#some of these are probably more obvious than others but i think they're interesting. everything about this production is so good

[bumblingest-bee]

a non-exhaustive list of details about the broadway production of assassins that i only noticed recently:

after the balladeer burns a page out of booth's journal and tosses it on the ground, squeaky picks it up and reads it during the following scene

the shooting target silhouette banners for each assassin have the number of their president on them

moore is waving a tiny american flag during another national anthem 😭

the balladeer starts the show wearing a jacket but has it off by the ballad of czolgosz, almost like he's already slowly turning into oswald

after squeaky cuts her forehead during unworthy of your love, she appears with the scar on her face for the rest of the show

during the "what does a man do" speech czolgosz is changing the bandages on his hands and looking at the burns

[petermorwood]

More on pre-electricity lighting.

Interesting to see this one pop up again after nearly two years - courtesy of @dduane, too! :->

*****

After experiencing a couple more storm-related power cuts since my original post, as well as a couple of after-dark garden BBQs, I've come to the conclusion that C.J. Cherryh puts far too much emphasis on "how dark things were pre-electric light".

For one thing eyes adjust, dilating in dim light to gather whatever illumination is available. Okay, if there's none, there's none - but if there's some, human eyes can make use of it, some better or just faster than others. They're the ones with "good night vision".

Think, for instance, of how little you can see of your unlit bedroom just after you've turned off the lights, and how much more of it you can see if you wake up a couple of hours later.

There's also that business of feeling your way around, risking breaking your neck etc. People get used to their surroundings and, after a while, can feel their way around a familiar location even in total darkness with a fair amount of confidence.

Problems arise when Things Aren't Where They Should Be (or when New Things Arrive) and is when most trips, stumbles, hacked shins and stubbed toes happen, but usually - Lego bricks and upturned UK plugs aside - non-light domestic navigation is incident-free.

*****

Here are a couple of pics from one of those BBQs: one candle and a firepit early on, then the candle, firepit and an oil lamp much later, all much more obvious than DD's iPad screen.

Though I remain surprised at how well my phonecam was handling this low light, my own unassisted eyes were doing far better. For instance, that area between the table and the firepit wasn't such an impenetrable pool of darkness as it appears in the photo.

I see (hah!) no reason why those same Accustomed Eyes would have any more difficulty with candles or oil lamps as interior lighting, even without the mirrors or reflectors in my previous post.

With those, and with white interior walls, things would be even brighter. There's a reason why so many reconstructed period buildings in Folk Museums etc. are (authentically) whitewashed not just outside but inside as well. It was cheap, had disinfectant qualities, and was a reflective surface. Win, win and win.

*****

All right, there were no switches to turn on a light. But there was no need for what C.J. describes as stumbling about to reach the fire, because there were tinderboxes and, for many centuries before them, flint and steel. Since "firesteels" have been heraldic charges since the 1100s, the actual tool must have been in use for even longer.

Tinderboxes were fire-starter sets with flint, steel and "tinder" all packed into (surprise!) a box. The tinder was easily lit ignition material, often "charcloth", fabric baked in an airtight jar or tin which would now start to glow just from a spark.

They're mentioned in both "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". Oddly enough, "Hobbit" mentions matches in a couple of places, but I suspect that's a carry-over from when it was just a children's story, not part of the main Legendarium.

Tinderboxes could be simple, just a basic flint-and-steel kit with some tinder for the sparks to fall on...

...or elaborate like this one, with a fancy striker, charcloth, kindling material and even wooden "spills" (long splinters) to transfer flame to a candle or the kindling...

This tinderbox even doubles as a candlestick, complete with a snuffer which would have been inside along with everything else.

Here's a close-up of the striker box with its inner and outer lids open:

What looks like a short pencil with an eraser is actually the striker. A bit of tinder or charcloth would have been pulled through that small hole in the outer lid, which was then closed.

There was a rough steel surface on the lid, and the striker was scraped along it, like so:

This was done for a TV show or film, so the tinder was probably made more flammable with, possibly, lighter fuel. That would be thoroughly appropriate, since a Zippo or similar lighter works on exactly the same principle.

A real-life version of any tinderbox would usually just produce glowing embers needing blown on to make a flame, which is shown sometimes in movies - especially as a will-it-light-or-won't-it? tension build - but is usually a bit slow and non-visual for screen work.

*****

There were even flintlock tinderboxes which worked with the same mechanism as those on firearms. Here's a pocket version:

Here are a couple of bedside versions, once again complete with a candlestick:

And here are three (for home defence?) with a spotlight candle lantern on one side and a double-trigger pistol on the other.

Pull one trigger to light the candle, pull the other trigger to fire the gun.

What could possibly go wrong? :-P

*****

Those pistol lanterns, magnified by lenses, weren't just to let their owner see what they were shooting at: they would also have dazzled whatever miscreant was sneaking around in the dark, irises dilated to make best use of available glimmer.

Swordsmen both good and bad knew this trick too, and various fight manuals taught how to manage a thumb-shuttered lamp encountered suddenly in a dark alley.

There's a sword-and-lantern combat in the 1973 "Three Musketeers" between Michael York (D'Artagnan) and Christopher Lee (Rochefort), which was a great idea.

Unfortunately it failed in execution because the "Hollywood Darkness" which let viewers see the action, wasn't dark enough to emphasise the hazards / advantages of snapping the lamps open and shut.

This TV screencap (can't get a better one, the DVD won't run in a computer drive) shows what I mean.

In fact, like the photos of the BBQ, this image - and entire fight - looks even brighter through "real eyes" than with the phonecam. Just as there can be too much dark in a night scene, there can also be too much light.

*****

One last thing I found when assembling pics for the post were Folding Candle-lanterns.

They were used from about the mid-1700s to the later 20th century (Swiss Army ca. 1978) as travel accessories and emergency equipment, and IMO - I've Made A Note - they'd fit right into a fantasy world whose tech level was able to make them.

The first and last are reproductions: this one is real, from about 1830.

The clear part was mica - a transparent mineral which can be split into thin flexible sheets - while others use horn / parchment, though both of these are translucent rather than transparent. Regardless, all were far less likely to break than glass.

One or two inner surfaces were usually tin, giving the lantern its own built-in reflector, and tech-level-wise, tin as a shiny or decorative finish has been used since Roman times.

I'm pretty sure that top-of-the-line models could also have been finished with their own matching, maybe even built-in, tinderboxes.

And if real ones didn't, fictional ones certainly could. :->

*****

Yet more period lighting stuff here, including flintlock alarm clocks (!)

[v88sy]

Lmao but for real. Idk if it's bts drama with Ryan or something but it's getting more and more obvious. Bobby, his captain just died and the guy is just over there offering a cookie to Ravi in these trying times like an extra on set with a blank expression on his face.

I refuse to feel bad for enjoying this situation. Bvddie shippers have made their own bed. I don't like Ryan at all, but even I can admit there's only so much toxicity an actor can take. Buck was at least allowed to exist in his own right in their eyes even if they couldn't stand him canonically dating a man (so much for being LGBT warriors and caring for representation!). But the way they're obsessed with Eddie and try to bring every plot he has back to him being "gay" is exhausting and weird as fuck.

Imagine being an actor and being excited for the storyline your character is getting that season and your fans are just like "we don't care, when are Buck and Eddie going to fuck on screen tho?" Not saying Eddie's plots have always been exciting at all, lord knows they've done some stupid shit with the character, but still. Eddie arguably had the most interesting SL in years while trying to mend his relationship with Chris and they could not have cared less because it meant he was in Texas and not bending over for Buck. I wouldn't blame Ryan if he wants out, if his acting in this ep is any indication, his heart just isn't in it anymore.

I didn't mind Eddie at first, I really didn't. But, it kind of feels like after Shannon died, the writers just...didn't know what to do with him. His entire existence became about grief without any real action to address it or deal with it. I get it, grief never really goes away, but you can't just Fight Club your way out of it either.

I often wonder if the writers intended to write him as insufferable and selfish as they have. He says things to hurt others and never reflects or takes accountability. It's been talked about ad nauseum here, but his friendship with Buck is incredibly one sided. Again, I don't know what's more scary...to think this was all by design...or that it wasn't.

And, since we're just going for it here, Ryandrew Tateman absolutely hasn't done himself any favors here. I know what he did. You know he did. And I wish I could say that was the only thing, or even the most recent.

