeup but they just. didnt do anything about it, i guess. and then died. which sounds about right

so yeah anyway Magnus is not an idiot, knows his natural products (hes a warlock!), and was born in indonesia where he knew for a fact makeup wasnt killing ppl and making them bald so theres no way he was using the english stuff. he either made it himself - which is actually pretty likely, now that i think about it. he brews his own shampoo - or he got them from Asia, which was only a portal away anyway (im saying Asia but i know, obviously, that there are thousands of different cultures in Asia and just indonesia speaks over 700 different languages. however, from my research on this, the asians had been trading makeup, fabric and other beauty products amongst themselves for centuries before the europeans even knew they existed. so i think its safe to say that there are products from all over the continent in both magnus’ collection and in each culture’s traditional use of makeup). But i like the idea of Magnus making his own stuff because that is great, beautiful, i love Magnus creating stuff and mixing potions and making his shit, hes such a genius and hes so creative and this seems to me like a space where he can be as free and wild as he wants, not to mention its something he can use to help people, but when he brews his shampoo and makeup its something that he does for himself and Magnus doesnt do a lot of stuff for himself. so yeah, im gonna go ahead and say Magnus makes his makeup. god what a time to be alive im so thankful i got this ask

and then around the second half of the 18th century the english suddenly decided that makeup wasnt for men actually and that men shouldn’t wear colorful clothing, only boring ass suits and no corsets, and Magnus was like “lmao! sure jan” because, like i said, clothing and makeup are an important part of his identity, might even be some sort of foundantion that keeps him balanced - he gets to choose what he does and what he looks like and what he wants the world to think of him when they see him, instead of being defined by what other people are saying about himself. it helps him feel secure and free from his abuse and like he has a grip on himself. so he’ll be damned if the hottest random gender binary rule of the west is gonna stop him from wearing what he wants, fuck you. this is the one thing in magnus’ life that is about him, not about penitence, not about proving himself, not about helping others, but about him and who he is, and he cant give that up

[jjbablocklistcallouts]

The Blocklist: A essay (this is very long)

I know everyones sick of it at this point but I got shit to say so feel free to not read this absolute unit of a poorly written essay. The jjbablocklist divided their list into two different list now. One for creators and one for consumers/rebloggers and I cannot stress enough about how dumb that is since it shouldve been done since the beggining. Also, following alot of these artist and “consumers” of these medias, I noticed some of them are falsely accused, others while being minors. here’s why:

1. A lot of teens and young adults in the community like ships like GioMis, FuMis, NaraGio, MisTrish and plenty more and I know your singular shared braincell cannot handle the idea of 2-3 year age gaps not being pedophilia, but uh, newsflash for ya, THEY AINT. Legally, it is not a crime and that in america where the age of consent is 18, not in Italy where its 15 and not in Japan where its even less. Under the general United States Law, which is where I assume the list makers/defenders are mostly from, these ships are not classified as pedophilia or should be problematic and the ages of consent change to lower ages depending on state. The only way you can add these shippers for their “crimes” is if they promoted or created the interactions of these characters in a sexual or intimate manner whether they are aged up or not, which is still wack if their age is above that of the age of consent in writing/art and the fact that minors, in this case teenagers with the VA cast, are allowed to express themselves with people of their own age group in a sexual manner, real life kids do it all the time amongst themselves so why shouldnt people be able to create it, the whole ordeal is ridiculous imo BUT I can see how it makes a lot of people uncomfortable, a lot of it makes me uncomfortable too so we gotta make compromises somehow so absolutely no lewding the mafia lolis/ jojo lolis in general and if you do, tag it properly so it doesnt spread onto the basic hastags of characters and the show. If you dont you on the list.

2. Claim genderswapping/r63 is transphobic all you want but until I see clear and definitive proof of it being purposely made for that purpose then it’s absolutely ok. If someone makes it to offend someone then its wrong and they should be called out for it (which has never been the case in this fanbase as far as I cant tell) It’s creative, it allows people create new desings for characters or adjust current ones for cosplayers or other artist. Im sure one of your mods can relate, since the do the exact same thing as we do while not addressing a certaint character properly by their canon pronouns. Genderbending does not promote the attack or harrasement of the trans community and that is a fact unless its done by actual problematic artist like Sh*dbase and others, which is still a stretch because I dont think they’ve done it to target people or make fun of them but they are the popular problem icons. So get the actual transphobes on the list, aka those who created the content specifically to harras a specific person, or remove the catergory entirely. Its unnecessary and hypocritical.