On a personal note, I've worked in healthcare for 20 years, including the height of covid, so being an anti vaxx/anti covid vaxx is an instant 'fuck off' from me.

And the memes he's been sharing about Pete/Bobby? Salty edgelord.

You make excellent points about anything and everything being boiled down to Gay Eddie™ in some people's minds. Not even bi or demi, or any other shade of queer. It has to be gay, and Buck has to serve as the trad wife self insert surrogate. Which, really makes me question their motives, because it ain't representation. We already got that, and have since day one. Not that they'd ever know.

Look, it's very clear by now that I'm not his biggest fan by a long shot, but it's absolutely disgusting that people want to disregard his body autonomy by saying things like "it doesn't matter what he wants, they're gonna force him to do bddie anyways because it's what the people want".

No, they don't, and honestly, that makes me wonder about your views on consent. The role would involve, at the very least, kissing Oliver, (not that I'd mind myself, but that's another topic for another day) so...yes. It absolutely is his choice, as it should always be when engaging in contact with someone, acting job or not.

And yeah, I'll give it to you that he's probably tired as fuck about being reduced to nothing more than "the guy who absolutely must be gay because *insert harmful stereotype here.*"

And that's in addition to having every. single. interview. harp on the ship that he has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to do, for actually valid reasons, assuming those are the real reasons and he's not just blowing smoke up our ass.

So, yeah, I don't blame him for wanting an out, but I also don't think we should be blamed for wanting to be able to enjoy our show and the fandom as a whole once again.

All that being said...are you trying to put me in jail, katey 😂

[raconteur-wanpi]

By the way I think with the reveal of the "Earth God" and "Sea God" in 1138, Oda has been pushing the Sky-Earth-Sea triad thematically more than ever. I'm not sure what it means exactly, but it is a pattern that's so often evoked in One Piece.

We have these three gods now, Nika being the Sky in this case. But also there's the ancient weapons themselves: Pluton (god of the Underworld), Poseidon (god of the Sea) and Uranus (god of the Sky).

And then there's even the New Monster Trio underneath Luffy (Zoro, Sanji, Jinbe), who are the "Son of the Earth" (Zoro is the son of Terra [Earth], has allusions to Hell, Asura and Enma etc, Three-Sword-Style can even evoke Cerberus to an extent), the "Son of the Sky" (Sanji is the son of Sora [Sky], mastered Sky-Walk, and can even use flames similarly to the Lunarians, beings who can fly in the sky) and of course Jinbe, whose title is literally "First Son of the Sea" (who can, by the way, despite being a fishman and not a merfolk, speak to sea animals such as his whale sharks. Which is noted as strange by others even in-universe, and kinda reflects Shirahoshi's ability). Others have pointed this out already, of course, but I do think it goes beyond just family names and earned titles.

I don't think this means that these three Strawhats are tied to the Ancient Weapons or those three gods, by the way! I just think they're another example of the appearance of this Triad; a way to enforce it's existence as a pattern. After all, you could say that if anything, the person from the crew with the strongest ties to Pluton, is Franky. Especially considering like, his whole introduction in Water 7, and him being a shipwright and everything. He memorized and burned the blueprints right in front of our eyes. And then there's Robin with her interest in the Void Century, Luffy being the Sun God and having many of those ties himself etc etc.

I just think it's interesting that this pattern seems to be reflected in those three Strawhats in more ways than just like, their mothers' names or titles or whatever. If "Sky" is the Sun, is the Flames, then Sanji can use flames. If "Earth" is also Hell and the Underworld, Zoro will often evoke that imagery. If "Sea" includes the creatures of the depths, then Jinbe can communicate with some of them.

And then, of course, there's the Ancient Weapons themselves; Uranus is seemingly powered by the Mother Flame, Poseidon can command sea kings, and Pluton... well Pluton is still kind of a mystery, but we do know that it seems to be a kind of Warship. I'd assume probably one that's powerful enough to cause a global Buster-Call esque destruction. I'd say that it's interesting that it's buried within Wano's underground though, a sort of metaphorical underworld, perhaps? So that's something there. Funnily enough Zoro has origins from Wano, doesn't he? That one could just be a coincidence though. Though both Poseidon and Jinbe are from Ryuugu Kingdom, but that one's expected for obvious reasons.

Anyway, I think where I'm getting at with this, is that "Sky", "Earth" and "Sea" are these Broad Thematic Circles that encompass various other specific concepts within them, rather than just the straightforward elements of nature. I have no idea what this will lead to, though!

[danlous]

"Armand is Alice and Daniel's wife/s and kids aren't real" has become a popular fan theory (even Luke Brandon Field said he liked it!) but i'd be surprised if it was right. I think it's definitely possible that Devil's Minion will be adapted in the show (though probably not exactly like in the books), but i personally think this whole imaginary family thing would be a poor way to handle the storyline for a variety of reasons. I think a twist like that would probably come across convoluted and (as Daniel might say) like something from a telenovela.

We see children's toys in Daniel's house and he's public figure who many people know with an autobiography and everything. Creating decades worth of false memories for Daniel and somehow also maintaining that imaginary life story for decades wouldn't be enough, Armand or whoever did it would also realistically have to have an absurd level of control over the physical world, public records and many other people's minds to sustain an illusion like that. I also frankly think it would be difficult to avoid having some sexist and biphobic undertones to the idea that Daniel's relationships with women were unreal and meaningless and only his relationship with a man matters.

However, the most important reason why i think Daniel's wives and children should be real is that they make him a richer, more nuanced character and are actually central to understanding him and his motives. He has lived a full and complex life that has been influenced and to some extent defined by his encounters with vampires, but those vampires still weren't his whole life. I think it's more interesting to see Daniel's human life and his relationship with Armand and Louis as something connected and overlapping that both affect each other. We actually learn quite a lot about Daniel from what he says about his partners and children.

This scene - as well as how Alice in general is discussed - reminded many people of how Daniel in the books talks about Armand, such as this famous passage:

Parallels between Daniel's relationships with Alice and Armand in the books are obvious but i think they're just that, parallels. Both the sweet little scene where Daniel is talking about Alice's eyebrows and the book scene where he's talking about loving Armand not despite but because he's a monster reflect in different ways who Daniel is as a person; he feels drawn to unconventional and strange and sees beauty where others might not. He ended up in this situation with vampires too because he wanted to interview people who're rejected by the society.

If Daniel already had some sort of relationship with Armand in the past it makes sense that it would be associated with Alice in his mind. There may be an overlap between the timelines of those relationships. A memory of Armand rises when Daniel is reminded of Alice rejecting his marriage proposal, in the books Armand rejected his wish to be turn him into a vampire, which would've been something akin to marriage. I think Alice being real is much more compelling for Armand's character too, with Armand expressing surprising understanding and sympathy toward Daniel's wife rather than just speaking about his own experience through an imaginary woman.

Completely putting aside Devil's Minion and is it a thing in the show or not, i think Daniel's family is particularly important to Louis' and Daniel's relationship. Something that hasn't technically been explicitly said but to me seems obvious is that Louis and Daniel strongly relate to each other as fathers. Many scenes where we see Louis and Daniel show vulnerability in front of each other have something to do with their partners and children. In 1.02 as one of the earliest examples of this Louis replicates the dessert Daniel had with Alice, trying to connect with him and his humanity through it, Daniel shares personal memory and they eat together in companionable silence.

I would argue that Claudia, her memory, and Louis' relationship with her is the heart of the story in these first two seasons. Claudia entering the story in 1.04 marks the shift in the interview and Daniel's approach; he becomes both more combative and more emotionally invested. He has a strong reaction to reading Claudia's diaries, and it's not difficult for any parent to guess that he's also imagining her own daughters in similar circumstances to Claudia.

I think this conversation at the end of the episode (alongside Louis' speech to Daniel in San Francisco and them remembering it in 2.05) is the most important scene between Louis and Daniel. They share the understanding what it feels like to have children and love them so much you don't even have words for it, but still fail them. It's not a coincidence that in the original interview in San Francisco what leads to Louis attacking Daniel is Louis telling the story of Claudia leaving alone and Louis going back to Lestat, and Daniel acting dismissively and clearly not understanding why this is so painful memory to Louis. Daniel was young, stupid and high - and he didn't have children yet. Daniel now wouldn't act like that when hearing this story, and he doesn't in 1.06 when hearing it again. And notably when Louis says that he would now agree to turn Daniel, Daniel says he doesn't want it anymore and specifically mentions his daughters as one of the reasons. Having to watch your children die before you is the most horrifying thing in the world. It's something Louis had to go through and Daniel wishes he never has to, even if vampirism still intrigues him.

Daniel realizes quickly that it all comes down to Louis' feelings of guilt and shame about failing Claudia and his inability to protect her, because he has similar feelings about his own daughters. Louis' story unravels in s1 finale because Daniel recognizes that Louis' more palatable narrative around what happened with Claudia isn't fully true. Daniel carefully read through Claudia's diaries and tried to learn to understand her, and he positions himself as someone who's trying to defend her integrity and reveal the injustice that was done to her. This is again about Daniel's own children as much as it's about Claudia. He knows that he's a bad father, his daughters don't talk to him anymore and it's implied that he neglected them when focusing on other things that interested him more. When Daniel defends Claudia he's on some level trying to rectify his own mistakes and when he calls Louis out he's also voicing his own self-loathing.

Eric Bogosian remarked that the scene in 2.01 where Louis cries and thanks for Daniel for helping him to remember that Claudia could dream is another shift in their dynamic. Daniel looks at Louis with genuine concern, and after that he tones down his usual sarcasm and jabs significantly. Daniel, again, can sympathize with how important this is for Louis. There's a new sincerity and empathy in their interactions. Sometimes the audience forgets that this story is ultimately about Claudia, but Daniel hasn't forgotten it since he first realized it. They're trying to understand together what happened to Louis' child and everything that led to it. I think if Daniel wasn't a father he would've acted differently, and Louis wouldn't have trusted him in the same way either and been able to share his and Claudia's story. I think this shared sorrow, love and guilt they feel as fathers is one of the most crucial parts of their connection.

[shadamypositivity]

a negative post under the cut (not from me, I'm just commentating on it)

(See OG post below.)

due to the nature of my blog normally I wouldn't even bring this up but a) I'm bored while IT is working on my computer (AGAIN) and b) i like a good discussion.

I'm gonna skip over the obvious fallacies of shadamy being a fake ship (bc what does that mean, I have no idea) and that SEGA never acknowledges it (they clearly have) or markets Shadamy (if the Shadamy Sakura series and them being marketed together didn't clue them in, then they are willingly ignorant abt it lol)

I did want to discuss the Amy Rose Minnie Mouse aspect and her "purpose of the franchise" bc i actually have a lot of thoughts to this! And before I go one, it should go without saying but I do love SonAmy, it's very cute and they're characters who can have good chemistry and deserve good things! Anyway, here's my thoughts.

Amy being created to be Sonic's Minnie Mouse as far as I had read it was pressure from the company to make Sonic more marketable (i.e. adding girl character, hero saves damsel quests etc). What i love about how they went about it was flipping the script, especially for the era, it was more commonplace for damsel characters to be the sweet, love interest (Minnie, princess peach, princess daphne) that the hero pursues as a goal to complete as well as a reward for his efforts.

Sonic being adverse to Amy's advances, who is supposedly created to be the love interest, is unique and adds to his personality which was a really good move imo. it added to the edge that Sonic kind of gives as a protagonist, his sass, his impatience, his cock sure nature while also being altruistic and loyal of course, but him viewing Amy as a friend that he occasionally has to rescue and bear the affections of is objectively silly and fun.

Now, pertaining to Amy's purpose of the franchise being Sonic's endgame love interest, I do take a lot more issue with. Not only does it invalidate Amy's space in this franchise, making her no more than a romantic reward for the ending of Sonic's hero's quest (because, if SEGA thinks Sonic won't "slow down" for Amy now, it implies he will have to undergo some sort of change or, less noble, when he seems himself ready to reciprocate Amy's feelings on his terms, irregardless of how long he makes Amy wait for him) but it also ironically makes Sonamy make less sense canonically.

Like, if Amy is only meant to work as Sonic's female, romantic counterpart, why does SEGA not let it happen canonically? Because it's not a ship war thing honestly, most of the GP already assumes they are and there's plenty of valentines merch to suggest otherwise, so...why not just do it? probably because it doesn't make sense for Sonic's character and I don't just mean for SonAmy, honestly, I mean it for any and all Sonic ships. It isn't that Sonic doesn't love or wouldn't have romantic feelings, it's that I think he doesn't allow himself those attachments. Friends are everything in this world and I've always loved this franchise for showcasing an array of lovely strong friendships, but the difference in friends and significant others is that there's compromise, there's balance, there's giving up things, there's building a home and a family and doing things as 2 as opposed to only needing to worry about yourself. friendships are no less of a love than romance but there's also a lot more grace in friendships when it comes to responsibilities and emotional compromises. I'm getting into the weeds a bit here but what I mean to say is that Sonics character doesn't make sense for a romantic partner, free like the wind and on an eternal hero's journey. It has also never appeared to be a want of his to be able to have these things (but im willing to be proven otherwise) Maybe down the road it would, but that's not fair to Amy or any other partner for that matter. Amy's whole world doesn't need to revolve around waiting for her hero to be ready to accept her, especially to a character so full and rich in love and affections to give.

It doesn't escape me that one of Amy's most defining and strongest showing was because of Shadow. This is kind of where I can get extremely biased and go on and on about how great a story arc would be for Shadamy to become endgame. Briefly, Sonamy being canon kind of takes away from Sonic's character, while Shadamy enriches. Amy who obsesses and does everything for the attention of her first love finding her own purpose and making her world bigger by being her own hero which was the case for her finding her courage after feeling useless by helping Shadow to remember his promise just by being herself. Shadow who is jaded and hurt and isolated from friends and the world he now lives in finding love and affection and strength in those things because of Amy Rose's big heart. Idk, it's all very poetic to me.

So in conclusion, Sonamy and Shadamy good, but writing wise, Shadamy has a lot more going for it. One of my irl friends who watches sonic things over my shoulder has always taken issue with Sonamy being the canon default bc of her pursuing and Sonics pushing away. When I introduced her to the idea of Shadamy she hoped on with more enthusiasm haha probably bc it was around the mosth era and that was a pretty good showing for them haha. anyway. these are my humble thoughts. I'm not all knowing of this franchise or think myself correct in every way but idk. I don't think its fair to rule out character shipping just bc it wasn't the original intention. that happens all the time with things after all (RIP canon zutara) so maybe op can take a chill pill 😅

[wikiangela]

Hi, a bit late but joining in on the @alliwantforchristmasislou project 🫶

I decided to donate to a polish organisation called the stonewall group (which is why the pic is in polish lol)

chose this one just because im the most familiar with this one, and they do amazing work in support of lgbt+ people and fighting for our rights in this... not so queer-friendly country 🫶

now, ive been in the 911 fandom for almost 4 years now (gonna be 4 in i think February), and i only started after the episode Buck actually bc it was allll over my dash. i binged the whole show in a week, before the next episode is even aired, I loved it SO much.

as most of y'all know, I initially shipped buddie - it was the big ship, ofc i did, i wrote so much fic for them and i had so much fun and met so many moots i still love seeing on my dash 🫶❤️ but it might've been obvious (or not, idk) i was kinda getting bored and losing enjoyment, more and more of my fics and snippets were focusing on other characters with buck or eddie, i wasnt really as into it anymore - but i still loved it and wanted to enjoy it (which ironically was killed dead later on by the buddie fandom itself lmao)

and then came bucktommy and everything changed. initially i tried not to give in but within a few days i had two fics and more ideas lol they completely took over my thoughts. ive never been this inspired to write, to create, I even learned how to make gifs for them (with lots of help from amazing talented friends 🫶🤣) during fall and winter I always get so depressed and sad and having very dark and depressing thoughts (last year my buck driving fic was a result of that lol), and its so hard to find motivation to do anything, even write. but this year, even tho I had a lil crisis moment, i wrote through it and im as inspired as always - i havent stopped writing since april. they're literally the most inspiring ship ever - and fun fact, usually i prefer writing about fanon ships, so this was a huge change and surprise