— The rest of these are just things that bother a lot of people in the community so if you only cared about minors being on the list then you dont have to continue reading. —

Tumblr is infamously known to be a shitshow of a site where all you can find is problematic content. If you dont like this kind of content, why the hell are you here in the first place? There’s a lot of safer websites to use where like instagram, twitter, amino, facebook, and more. They have actual filters unlike tumblr and finding content you dont like is a lot harder unless you are purposefully looking for it, and even then it could be a challenge due to shadow bans or privatized accounts. Tumblr has none of that, everyone knows it, all of those who dont like it try to stay away from it or use it very scarcely. Why do you think that most of these “problematic” artist/creators/consumers are here? Tumblr has always been its own weird realm, trying to make it anything else goes against what it stand for.

You’re crimes make are literal nonsense sometimes because you include such obvious personal attacks like “Made a literal essay defending GioMis” and “All kinds of awful stuff” as crimes. You added a few account because they message you about how ridiculous the whole ordeal is and you take to findind the slightest bit of “evidence” that can aid you into making them look bad. You know thats not a good reason right?? Even if it were, yall are even more guilty for committing acts of Liable and Defamation and you are choosing to for those you incorrectly put on the list, invluding the minors! Let alone hypocrisy but yall are tired of hearing that one.

Dont add other fandoms into this mess. The Hetalia fandom has been dead for more than 5 years and it aint none of your buisness. It has nothing to do with Jojo. Unless you plan on making more blocklist for ALL fandoms then, goodluck, though make em better.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is a wonderful and yet problematic series, guess who’s fault it is... its Araki’s. Created a hilarious nazi character, nah its the fanbases fault for roleplaying such a funny character. Pedophilia and rape represented in Jojo and not treated seriously, nah its the fandoms fault for romanticizing it. Homophobia as character traits and degradation of women in Jojo, pfft nah f a n d o m s f a u l t for painting such “false” representations of the characters. Ah, but yall wont drop Jojo cuz that kid your trying to control media for wont drop it either. It is not your responsibility to create a childproof community when the show already has heavy themes. Its their caretakers/parents or the childs own responsibility.

I despise the argument “well Jojo is a 17+ only show so no kids allowed!” you might be right, but has that really ever stopped kids from doing anything?? It does the opposite, it creates a sense of overwhelming curiosity which leads to venturing unkown territory which they may or may not end up enjoying. The problem lies wether young teens are mature enough to watch it or not and judging by this whole fiasco, alot of the people, teens and adults, involved are not.

YOU ARE NOT JUDGE JURY AND EXECUTIONER AND YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO POLICE A MEDIA YOU DO NOT OWN OR TAKE RESPONSIBILITY INTO DOING IT FOR SOMEONE ELSE

I will give you this guys this, theres a few artist and creators that do belong there, very few as far as I could see and read into and some are missing since they are mostly on twitter instead of tumblr. But hey, I managed to find like 12 accounts that I probably wouldn’t like seeing the content of, and I found a lot of good accounts too. A hell of a lot more.

I know Im harsh and a total loser but y’all really gotta do some damage control and think ahead. Merely ignoring the fact that your movement cause a floodwave of hatred, deaththreats and suicide baiting is disgusting, adress it properly, dont condone it. Cuz Im yall wouldnt like 200+ messages of “Kill yourself you of lowlife degenerate. I dont like your the disgusting trash you like so I hope you rot in hell for the rest of your life” It isnt fun, a lot of people have received these, some are even worse and a lot dont even deserve it.

Run the list correctly, its a good idea, it could’ve been handled way better than this and you guys know it. This would’ve been great for 14 year old me not stumbling onto a lot of problematic ships when I first looked up Jojo and it can help many children in the community in the future, but you are ruiling out a majority of the fanbase with such vague and pointless rules as regular shipping and creative freedom. You are demonizing people who like basic shipping and different character desings, and that’ll scare them because they dont want tobe hated for something they like. Because a few biased opinions decided to rule out that what the kids liked is morally wrong and irredeemable. Cuz thats all I can see on the list with the exception of maybe a 12 people on the list. Thats all the rest of the JJBA community sees.