I always related to buck a lot, and especially once we got his bisexuality canon - checking out and appreciating hot people of the same sex and not realizing what it means is too real lol - and Tommy is so compelling and theres so much potential for so many stories there, I wish the show would do something interesting with him 😭 despite being so confident and cool, he feels like he's holding back some sad, maybe (probably) traumatic backstory that could be so good and interesting - and lou is such a good actor and itd be amazing to see more from him in this role

they wrote tommy as the perfect love interest for buck, and it was amazing to see it on screen, it was such a breath of fresh air to see this kind of queer representation on a network show, it was so gentle and adorable, and they initially handled it with so much care, and id love to see where they'd go from there 😭 the break up broke my heart not only because it happened, but because it felt ooc and abrupt and not at all like that's where the story was going. wish they'd fix it and give us tommy back 😭🙏

and lastly but most importantly - thanks to bucktommy, i met so many amazing friends ❤️😭 even when I was writing fics and interacting with mutuals on here, i was never really talking to a lot of mutuals, not for longer than a few messages, and now i got this wonderful community that i feel so comfortable in, everyone is so nice and friendly, and I love y'all so much, this is the best fandom experience ive ever had ❤️

thank you all, ive been having so much fun since april, i love y'all. here's to more bucktommy in 2025 ❤️

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Do you have an HP character that you hate or dislike other than Ginny? I'm curious because you seem kind of neutral toward most characters, so I was wondering if you have one

Yep, a bunch.

Some more controversial than others I guess.

I do want to preface this by saying that I have nothing against anyone who likes any of these characters, liking a fictional character is pretty subjective and I don't really care. I would also like to note there are different ways to like/dislike a fictional character.

1. Due to their personality or morals, i.e. who they are as a person

2. Due to how they are written, i.e. if they function well in their part in the narrative.

As such, there could be characters that are horrible people but are fun and interesting characters, so I love them (such as Voldemort) or characters that are good people who I dislike because I think they're badly written or underwhelming in how they are written compared to what they could've been. Similarly, there are badly written characters I like because they are fun or dislike because I don't vibe with them. So, all this shouldn't be taken all that seriously.

While Ginny definitely has aspects in her personality that I don't like, the main reason I dislike her is how she is written. I like meaner and ruder characters than her because they are interesting and serve their narrative rule well. I consider her a badly written love interest though, so my dislike of her on both fronts, but mostly due to the second category that feeds into the first one. The idea of Ginny could've been alright if she was written better, I wouldn't even care that much if she was mean if she was a more interesting character that felt like a real person (Like Hermione or Harry that have their mean moments, but I love Harry and like Hermione).

Now, onto other characters I dislike from commonly disliked by the fandom to controversial takes:

1. There are typical ones to dislike, like Umbridge, whom I despise as a person, and everything she represents but she's a great villain who serves her role in the narrative brilliantly. She's on this list because I don't find her interesting enough (like Voldemort or Bellatrix) or fun enough (like Rita Skeeter) to like her as a character.

2 & 3. Vernon and Petunia. For obvious reasons I expanded upon here. They are another example of characters you are meant to hate so they are written well for what they need to be. (Though I don't hate Dudley who's also a character you are meant to dislike)

4. Crouch Sr. I don't think this is controversial at all, but Crouch Sr is a git. I mean, sentencing Sirius to Azkaban without trial, everything with his son (even if he was a Death Eater, 12 years in a basement under the Imperius is extreme and Barty probably wished to die), Winkey, etc. So, personality-wise, he sucks. Writing-wise, I think he's great for what he is meant to be in the story. JKR is pretty good at writing characters you just hate the moment they open their mouths and Crouch Sr is one of them.

5. Amos Diggory. He is another member of the "characters you are meant to hate club", so I hate him as a person, which is kind of the point with him. And the only explanation is this entire conversation:

“Harry fell off his broom, Dad,” he muttered. “I told you . . . it was an accident. . . .” “Yes, but you didn’t fall off, did you?” roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. “Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman . . . but the best man won, I’m sure Harry’d say the same, wouldn’t you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don’t need to be a genius to tell which one’s the better flier!”

(GoF, Ch6)

Made my blood boil.

6. Fudge is another typical one, but like, I hate that guy's guts. Again, it's because I hate him as a person. As a character, he is what he needs to be, so I have no complaints about how he is written. Being a pathetic, incompetent fool is part of his narrative role. (Again, a character you are meant to hate).

7. Quick round for honorary mentions of the characters you are meant to hate club I dislike that I am not as passionate about my dislike of them but I still actively dislike them: Cormac McLaggen, Marietta Edgecomb, Rufus Scrimgeour, Mundungus, the Carrows.

(Zacharias Smith and Blaise Zabini are also part of the above club, but I love them, so they're not on the list. Fenrir, Rita, and Ludo Bagman aren't on the list because I find them entertaining although the reader is supposed to dislike them. Filch is a useful character and has his fun moments as well, so I'm fine with him. I also like random DE Avery because I like his name)

8. I'm weird about Albus Dumbledore. I think he's an interesting character, though I have some gripes with how he was written, and I would find him infuriating as a person. If I had to talk with Dumbledore irl, I'd have to fight the urge to strangle him (not that I actually would, or could since he's really tall and I doubt I could reach his throat). I understand Tom completely when it comes to wanting to kill Dumbledore.

9. Arabella Figg. Rubs me the wrong way and I don't like her as a person. It might be due to the writing but I never cared enough to analyze my feelings toward her — which are negative. I mean, she didn't do shit to help Harry even though she knew and was in touch with Dumbledore + didn't help him at all with carrying Dudley which would've been in her best interest since it'll get them back to the Dursleys quicker. So, I think she's not a great person who doesn't really care about Harry or is very ignorant and passive — when I need to question whether a character is malicious or incompetent it's not a good thing when the character is supposed to be one of the good guys.

10. Alaster Moody (the real one). I don't think this is a common opinion, but I really don't like the real Moody both as a person and as a character. Writing-wise, he's a little blander than I'd expect from someone like him. Also, after Barty acts him as such a fun character, meeting the real one is kind of a letdown since he isn't as inspirational and fun as the imposter (this is how I figured out I just like Barty Crouch Jr). This is a writing flaw, I think, since you are supposed to like Moody. I think. Personality-wise, I don't like him. He rubbed me off the wrong way, I hate his complete trust and devotion toward Dumbledore, his opinions and treatment of Harry, and his general incompetence:

“Come here, boy,” said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry toward him with his wand. “I need to Disillusion you.”

(OotP, Ch3) - sounds too much like Vernon for my liking

“Clear night,” grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. “Could’ve done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you,” he barked at Harry, “we’re going to be flying in close formation.

(OotP, Ch3) - an experienced, intelligent auror would not come up with this plan or think this plan is valid. He is a moron and for some reason not treated as such. At least Kingsley has some good ideas throughout the books and shows he's competent, Moody has close to zero competent moments. I think that's a writing flaw though.

“Yeah, well,” said Moody, “there’s something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that.”

(OotP, Ch22) - I do not like the Harry slander. While Moody does things to protect and help Harry (because Dumbledore told him to) I don't think he actually likes Harry much.

11. This is not a very popular opinion, I think, but I don't like Lupin. In both categories. Personality-wise, he's allergic to responsibility and never actually tries to bond with Harry, going out of his way to not mention he was friends with James. He is so stuck in indecision that he allows Sirius, who he thinks is a serial killer to enter the school. And he attempts to run away from his pregnant wife. Writing-wise, I like the concept of Lupin, not the execution. How he is makes sense for what we know about his life, but I find him underwhelming as a character. Mostly, I find him disappointing since he is less interesting of a character than I think he could've been.

(Peter is not on this list as I have no complaints about how he was written for his role in the story. Also, unlike Remus, I didn't expect better from Peter. I was ready to be disappointed by him and he positively surprised me by having a better character arc than Remus. I dislike Remus because I had higher expectations from him and his narrative arc)

Also, this quote from Remus really soured his character for me, which I was indifferent towards until OotP:

Harry, I’ve left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry —” “They won’t,” said Harry. “That you’re safe —” “That’ll just depress them.” “— and you’ll see them next summer.” “Do I have to?” Lupin smiled but made no answer.

(OotP, Ch3)

(I have other characters I find annoying such as Draco, Trelawney, or Colin Creevey, characters I don't really vibe with such as Ollivanders or Pansy, and characters I find dull such as Crabbe and Goyle but I don't actively dislike them enough, like, I'm mostly indifferent to mildly annoyed by them, so they don't count).