[thenextchapterbegins]

A trip down nostalgia

so back in the day there was like things out there for rping aka rule pages..i remeber along time ago i read an orginal character rulebook and it said “you cant have powerful ocs” which ive broken that rule a few times. So i decided to find one of these old “universal rping rules” pages and go through em and see how theyve changed

GENERAL RULES 1: When you are talking out of RP text, use "(( ))" to indicate such 

i particually like this one because it shows how dated it is..like most rping sites have instant message systems 

2: When you are talking with only one character in the same area, you should not skip any lines; if you are talking with more than on character area, then you must separate them by skipping a line after the action and text of the first character, then starting the same thing for the next character [Note: this only applies if both characters are interacting with the same character(s); if they are in the same topic, but different areas of the topic, they must be posted in different comments.] 

i dont actually know what this rule is implying is it implying you cant skip topics and have to stay on track or simply if another person joins that person cant interject? 

3: Any speech MUST be indicated with quotation marks and actions should be indicated by "* *", but that is optional 

This is a fun rule too because of nowndays there are two styles of rping

script and para. i don't know if this rule is insitating there was a time were para/script was the same thing or used in the same way. GLOBAL RULES 1: You cannot skip between different RP storylines i can only assume this was a rule before multithreading was a thing but weve broken this rule.

2: You cannot skip between different time frames also this one weve broken 3: You cannot declare your character(s) to know someone without permission from the other person(s) this is a rule thats still followed albeit with the expectation that your muse is omniscience or all knowning or whatever  4: You cannot declare your character(s) to share history or a background with another character(s) without permission from the other person(s) man there was a day and age were we didnt write giant paragraphs of agnst? and just did “and then they shared their past” ENTRY RULES 1: You cannot make another person(s) notice something; you have to let them notice it themselves i dont think anyone follows this rule. 2: You cannot appear in-between or near other characters unless approved by the other person(s) and allowed to do so (usually for battles or something) i think with this one i can only assume battles were more careful..i think nowndays if you fight a more powerful character that can appear next to yours and your character cant it sorta just happens.  3: You cannot be dramatic, it MUST be a subtle entry (ie: no big flashes into the area, bothering other characters; no screaming; no making other objects fly around when you entry, bothering other characters, etc.) [Note: exceptions are allowed if approved by the other person(s) if you are in a battle or something, but it must still be kept in moderation.] HAHAHAHAHHA 4: You cannot move or come into contact with another character(s) when you enter AHAHAHAHAH -louder laughing-  SOCIAL RULES 1: You cannot control the conversation or be the center of attention i suppose this is true for like group rping but one on one i dont see how this could really happen. 2: You cannot interrupt someone else's conversations (unless permitted by the other person(s)) again in group rping i can see this happening but not for like one on one. 3: You cannot make person say something, nor may you tell them to say something outside of RP chat (your character may tell them to say something in RP chat, but they are allowed to refuse)   this one is... idk ive had times were someone comes into my ims and there like “i need help with ideas so i can reply” or “i dont quite know what to say next” and you discuss and plot this rule seems overly strict and just strange.

4: You cannot relate to someone else's background or history without the consent of the other person(s)  fucking what?