[discordiansamba]

gooood afternoon, thinking some thoughts about the roleswap au!

when yukio enrolls in cram school, he fully intends to keep his distance from the other students. but like, in a polite way. he doesn't interact with them more than he has to, but he remains perfectly amicable with them when he does have to interact with them.

rin watches this go down and is just like. hm. well. that sucks. yukio should make some friends. he 100% abuses his authority as the one in charge of the training camps for some good old classic forced togetherness.

...but maybe making the pages cook together wasn't his best idea ever. how was he supposed to know only two of them could cook?

yukio is deeply frustrating for suguro to deal with, because as polite as he is, it couldn't be more obvious that he's keeping his distance from them. on top of that, he's mysterious as hell- he carries around a sword all the time, but he's not even pursuing the knight meister.

rin is frustrating too for that matter! what the hell is with this flippant, easygoing teacher. is really a professional exorcist?

(and then they get their first class from hell, while rin is just grinning to himself all the while. you guys can do this! i believe in you! c'mon, i managed this when i was ten!)

yukio and rin still live by themselves in the old men's dorm.

rin handles the kuro situation much differently- in that I think after shiro passes, he's the one who approaches kuro and just directly tells him that he's gone. he still inherits kuro's contract.

rin: for today's class we're all going to give levi-chan a good scrubbing! :)

yukio: nii-san. what does cleaning your familiar have to do with anything?

rin: ...bonding experience?

rin realizes that yukio fully intends to keep himself cooped up at the dorms outside of class. well. he can't let him do that either. hey! come with me on my next mission, yukio!

(or: how yukio ends up at futsumaya and meets shiemi)

rin trying to push shiemi and yukio together, while being completely oblivious that shiemi has feelings for him, actually. does he have feelings for shiemi? sure! but yukio's definitely a better match for her, so he's happy to give them up for his baby brother!

(...right? he's happy to, right?)

rin, in the arctic: and why they hell did you reject shiemi when she asked you to the dance anyways, huh!? what's wrong with shiemi!?

yukio: nothing! she's perfectly nice! but she's in love with you, nii-san!

rin: ...HUH????

todo, trying to manipulate rin and hitting the impenetrable brick wall of his mental illness. huh? hate yukio? why would i ever hate yukio? you sure are saying a lot of crap, you creepy geezer.

(deep down, there is a part of rin that resents yukio.)

lucifer meeting rin like. what the fuck is wrong with this kid actually.

rin in charge of the seven mysteries... lmao. he does wind up still taking a vague interest in godaiin, but doesn't have any intention of befriending him. too bad though, because godaiin has already befriended you, you weirdo.

yukio still outs himself during the camping trip, but it's not until it's rin's life that's being threatened.

the exwires listening to rin's explanation, but also getting to the part where rin laughs and tells them he was actually pretty sickly as a kid and that's probably why he's normal and they're just like. okay. everything that happened in the forest was insane but THAT is truly unbelievable.

[bisnes-socks]

i have a lot to say about this one so pack a snack and let's make sex moneyyy

i think this is one of the most openly culture and media (and social media) critical songs he has. i think it's a super daring song that probably makes the likes of certain helsingin sanomat music critics a little bit uncomfortable, because he is spitting facts - and because he has a relationship with sex for show that people for some reason are still quite weird about.

to start a little further back: we all know sex sells. we all know the music industry uses sex to sell their products. but for some reason, in the year of our lord 2024, a musical artist verbally recognising that they are using their sexuality and sexual themes to build their brand is somehow scandalous. it's like.. it's okay to use sex to sell your art, if it's like "accidental" MTV sexuality or like agreeing to looking objectifiable. the media will call you hot and sexy and wow. but if you own your sexuality, make it obvious that yes this is sexual, i'm being very deliberately sexual and i am trying to be sexual..? oh no that won't do! scandal! we've seen it with so many artists, especially female artists. like WAP is a great example! how scandalous that suddenly these women had agency in their own sexuality! but no-one said a word when their sexuality served the usual male gaze agenda. it's like people are so much more comfortable being peeping toms who sexualise and objectify artists when they're not looking, but as soon as the artist does it as part of their whole thing? well now it's inappropriate actually.

he talked about this in a helsingin sanomat interview, saying how he does actually think things revolve too much around sex in the music industry, even though he uses sex and sexual themes himself to sell things as well, and that he sees the irony in saying that. but the difference, in my opinion, is that the way he, or someone like erika vikman for example, is so open and upfront about the sexual themes, that it becomes carnevalistic, it becomes camp. it's not insidiously using sexual and heteronormative objectifying imagery to get people horny. what käärijä does is playful and fun sexuality, and for whatever reason that is so unusual it needs to be talked about separately as something a bit wild and scandalous, and he needs to be asked to explain his actions.

and that's what this song is. he's very clearly saying none of this is accidental. the visuals of his brand, the social media content, the onlyfans thing, none of it is coincidental, accidental or anything other than his perfectly deliberate way of selling sex. and he has talked about these themes before, he has talked about like the rammstein live stuff that inspired him (some of it is pretty hardcore stuff) so to his fans it's nothing surprising that sexual themes are present in the brand and interest him. but he has also talked about how, even if this song is a bit tongue in cheek, he's also serious. and he is right. and for some reason calling people out about the fact that sex makes them buy things, even when it's true, is still.. scandalous somehow.

and he's basically calling people easy lmao. like, i needed to figure out a lil boost to my career and well, i know what will make you throw money at me. and i won't be shy about it either.

i'm getting sidetracked. the song.

and then that is enough to warrant lyrics such as "koko perheen käärijästä koko perheen krapula" meaning "käärijä for the whole family turning into a hangover for the whole family".

but it was all already there! let's not for a second pretend CCC was some sort of family show and a family song. it's not. but people were okay with that, because they could happily confuse the camp and carnevalistic sexuality of käärijä with the campness and carnevalistic nature of eurovision, and because it wasn't more than the suggestive sexual nature of everything else around them. and it was all just fun, when kids came up with their own lyrics to the song because they couldn't understand the references to drinking. so then people took their kids to see him at shows and became scandalised by the adult nature of it all. it's like.. people were fine letting their kids see the everyday media sexuality that we see in every eurovision, fine letting their kids get used to that, and then just sort of didn't think käärijä would be anything different. but he's only different in that in his show and brand, sex and sexuality aren't denied while still blatantly obviously there.

but again, a lot of this is to do with media, and what media normalises and what it doesn't. what it deems newsworthy and what it doesn't.

if in ready to go he's telling haters that i know you want to see me try and fail, maybe even be too embarrassed to try, but baby i'm ready to go, then in sex = money he's saying i know you want to see me naked and i know you want sex from all of this, so here you go, i'll sell you some sex. and then he stands there holding eye contact like what are you going to do with it. what a cunty king.

and there are so many fun and funny little details in this song.

right in the first verse we have "kieli taittuu sköödi föödi." good old sköödi föödi. i tried to find the earliest example of sköödi föödi, but i'm starting to think it might predate the internet, or at least social media. not to bring up köpi kallio again, but they use sköödi föödi a lot in viki ja köpi show, and köpi just happened to tweet about it in 2020, saying he believes sköödi föödi has been around for at least 20 years (someone tried to credit viki and köpi for it). so, what does sköödi föödi mean, you ask. it does not mean anything at all. sköödi föödi is just a sound, a noise you make, when you need it, usually in place of something in a foreign language but not exclusively. in this instance, sköödi föödi is him demonstrating his excellent english skills. sköödi föödi (pronounced almost like a sterotypical tv american would say skirdy-firdy) means nothing and it means everything, whatever you need it to mean.

it is also noteworthy to point out that "kieli taittuu" can be a reference to two different things here. the finnish word kieli means both tongue and language. so he could also be saying that he has a very bendy and flexible tongue, like literally. which, of course, all of europe has already seen. taittua literally means to fold or bend, but it's a common phrase to say, that if you can do something, you bend it (or more like it bends as a result). so literally the line translates to "language/tongue bends sköödi föödi".