BATTLE RULES 1: No godmodding (ie: being invincible, overpowered, etc.) i think over the ages godmodding went from “everything bad” to more speciifcally  godmodding=controlling my character without permission marysue=everything bad 2: No controlling other people read above 3: You CANNOT kill another person(s)'s character without their permission  yeh this is pretty universal still 4: You MUST allow the other person to CHOOSE to accept or avoid an attack [Note: there are some exceptions to this rule once you are familiar with the rules and the feel of RP battles, but you must still keep it in moderation; it cannot be a big attack (ie: cutting someone's head off, stabbing their heart or lungs, etc.) and you must allow the other person(s) to do the same.] this is pretty universal as well expect with the two expections of 1. you planned the battle in im beforehand 2. your muse is significantly weaker then the one your facing.  like if your a god and im a human im probably going to get rekted 5: You CANNOT say where a character(s) got hit, nor how they took damage, they became crippled, they lost a limb, etc.) [Note: again, there are exceptions to this rule, as well; following the same exceptions as rules #4 and #6 again 1. above sorta explains this but this is mostly true 6: You may ONLY make ONE attack at a time, still following rule #4 [Note: again, there are exceptions to this rule once you are familiar with the rules and the feel of RP battles, but you must still keep it in moderation; you cannot go into a frenzy (attacks that count over 5 in this case) and you must allow the other person(s) to do the same.] i think overall rping battles has become easier to write with maybe before rping battles was a new thing and harder to do? 7: You may not make any moves without giving the other person(s) a chance to do something (this includes running away, teleporting (not blinking), summoning things, banishing the person(s) (and it must be approved by the person(s), etc.) again power differences are a major play in things like this. a master can beat a novice without taking damage, a master swordsman could beat bandits with no issue, etc etc etc 8: You MUST take damage at some point yes and no again as i said above however i always make it point that if your character is creative and can whatever skill they have to their advantage its always possible that your muse can do damage to mine and i can do damage to yours however as above its incredibly situational

thank you for listening to a random ass post.

i can only assume from loooking at this people in the past were careful and nowndays rping is

smashing into someones ims going “yo bitch lets fucking rping AHHH”

[trashbinbackyard]

40-50 for kasia, trias n lilith?

If i time this right this will be the first thing you see on your dash

40. Do they like energy drinks? Coffee? Sugary food? Or can they naturally stay awake and alert?

You mean breakfast? Its three cups black coffee, softened by three cans of 5-hour energy. She has no problem staying up, this is just something she wasnt allowed to ingest while working as assassin

Coffee sure, one cup max, rest of the day it’s tea mostly. Not big on sweets but will share a milkshake with bailey.

She has this specific tea she drinks in the morning to get her up and going. Much stronger than human teas. It helps her focus and get the day started with routine

41. What’s their sexuality? What do they find attractive? Physically and mentally? What do they like/need in a relationship?

Pansexual demiromantic. If you’re interesting she’s most likely into you. She’s not that specific about physical stuff, but mentally, you gotta have a sense of mystery and fun. Has no fucking idea what she could possibly want from a relationship bc she’s not really emotionally mature

Pansexual through and through. They’re physically into someone who’s pretty much the polar opposite and has confidence about it. Mentally, people who are artistic (music, dance, art, sewing, woodworkinh,doesn’t matter) they’re super into creative types, fun and relaxed earns bonus

Aro ace, also pretty sex repulsed.

42. What are their goals? What would they sacrifice anything for? What is their secret ambition?

She wants to prove herself, and become a good person. She killed and would die for krea at this point, help get justice served

Get a stable job? Check. Get married? In progress. There’s not really anything they’d sacrifice Everything for, they believe in compromice. When the baby fever hit they were ready to talk themselves out of it if bailey wouldn’t be on board

Grow her name on this part of the galaxy, gain influence around the citadel and the black market. Right now she’s content working for mhairi, but she’d like to grow her status to be working With mhairi

43. Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non religious people?

Not really. Terenlasi are raised atheistic. She’s not that knowledgable about religion. But doesn’t condem it eitheir. If that’s what brings some people comfort, good for them

A little, they were raised orthodox but consider themselves agnostic, as they dont really lean into the spiritual stuff. Appreciates the community tho

Her people have few traditions and since she’s far from home she’s keen on keeping those. Not too religious, but a bit spiritual. She does her own thing and lets other people do theirs. Her religion is none of anyone’s business and neither are other’s hers

44. What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most?

She likes a nice dry heat , she’s pretty much a walking cooler. So she outperforms in hot weather rather than in cool. Wont complain, whatever weather she has to endure is better than the dull lurking in citadel she did

They like spring the best, not too cool not too hot, all the flowers are blooming and they can slowly bust out their summer looks. Wille whine and moan during summer, someone help them

She likes warm and humid, much like nedians, although she doesn’t freeze up in cold weather. During unfortunate seasons she just stays in space, problem solved

45. How do other people see them? Is it similar to how they see themselves?

Criminal, traitor, turncoat, and she has earned it, she’s not denying it. But she beats herself more than any judging pair of eyes can ever. She has learned a new emotion! Guilt! Not fun! She feels pretty worthless after causing a ton of misery

People probably look at them and be like ”yeah, you do you boo” or be obnoxious like ”did all those piercing huuuuurt”. They like how they look, really, it was hard road recovering from ed but worth it

Tall lady, huge, wow, mhairi impersonator but skinnier. Bc you know, tall white fish species. Please dont compare two bad bitches to each other. She’s her own person, even though the social circle is causing her an identity crisis

46. Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves?