the first verse ends in "sekö jos mikä on varma nakki" meaning "that, if anything, is a sure thing". nakki literally means a sausage, a hot dog sausage, weiner sausage, you name it: a small sausage. so translating literally: "that if anything is a sure sausage". it's a common phrase in spoken finnish, nothing unusual about that, but i love that he used it, because it makes the next line hilarious on a first listen, when the chant comes in. so when they start chanting NAK- NAK- i really thought they were gonna shout NAKKI. but no, it is nakuna, naked.

okay still with me? good. let's look at the "tein onlyfans bägin, koko suomen daddy" section next.

i remember when the song came out, people did explain who danny is, but in case anyone missed it, danny is a singer from finland, and he was a MASSIVE star back in the day, especially in the 70's. so to say he is bigger than danny is indeed quite the flex, because danny was like.. the finnish equivalent of elvis, basically. but danny is not just a flex, he turns danny into a clever thematical scheme here (more on thematical schemes in the bananas post, if you're interested). he says "kadulla on kuumaa, ne pyytää mua hätiin" and this is a reference to one of danny's most popular and famous songs, kesäkatu. smart, smart, smart! and then of course "kadulla on puumaa, mut mulla on jo täti" meaning there are cougars on the street, but i already have an aunt. which, that to me reads like both a cunty quip and a himbo line all at once. like shutting down some man wanting to be your daddy by telling him "but i already have a father". i nearly choked laughing the first time i heard the line.

also can i just say, calling himself the daddy of finland? like, thinking about the whole context i talked about at first, how people are comfortable with sexual stuff and sexualising, but not comfortable recognising it or being real about it or celebrating it? yeah knowing all that, he just called himself EVERYONE'S daddy in a song called sex = money, and he's not even wrong 😭

in conclusion: i love this song. and i love the attitude in it. it's like he is looking everyone, from every uncomfortable insecure hetero man, every scandalised parent to every tabloid journalist, straight in the eye and saying "yes, i'm selling sex. why? well i couldn't think of anything else, but then again, why should i? isn't this what you want? this is what you want. i know what you want. i'm your daddy."

like if he truly wanted to, he really could have this country on their knees for him, don't tell me last independence day didn't prove it. as much as he gets crap as well, at the end of the day, he has people under a spell by simply being, well, bigger than danny. and he-man.

now. the placement of the song on the album, right after autiomaa.

i personally don't think that the album builds one cohesive narrative from beginning to end. but i think this can be read two ways: a sad way and an empowering way. the sad way to read it is that he means it when he says he couldn't come up with anything else and his creativity is fried, but sex sells so he does that, and it's a bit mindless. but given the context of what he has had to say about this song, i'm more inclined to read this the empowering way: he has worked on himself and found a way to see things more clearly, and he has found it in himself to even be confrontational about things. the whiplash of the song order i think is more to highlight the fact that autiomaa is a rare glimpse into something different, and now here we go again. to me, sex = money makes autiomaa even more powerful, but autiomaa doesn't change the interpretation of sex = money all that much for me.

you really can't be upset about the song without proving his point. and you can't love the song without proving his point. facts have been spat and points have been proven. absolute king behaviour.

and if you read through this whole thing, i owe you money. cash money, not sex money. well, we'll talk about it.

++

bonus: i absolutely love that he knows how to say "make some noise" on this track, but continues to say "give me some voice" or some sort of a hybrid word between voice and noise, something like.. woise, at his international shows. the king of in through one ear, out through the other. he, she, noise, voice, he doesn't know the differences and does not care.

bonus bonus for the sad bojere bitches:

second verse: "täl alal ei sua kukaa huomaa" meaning "nobody will notice you in this field (of work)". maybe my brain is rotted but this moment reminds me so much of the famous liverpool bojere lunch date video where bojan tries to parrot jere, who is saying "tääl ollaa nyt, tota" and bojan goes "talalaiteta" and then they both proceed to giggle about it like it's the funniest thing anyone has ever said. "täl alal" goes out to you, bojan titanic.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy pride!!

Fem MXY WWX pls!!!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

They're back to riding, only a couple hours away from Jin Tower, and Wei Wuxian is happy to be off his feet, but he can't even focus on that.

He's too busy feeling desperately sad for Mo Xuanyu.

She lived as a pauper in a family that despised her, had a father that ignored her, was so lonely that she named her sword Friend, and killed herself rather than marry Lan Zhan.

Lan Zhan would have been nice to her. It took him a while to warm up, but he's trying now, to do his duty as a proper husband. Which is inconvenient for Wei Wuxian, but probably would have meant the world to Mo Xuanyu.

She didn't have to die. If she'd been able to hold onto hope for just a few more days, instead of giving in to revenge and despair, then she could have lived out her life out from underneath the thumb of other people.

"Are you okay?"

He startles out of his thoughts, looking up to see Sizhui has pulled his mare up beside his and is peering at him in concern.

He forces a smile, because he's put Sizhui through enough today, and he's a good boy that doesn't deserve to be involved in any of this. The worst part about dying again is going to be leaving behind Sizhui. He's such a sweet boy who loves him so easily and he just knows that it's going to break his heart when either the cultivation or the curse mark has run its course. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Just thinking."

Sizhui looks unconvinced, but nods before looking up towards the front of the procession, where Lan Xichen and Lan Zhan are talking about something while Jin Guangyao pretends to be interested. He reaches into his sleeve. "I found some of these in town when I went looking for you."

He pulls out a small bag of the sweet, spicy pepper candy that Wei Wuxian likes so much and hold it out.

"You're the best!" he says, taking the bag and also pausing to squeeze his arm in thanks, only not pulling him into a hug because he's not sure how tolerant the horses will be about it.

The food in Cloud Recesses is ass and he can't cover everything with chilli oil because the only person he'd met who liked food as spicy as he did was - well, no one. So having Mo Xuanyu like spicy food had seemed like edging a little too close to obvious.

He'd been so happy when Sizhui had brought pepper candy back for him for the first time and had sworn him to secrecy to how how much he loved them.

Wei Wuxian pops one of the candies in his mouth, sucking on it to more quickly get to the firey pops of pepper, which is his favorite.

There's about five seconds of deliciousness and then his stomach rolls with nausea. He tightens his grip, trying to ride it out, but the taste of the candy he loved turns sour and he's seriously worried he's going to hurl, which Lan Zhan would never let him hear the end of.

He spits the candy out onto the ground, rubbing at his mouth.

"Lady Xuanyu?" Sizhui asks startled. "Is - sorry, did I get the wrong one?"

"No, no, it's perfect," he assures, internally sighing in relief as his stomach starts to settle. "I guess I shouldn't eat them on an empty stomach! It ruins the flavor. Who knew?"

He's eaten them on an empty stomach a dozen times before and never had an issue.

"Okay," Sizhui says slowly. 'Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine, Sizhui, don't worry," he says, and means it, even though he sort of wants to cry.

The pepper candies were one of the only things he could get his hands on that he enjoyed eating, and now even that's gone?

At least the Jin go all out on the banquets.

[mllemaenad]

Fascinating. Veilguard failed because it didn't have live service elements. It's funny ... replaying Origins has highlighted for me how much of Veilguard I don't like because it feels too much like a multiplayer game.

I've played Fallout 76, and I've enjoyed it to the extent that it lets me play it like a single player game. The more it intrudes on my single player experience, the more dissatisfied I become. That includes obvious things like being constantly bombarded by "events" and ridiculous "season passes" that have nothing to do with my character's experience of being a former vault dweller living in post-apocalyptic Appalachia and everything to do with Bethesda wanting me to buy more Atoms ... but it also includes things that are just baked into the experience.

There are few meaningful choices in the narrative because there are a bunch of other people on the server so the world can't really change. I think it was a good thing that they added NPCs to the world, but their arrival is a narrative point you can't actually experience because, again, there are other people on the server so we can't go back to that. I can't reload an earlier save to try out a different quest option, or even look at a different dialogue choice. I can't mod the game if I want to. And some areas are just a misery to get through, because they're only designed to be fun if you're in a group.

And honestly, 76 isn't too bad: at least it lets me do a lot of things by myself, and there's still a lot of decent lore from NPCs and terminals. I played it because early post-war lore was irresistible, even if I don't really like multiplayer games. But if Fallout 5 was a multiplayer game as well ... I'd probably start losing interest in Fallout games. Fallout 76 is ... fine, but I don't want more of that.