The most of her first impression are her falling chaotically onto the street. Not that good. Her opening her mouth doesn’t improve the situation one bit. She’s the prisoner of her bad social skills

They’re bubbly, they’re giddy, they’re happy to meet new people.

She’s stern and professional, she’s confident and demanding of respect. Keeping the tone neutral as not to give away too much about herself, she’s got years of experience

47. How do they act in a formal occasion? What do they think of black tie wear? Do they enjoy fancy parties and love to chit chat or loathe the whole event?

They were never invited to parties. Not her fault. Assassins just weren’t. She has no idea what tf is going on. For once she’d be quiet and standing on the corner looking like an idiot

Oh they love the fancyness. Not for themselves, but it is an aesthetic. But they like smaller cocktail parties of just hanging around

She’s well familiar with big fancy parties, making connections easily and scanning the room. She quite enjoys them

48. Do they enjoy any parties? If so what kind? Do they organise the party or just turn up? How do they act? What if they didn’t want to go but were dragged along by a friend?

Turn up at local nightclubs, that’s the place she can let loose without looking like total dimwit

They like parties and mingling but have their limit, by 9 pm they’re heading home already, they know what they’re comfortable with

She always turns up in big events. With the crew of valac even if they’re not invited, they got a cover

49. What is their most valued object? Are they sentimental? Is there something they have to take everywhere with them?

Krea’s cloak he gave her, everything else may burn in a fire and it wouldn’t matter

The piercings and tattoos are enough, they hold value to them and tell a part of her recovering story

Her parents were dear to her, still are (they aint dead dw). She had a little charm she sometimes uses as a necklace from them

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

Cloak, at least 8 knives (who knows maybe she’ll need more), a clean set of clothes, personal hygiene stuff

Few sets of clean clothes, personal hygiene + makeup, sketchbook and pencilcase, a book

Clean clothes hygiene all that jazz. Tracker, gun, knife,

[thekingofwinterblog]

My hero academia 213 How to Destroy Potential

My hero academia Chapter 213 has to put it bluntely, been controversial to say the least. the only reason its not the most controversial part of this series, is due to the handling of endeavor.

some are okay with it, and thinks it’s got a lot of potential. others just see it as a blatant rethreading of the road that in the end destroyed Both Bleach and Naruto, two series that at their height was the cream of the crop of not only shonen, but the entire manga medium(at least if one goes by sales numbers), but as the story went on, completely fell in over themselves, and abandoned the things fans loved about the series. In the End fans of bleach got so fed up with the series, that it got canceled in the middle of its final fight. one does not get a more humiliating fall than that.

and now, MHA is seemingly going down the same road. that road of course, being powerscaling.

Powerscaling is a very tricky buisiness, as for any series with superpowers, you will at some point have to establish a hierarcy, of who is at the bottom, the middle, and easily the most important one, at the top.

How strong characters can be in a setting, is immensely important, because that one simple question, determines how strong/usefull any character not at the very top can be in the grand scheme of things.

it is also very important to put a ceiling on how strong a character can become, lest the need for characters to always get stronger and stronger, means that they will reach a point where the only thing that matters anymore is brute strength.

naruto at the end of its series, had essentially destroyed itself due to the fact that its main characters were now so powerfull, that literarly everyone else was worthless in comparison.

bleach went the opposite route, with a villain that was so broken and powerfull, that there was no way his defeat was EVER going to be satisfying, and in the end people didnt care anymore, once the end was reached, and it was killed before its time.

In MHA’s case, the road so many people think its going down, is the road, of Naruto, with its protagonist Izuku Midoriya, gaining 6 entierly new powers, which for Many, Many reasons, threatens to break this story across its knee.

Now i will not go into wheter these powers were well foreshadowed. ive seen both arguments, with many being frustrated they come out of nowhere, while some saying its been foreshadowed since chapter 2.

What i want to focus on, are the powers themselves, and the implications they have on Izuku, and the entire rest of the cast.

Izuku midoriya, at the start of the series, obtained the quirk One for All, a quirk passed on through the generations, which seemingly only granted immense superhuman strength, and all that comes with that(speed, power, and to some extent durability).

for the past 200 chapters, we have explored the drawbacks and powers of this quirk. its unmatched sheer power, but also that its a quirk that one needs to master over time, and if the new user isnt given time to adapt to it, it will destroy the users limbs.

and this was not a for show flaw either. over the course of this series, izuku, again and again used the quirk freely in order to overcome his obstacles, and in the end, he damaged his arms with permanent nerve damage, with the promise that if it happened once or twice more, he would suffer full use of his arms.

in order to compensate for this, he did something you almost never see in any series. he completely ditched his original style of fighting in favor of one that had nothing to do with his old one, but allowed him to use his legs instead of his now damaged arms in order to minimize risk of further damage.

izukus entire journey was about achieving control, over a power he already had achieved, and in the end he was forced to completely rework his powers to achieve success.

then, after we got a full sense of what izuku could do at 100% power, izuku would go on to try and fix one of his main weaknesses, his lack of a ranged attack.

and using his own newfound grasp over his powers, and a bit of tech help, izuku did so, developing a quite usefull ranged attack.

Izuku at this point had reached around 20%/30% of his full power potential, and was really starting to come into his own.

then a completely new power emerged, and izuku was told by one of the previous users of one for all, that in no uncertain terms he would develop 6 entierly new quirks, and that this was the real true potenital of One for All.

This reveal completely redefined the entire series, izukus journey, the potential of EVERYONE ELSE, and how things would be going foreward.

Uncertainty---

Now the first defence against those who like the reveal, and doesnt think this makes izuku overpowered, is that we dont know what any of the new quirks are, other than Izuku’s new Black Whip.

and they are right. we dont know what they are. and thats a big problem.

Now whenever Izuku is in a bad spot, there will always be a chance that the stress will kick in and activate a new quirk, and turn the tide of battle.

it doesnt matter if this never, ever happens. the problem is that its something that we now know COULD happen, and thus it decreases any tension out of any fight izuku will ever have between now and when the final quirk is revealed. Thusly, izuku having these quirks have now dealt a mortal blow against any tension his fight may have had.

Now, to be fair, i want to show a case of this kinda trope done right to compare it to. Naruto and ichigos, kyuubi and hollow transformations before either of them mastered their transformations.

the reason why both of these worked, is that while there was always the possibility that they would just go loose and fix whatever was happening(which is exactly what happened in several cases) we the audience had an advantage we do not have with Izuku’s quirks. we knew what both the hollow powers and the kyuubi could do. while there was the obvious question of just how strong either of these could become before the MC just lost all control, we knew and understood what both these forms could do, and what would lead them to emerge.

we do not have this with izuku’s quirks. we dont know what any of them except Black Whip can do. as my buddy Quirkquartz put it, izuku might have a healing quirk thats powerfull enough to fix his arms and all injury ever. thats probably not gonna be the case, but then again, it could be. We DONT know.

how strong izukus quirks end up being is immaterial. as long as we dont know what any of these quirks are, there is always the chance that they will turn out to be something that will completely fix whatever the issue is at the moment.

and all the way from now and until we learn what the final revealed quirk is, that will be a massive problem.

Replacing other now obsolete characters---

One of the most obvious and blatant problems with giving izuku more quirks, is that it makes other characters irrelevant. ill go over the full problems with powerscaling later, but lets focus on the most obvious and blatant problem, as its actually a problem already.

the fact that izukus quirks will probably end up flat out just be other characters powers, just better.

and unlike other concerns about this reveal, this one has actually happened already.

Izuku’s black whip, is essentially the quirk of his fellow classmate Sero, just better in every way. and what that means is that any chance sero ever had of being relevant and unique just died.

One of the biggest problems of powercreep is when the only thing that matters is brute power, and the only thing that matters is who is the most powerfull guy on the team.

that is a legitimate concern of where this might all head, but there is another problem with powercreep when it comes to developing new powers.

flat out making characters obsolete.

what is the point of sero, now that izuku can do what he can do, just better? the answer is that there isnt any. Sero might as well have died, given that any potential he had to be somewhat unique just got destroyed by izuku getting a power which is his, just better.

to illustrate the importance of uniqueness, ill give an example of a character who is the weakest of his entire group, yet has one nitche that only he can do.