Some of Veilguard probably feels like multiplayer because it was, at one point in its development, designed to be a multiplayer game. Some of it probably feels like multiplayer because the version we ended up getting was simply rushed, so they didn't add features you might expect in a single player RPG. But either way ... it just feels very much like a tedious multiplayer game to me.

The companions are a little thin and underdeveloped – no dialogue trees, some baffling personal quest choices – because they're meant to play second fiddle to the real friends running through the game with you. There are big, complex environments with "epic" boss fights hidden away in corners because the narrative reason they're there is less important than the fun of taking down a dragon with your friends. They've got a million factions that don't really contribute anything to the narrative (what are the Lords of Fortune bringing to the table here?) but would facilitate leaderboards nicely. There's little reactivity in the world and few meaningful choices because there are a bunch of other people on the server.

I'm not saying there was no good at all in Veilguard: there were things I liked, and if nothing else I can cheerfully mine it for meta. But so much of it reminds me of how boring and restrictive I find multiplayer ... and it wasn't even a multiplayer game.

[npookie0]

Hi N!! Do you have any Ronin x Misaki x Angel x V (I like calling them .m4ngo) headcanons? Ik it's a lot haha but I don't see many people ship all four

WELL BABE YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT HOUSE !!

Slaughterhouse_Losers.m4ngo

headcanons of m4ngo (Ronin x Angel x Misaki x V or ... Rangvsaki?) cause I am the precursor of every ship in this fandom (jokingly ofc)

Cws: Killer Chat spoilers, DLC, Halloween special, everything KC related basically, Poly SHIP headcanons (don't come at me if u don't like ships, poly ships etc, thanks)

Their Dynamic :

Their dynamic is ... interesting from each side. I will make each member's pov on the relationship to make it easier for me and you all hopefully!

I don't think they all got together at the same time. Ronin dated Angel first, Misaki joined after some time (probably a long time) and at the very last member to join was V. it was messy, but I'll share my reasons for this vision later.

(I feel like I'm writing an essay omg, this is too messy I'M SORRY)

Ronin : He is, I would believe, one of the leading people in the relationship, it is, of course, equal, but Ronin would still take the lead more often than not. He'd be the one to plant the seed of this polycule.

Angel : In a way she's the second leading power in this relationship, not even because she's the person who Ronin dated first, but because she is the one to keep everything as calm as possible (especially between V and Ronin) she's also the pretty girl with her two scary dog privileges and one silly cat

Misaki : They're a thrill giver, chaotic peace keeper, troublemaker and the one to give date ideas for the most part. She is, surprisingly, the most chaotic of them all, Ronin may be a deranged guy, but Misaki is THE silliest and most chaotic assassin this world ever had. They also are the most active when it comes to call and messages, dms, group chat, Misaki has it all covered with their messages or random pictures.

V : He made sure to do some serious research on poly relationships and made sure that him and his partners made a list of rules and boundaries that they'd like to keep in the relationship so it's not too messy.

Poly Dynamic :

I think they could be a form of Vee but with four people? The Vee actually being on Ronin's and V's ends, in a scenario where we look at V as well the canon V who hates Ronin's guts, but still cares for the rest of the server it would make sense that he wouldn't want to date Ronin, but would want to date Angel and Misaki while accepting that they still would want to date Ronin because they love him.

But. In the scenerio where V starts to feel something towards Ronin and they actually are a ... square so to speak, they could be a Non-Hierarchical Polyamory. They don't need to live together, do everything as a four and spend all day every day together, but when it comes to important decisions and plans they make them together.

Who Joined When and Why?

Ronin and Angel started dating, he needed someone to heal his heartache after the loss of Ther, and Angel being his friend before and also needing someone after all the terrible men in her life and not feeling threatened by Ronin (by him being a man following toxic masculinity and wanting power over her) was the perfect person for that. They are each others reasons to live in a way, learned and healed a lot.

Misaki joined Rangel first. It was a few months after they joined the server. They charmed Ronin and Angel and she also fell for the two. Though at the start Misaki was very oblivious and didn't realise that they were actually dating, they only realised it when Ronin called them his partner and it became a new joke from Ronin for the next weeks.

V was the last and most reluctant to join, one of the main reasons was Ronin's obvious presence in the relationship, the second main reason was his lack of understanding in poly relationships and experience in any kind of relationships that are romantic. His main reason(s) for joining was Misaki or/and Angel being in the relationship and him being too in love to give up on his feelings even if he had to bear Ronin's presence.

Some More Headcanons :

Misaki crocheted them all little keychains with their symbols, so they have an aorta, a tooth and a green heart, Ronin has a wing, a cat and a snake, V has a skull, heart-shaped glasses and a rifle, and Angel has a crowbar, a dagger and a star.

V sponsors himself, Angel and Ronin a flight to Japan to visit Misaki every now and again, sometimes he sends them a plane ticket to Elysium so they all can spend together in real life. He just wants all of them to be able to spend time together without forcing anyone to use their money when they might be in a taught spot (looks at Misaki)

Angel now has 3 people having a "selfie for self care" pact with her instead of 1 and 3 people who explain in their own ways that Finian isn't treating her well and that she should take care of it and that saving herself is not a bad thing.

V had long battles when he entered the relationship, dating a cannibal even if her kills were for similar reasons to his was conflicting. He also got a chance to observe Ronin more and learn more about him when he opened up, though it did not change his opinions about the nature of his kills (at least the innocents)

Ronin is never alone for Christmas, they all hang around V's place and just spend time in a way that won't be too Christian festive, but just a day for them to enjoy their company in their own way.

A Surprise Relationship Chart :

I really had fun making headcanons for this ship

Potential fanfic asks about them would be welcome >w<

Thanks for the ask

Nate <3

[sunandmoonseisai]

"Yeah. And 𝘐'𝘮 real!"

I think about this episode a lot because it really encapsulate wander's core flaw. Wander is a very obsessive person. He has a very tunnel vision and when he has an idea in his head, it overshadow everything else. In this episode, wander is so engrossed in his own imagination that it's like everything around him dissappear, including Sylvia.

He even goes so far as turning Sylvia into a literal puppet in his head.

This finally hit a breaking point for Sylvia who call him out for being so self-centered. Now, I need to point that we don't know if wander had any partners before Sylvia. What I mean is that wander isn't intentionally selfish. He's just not used to consider how his actions affect others. But now, he has Sylvia. And his actions affect her because they're life-partners.

If it wasn't for Sylvia, wander would probably spend eternity in this endless void, losing his sanity and sense of reality in the process. Instead, he chooses Sylvia over his thirst for discovery, allowing them to escape.

There's another example of wander disregarding Sylvia for the sake of his obsession. In "the tourist", wander become so hyperfixated on one-upping another traveler that he drag poor Sylvia all accross the galaxy. Sylvia eventually had enough but wander still end up going back to her, once again choosing her over his obsession.

I think this is an example of Sylvia positively influencing wander. Now, I don't need to explain how wander is a good influence for Sylvia because it's so obvious. Just by looking at them, you know that he bring out her more caring and sensitive side. But Sylvia's influence on wander is more subtle. Just by existing in his life, she keeps him aware of his surroundings. She keeps him aware of his own well-being because what affect him affect her as well. She's the one thing that can bring him out of his tunnel vision. In other words, 𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺.

And I don't know how to end this aside that there's a distinctive lack of wander/Sylvia meta so I'm here to fix that. These two bring the best out of each other, they're so different but complete each other so well and their relationship is much deeper and more interesting than the fandom give them credit for. I had troubles organizing my thoughts so I hope it makes sense. I hope this post will generate some discussion.

[blockgamepirate]

R = Rose (well, it's probably her), E = The Ender King

R: Long ago, E: A lifetime ago,

R: there was a child of the sky… E: there lived a man who fancied himself an explorer. . .

R: whose feathers were as dark as the night, of wings E: who flew with angels' wings,

R: that span across the Heavens. E: as vast as the endless Void.

R: He would take flight, possessing an unwavering spirit E: He soared wherever his whims took him,

R: and journeying through the unknown with a brave heart. E: claiming the treasures and secrets of the unknown as his own.

R: Day by day, E: Time after time,

R: he overcame trials and tribulations, an unwavering soul. E: he fought through trials no person was ever meant to survive.

These opening lines match so closely and it makes the differences in wording and tone very noticeable and interesting.