Usopp from one piece, is the weakest fighter of the entire strawhat pirates, bar none. yet he is also the sniper of the crew, and when it comes to long range situations, there simply arent anyone in the crew who comes even close to doing what he can do at that range.

this has lead to him being instrumental several times in the manga, saving the day, when no one else could, because even though there are plenty of enemies he just cannot beat, he is still a worthwhile character who can do stuff no one else can do.

Now, with the introduction of Black Whip, we will never see a similar situation for Sero. he’s irrelevant, and to put it bluntly, obsolete.

and there is a genuine fear that this will happen again when other quirks are introduced. whats there to say the next one wont be an explosion power, which is probably more powerfull than bakugous?

Making previous development meaningless---

like the previous point, this one is also a problem thats already happened. namely that the introduction of Black Whip, just made izukus previous development of a ranged attack pointless. maybe once izuku really gets a massive grip of OFA, and his ranged air attack become ridiculously powerfull, it will be relevant again, but at that point, he could just punch like all might and get the same effect.

which brings up the question. if the next devlopment is to master black whip, then what the hell was the point of izuku devloping a ranged attack?

again, there isnt any. ranged wind attack is now flat out overshadowed for its intended purpose, and will now be a niche ability.

Unnecesary Powers and lack of creativity---

And now we get to delve into the subject of the concept of the OP character, and wheter izuku qualifies or not.

one argument ive seen leveled over and over, is that izuku was always going to be overpowered, so giving him extra quirks isnt a problem in the grand scheme of thing. after all, he’s gonna be overpowered either way right?

which raises a question. wheter izuku actually is going to become overpowered or not(a question ill dive into in the next section), did he need more powers? what was wrong with his established set? was simple superhuman strength a power which simply didnt work in the long run?

There is some legitimate critisism on the subject, in that izukus fights for a long time, tended to end the same, unless it was a curbstomp. izuku would simply get angry and hit them really really hard, and often break his body in the process.

and there is some genuine problems there. many pf izukus fights were indeed like that. i would argue however, that this was a problem on Koheis part, rather than an inherited problems with OFA itself.

After all, there are plenty of moments where izuku uses his strength in order to win in other ways than just hitting people directly. izukus first fight with bakugou was won like that, and him saving himself, tsuyu and mineta on the boat was a great combination attack.

The big problem is that kohei has relied on enemies with direct power against izuku far too often.

Overhaul was building up to be a direct counter to that. a physically normal man, with ridiculous powers, that was more than a match for izuku. then he became a punching bag in order to demonstrate how strong izuku is at 100%

Gentle was similar, then at the very end, La Brava revealed her quirk to be one which powered gentle up drasticly, turning their fight into yet another power struggle(though addmitingly one which izuku won withouth destroying himself).

The big problem is that when it comes to izukus fights, kohei has lately relied far too mutch on hard hitters to fight izuku, rather than letting fights like izukus vs gentle or overhaul to reach a logical conclusion. instead coming back to the age old power struggle.

Yet he has proven over the series that he can write better than that, and in my opinion, the big problem is that he simply hasnt when its come to izukus fights.

and, now, lets go over the big subject, the one that defines this debate.

Powerscaling in all its messy glory----

The big, big question that is asked again and again with this devlopment, is, doesnt this make izuku OP as fuck? and often those who like the idea to redirect the question with replies like, and so what? he was always going to be OP, this changes nothing. or the tried and true, lets wait and see how Kohei writes it.

lets begin with the biggest question, was Izuku always going to be OP?

the answer is both Yes and no. he was always going to be OP in that his brute force was never going to be matched, thats true enough, and the entire series has been built upon that premise. however, that doesnt mean that izuku would be able to solve every single problem he would face on his own, nor that he could beat every single enemy he ever faced.

if you actually look at 1-a’s powerset, there is an obvious collection of flat out combat quirks(which makes sense given the entrance exam) but there is also a large variety of powers.