Rose (I'm just gonna assume it's her, alright) calls Phil a "child of the sky", the Ender King a "man who fancied himself an explorer". Rose is older than the Ender King and she's a protector, she views him as a child. The Ender King is scornful of others doesn't care about anyone but himself and views Phil as a man but immediately implies that Phil himself doesn't understand himself as well as he understands him.

Rose refers to the wings as "dark" but for the Ender King dark wings are kinda obvious, I mean what other kinds of wings are there, right? Instead he focuses on the comparison with angels, because feathers are kind of an alien concept for him, maybe, idk.

What Rose sees as "unwavering spirit", the Ender King sees as "whims", what Rose sees as journeying with a brave heart, the Ender King sees as conquest of the unknown. I think both are majorly projecting here lmao. They're describing themselves more than they're describing Phil.

Rose stresses Phil's unwavering soul "overcoming" trials, the Ender King sees them as battles to be "fought", maybe with a hint of grudging respect for Phil's success against all odds?

The rest of the text in each letter is less obviously mirrored, but the broad lines are still the same:

Rose describes Phil’s misfortune as seemingly having no clear reason, it’s just something that happened and it was a tragedy, but there's still hope for him. She focuses on his feelings of sadness and the way his presence was missed.

The Ender King blames Phil and sees this as some sort of divine punishment for his greed, again projecting his own faults onto Phil, that can only be escaped through redemption. This is clearly how he sees his own predicament now. And he draws that connection himself, explicitly.

I think by this point it's obvious that Rose views Phil as a child (her child?), the Ender King views him as a reflection of himself.

Rose only mentions herself off-handedly, doesn’t make a big deal of herself and even tries to dismiss her identity as unimportant. She only expresses her familiarity with Phil and that she feels his pain and wants to help him. She assures him that they will meet again (not realising that her message ended up being everything but comforting for him, oops.)

The Ender King talks about himself almost as much if not more than he talks about Phil, and only sees Phil’s value in his relation to himself. He makes a big deal about being THE ONLY ONE who can help Phil, which he offers to do, in the most condescending way possible. ”to grant you the peace of mind you so desperately seek”, okay dude.

And of course the way he addresses Phil is full of mockery where Rose's is full of gentle praise. It's interesting that he calls Phil by name, though, while Rose only addresses him by the same sobriquet she used in the beginning, "child of the sky".

It's also interesting how Rose seems to focus a LOT on Phil's wings, but it's hard to say if this is metaphorical or literal (or both). The Ender King's letter definitely makes it sound more like it's about Phil's mental state, him seeking "peace of mind". Rose also sort of touches on something related to that with the comment about his memories, but that's kinda it. The Ender King refers to his derealisation episodes very bluntly. Although I don't think either of them mean the problems with derealization is the thing he needs guidance for, considering they're BOTH actively making it worse with their messages.

If I were to guess, it's probably about him losing his memories and getting trapped on Quesadilla Island? idk. Possibly also the wings but I'm starting to lean towards the wings just needing to heal on their own and he probably doesn't actually need help with that.

Anyway, there are a lot of differences between the letters, but there are also a lot of core similarities: both of them are in a way treating him as a child, or a naive and childish person, both of them recognise his pain, both of them offer guidance and relief for said pain, although one through "faith" and one through "redemption" (oh boy there's a lot to say about that particular contrast that one could maybe make some real life comparisons about...) and although Rose does it a lot more, both of them associate him heavily with his wings.

I feel like there's also a certain level of respect for him in both letters, paradoxically. You wouldn't think that from how you have this almost coddling tone on one hand and mocking and condescending on the other. But they both describe him as a larger-than-life figure, almost like a mythical creature or a legendary hero (hero in the ancient sense of the word). And the way they BOTH emphasize the unfathomable vastness of his wings in such similar ways also doesn't seem coincidental. That's not how you (as a god) describe a mortal man, that's how you describe a fellow divine being.

(Honestly, these descriptions almost sound like he's a personification of a natural force, like he isn't just like the night or like the darkness, he is the night, he is the darkness, he is the void. What else would have wings that stretched out across the entire sky?)

And of course they both ultimately see him as someone worthy of their divine guidance.

I'm so excited to see if the other deities send him their own messages, I can't wait

[emperor-palpaminty]

Possessive HCs

Minors DNI, must have age in bio to interact or else ya get blocked. TW for possessive kink and all that jazz. i am unhinged and have no train of thought that makes sense. Also my inbox is open for requests hehe

(This post features Price, Ghost, Soap, Gaz, and Alejandro with anGN reader)

Price

LAWDY this man gives me possessive vibes. He's a captain after all, he's used to having his way and people respect his property.

And you are, after all, his... Right?

Price doesn't get the appeal of hickies at first. They seem immature, silly even, and he thinks they're more trouble than they're worth. And then he sees you with one that he gave you the day before.

Totally changes everything.

He'll cover you in hickies if he can, where where your flesh is soft enough. If your job is more "professional" and would frown upon it he would make sure to leave some just where the corners of a bruise is peeking out from under the collar of your shirt, just so people can still know you're his.

If someone comes up to flirt with you, he makes sure he winds an arm around you and maintains eye contact with the intrusive party until they get the hint and leave. He's the kind of guy who would stare the flirter in the face while kissing your neck, or up your arm, and he would carry the conversation on calmly.

Casually refers to you as "my girl/lad/love", "pretty thing", etc. Just as long as it's obvious you're his.

Ghost

In my brain, he's the most possessive but because he wants to stay as anon as possible, he doesn't get super grabby or touchy in public. The second you get behind closed doors however? Hooooo mama.

He marks you up good. Scratches, hickies, everything. Even if they aren't visible to others it is enough to remind you and that's enough for him. He is fine with getting some of his own too, but he prefers they stay somewhat hidden. Part of him wants to make sure you're as safe as possible, and that includes not letting the enemy know he's getting hickies from someone.

If someone comes up to flirt with you, I can see Simon standing nearby- but always staring down the person seeking your affections. You are polite to them but tell them you aren't interested, and if they press on that's when Simon comes over. He's probably thrown a guy through a window before TBH. After that he takes you home and treats you real good ;P

Soap

Yeah. yeah. yeaaaaahhhhhhh. This man is loud as hell and has a short ass temper when it comes to you. When others come up to you or are even looking your way, he grabs your waist or hand or pulls you close. He has one hundred percent given you a hickey in the middle of a crowded room (club? bar? who knows?) just because he saw a couple of folks looking your way with eyes that lingered too long. If someone tries to flirt, he is not shy at all about speaking up or pulling you behind him ("Sorry, this one's taken, lad. Go find someone else for the night.")

He will also mark you up too with all the hickies and scratches but he loves when you do the same to him. Honestly, the more hickies the better. If you give him any, he WILL walk around shirtless just to show them off. (Price scolds you for quote, "defacing government property")

Gaz

In my head Gaz isn't like. super kinky. He just seems so sweet in the games. I could be totally wrong though and he could be a kinky bastard (drop your Gaz HCs). But this is MY HEAD, welcome to the terror dome.

Yeah, Gaz isn't super possessive in a kinky way, but he does like when people know you're together. He'll slip an arm around you, or put his hand in yours. At one point as a joke you got a shirt printed with his face on it that said "Gaz's Guy/Gal" and he thought it was the funniest thing ever.

If someone comes up to flirt with you he's pretty quick to intervene. He will slip between you and the person and try to redirect them away- but if it comes down to it, he will knock a guy out for flirting with his partner despite a plethora of rejections and "no"s.

Alejandro

Alejandro is PASSIONATE deadass, and doesn't give a shit about who is watching. He'll pick up your hands and kiss them any time any where, or hold your face, or he will just stare into your eyes from across the room. The tension is palpable, you can palp it.

When it comes to showing you off or being possessive, he's more defensive. He will stand between you and the person coming to flirt with you and square up, just to remind them that this is not their place or purpose.

Afterward, he of course kisses you and makes love to you rather intensely ("Amor de mi vida, no one can do this to you, and even if they were lucky enough they wouldn't do this like I do"). And no matter what, you wouldn't let anyone else do that to you, because it's true- no one could do this (or you) like he can. Also he's vocal- he lets the both of you be heard if he's enjoying himself and he wants everyone to know that those sounds from your mouth were because of him.