Acid, explosions, fire/ice, lasers, electricity, shadow, sound. these are all direct combat quirks, yet none of them are usefull for direct physical combat.

of the direct physical combat(and nothing else) fighters there are 6; tsuyu, kirishima, ojirou, tenya, shoji and sato.

now, lets look at these in full and see how they compare in potential for one for all.

Tsuyu, has superhuman strenght and agilty and a incredibly long and strong toungue. also has camouflage powers, which OFA does not have anything resembling, and can also climb on walls.

Kirishima, is superhumanly durable to an insane degree. how this compares to OFA durability at both of their heights is unknown, but it could consievably be more durable than a OFA user after kirishima has hammered it as far as it could go.

ojirou, has a tail. OFA is and always will be better.

Tenya, has ridiculously high speed, and at this current stage is FAR faster than izuku, and could possibly grow even faster. how a possible max speed would compare to AFO is unknown, but its completely possible that tenya would be the flash to izukus superman.

Shoji, has transformation powers, which is often used for direct combat but can also be used for other things like scouting by sound, leave behind dropped off body parts for distractions or decoys and probably other usefull things.

and finally sato, who grows superhumanly strong when he consumes sugar. his max strenght seems to be far inferior to izuku already at this stage.

so, out of the entire class, only two members had nothing to bring to the table which OFA could not do better in every way, no question.

does this mean that all of the quirks had the potential to reach OFA’s level? of course not, but that didnt mean they had to be useless.

after all, characters like sero could fill their own niche. oh wait.

the big problem with giving izuku even one more quirk(much less 6) is that suddenly he can do stuff that other characters can do, just much better. and this isnt something we speculate on. its already happened. Black whip is better than seros quirk in every way. the moment izuku gets any grip on black whip, sero serves no point.

which leads to the next point.

one argument against this being a terrible idea for the story as a whole, is that its not likely that izuku will have mastered these quirks right out of the gate. and that is true. it will probably take izuku as long a time to truely master black whip as it took to master his original powers. but that doesnt really matter, in the grand scheme of things. because wheter it takes a week, a month or a year, the end result remains the same. Black Whip will have made sero a completely obsolete character. there simply isnt any way around that. 

izuku will make more and more characters obsolete everytime he unlocks another quirk. wheter the next is mineta, jirou, kirishima or even todoroki and bakugou, each time it happens someone will become the new yamcha.

which leads me to the next point. there is no point of any other characters training to be the next number one hero, as this devlopment will have killed any shot todoroki or bakugou ever had of matching up to izuku in any way.

the bakugou/izuku rivalry is effectively over, as there isnt any way bakugou could even hope to measure up to izuku now.

it was a tall order with izuku only having one for all, but idd argue that its impossible now, that he’s got more than OFA.

Hell, even with just black whip, izukus potential is now so wast that it dwarfs any other. BW pretty mcuh removes all the few drawbacks of a fully mastered OFA, namely its lack of range beyond moving wind currents and bursts. izuku could potentially have been left helpless in the air open to counterattacks, even after fully having mastered OFA. with BW, that “pesky”weakness has now been removed.

the simple fact of the matter is that One for ALL was such a powerfull quirk that giving it ANY boost beyond its already established powers, had the severe risk of completely undermining every single other characters. 6 entierly new and probably all very powerfull quirks on top of it?

i simply cannot see any way that will be done well and these powers will benefit the story, even by an author who has done no wrong. and kohei is not one such.

this development is not a sudden sign that kohei is becoming a terrible writer. he’s been fucking up for a while now. 

He wasted all the potential of the overhaul arc, which had so much potential, that was flushed down the toilet, and he completely failed to make me(and many, MANY others) feel anything in regards to Endeavors “redemption” arc.

Kohei is capable of writing great stuff still, the festival arc was great, this recent arc has been wonderfull up until pretty recently, and ive loved so much of what has happened over the last year.

But he isnt a writer who makes no mistakes. and quite frankly, im tired of the argument that we should wait and see. i waited and saw during the overhaul arc. it did not have a finale that i particularly loved. i waited and saw during the endeavor arc. and again, i didnt get anything i wanted out of that conclusion, neither endeavor losing an eye, a real confrontation between endeavor and dabi, nor endeavors potential death, which is what i expected and wanted out of that arc.

im tired of waiting and seeing. this is a terrible and quite possibly a point of no return for MHA quality and potential, and im gonna call it out as such.