#someone needs to do a compare and contrast of these characters please

[weebishboy]

Peculiar event:

Meguru Bachira has always been my favourite blue lock character (and always will be)

But since I started reading the manga I also really like Oliver Aiku

Which is a strange occurrence because it really just makes me look like I have a thing for characters with… this specific hair colour situation???

And maybe I do???

I have no clue.

[metalomagnetic]

In it runs in the blood, you never wrote about Regulus speciality. He is included,yes. But there is nothing special about him. No cunning, no duelling, no responsibility. I want more of him. Please. I love your story so much. You have a incredible mind to have created this beauty.

Sometimes, there's just nothing extraordinary about someone, you know? They don't all have to be Super Humans.

Though Regulus is obviously extremely handsome, he is more intelligent than your average wizard, what with his NEWTS score and his higher education at the Institute, he has a good mind for business, and he advised Sirius how to handle finances since he was like 17 hahah. He has a political mind, and does his thing at the Ministry and has invested and doubled his inheritance(s). He also has that Black connection to the stars. That's quite a lot already. He's in a better position than most others, gifted by nature and by his privilege as a Black. As for within the Black family, he suffers from being compared to Sirius. The way Andromeda suffered from being compared to Bellatrix.

Andromeda and Regulus would stand out in most crowds; just not in a crowed that includes Sirius and Bellatrix, who are both ridiculously over the top. The way Cygnus and Alphard, both quite accomplished men, faded to history when compared to Orion. The way everyone in Old Sirius' generation faded away because they had that Special Cookie to be compared to.

Both Sirius and Orion were such good at managing their households that Cygnus and Regulus and Alphard could 'relax', so to speak.

Regulus was born to be a 'spare', and he quite enjoys his role. He has a long lists of accomplishments, but yes, they'll always fall behind Sirius, because how do you beat that, really? He is dutiful, and perfectly ready to step in, in case Sirius dies/runs away. As it is, Sirius is alive and well and competent, so Regulus is just enjoying his extra privileged life.

"No cunning, no duelling, no responsibility." He is cunning, since he is a proud Slytherin. He can duel, but why would he? Walburga can duel, Cissa can duel, Astrid can duel, Arcturus could duel, Lucius can duel, they were all educated but there's no reason for them to duel. Even Sirius and Bella only got in a duel once in 11 years, and that was when they went to France. They are a part of the ruling class, not like people would attack them in the streets for them to have a need to resort to fights. And he does have responsibilities, he manages his fortune, he takes care of his daughter, and he is there to support Sirius, and to do whatever Sirius asks of him. But he's, again, a very privileged, rich dude, one that is not in charge of the entire Black family, just his wife and daughter- what extra responsibility could he have?

I will write a fic where he is one of the main characters, one day, but I never plan to make him Extra Special. He is Sirius' double, his shadow. 'less than Sirius' as Harry himself notes just by looking at a picture. And that's the interesting part of his character, for me. That he lived in the shadow of his older, charismatic, extremely handsome and rebellious brother. Even Slughorn, in book 6, when asked about Regulus, the only thing he says 'he was my student but I wish Sirius would have been in my House, too'. He is remembered, even by the readers of the book, as Sirius' brother, first and foremost. I find it fascinating to explore that dynamic, truly, and what it would do to someone, to always be compared and contrasted with his older sibling.

[raycatz]

*peaks into the LU tag* oh drama?

*tries to find a source* ah them again.

Make what you want forever! LU is an AU and does not adhere strictly to loz canon. LU fanon does not adhere strictly to LU or to loz canon, and how things are written vary between person both within the LU fandom and LOZ.

I agree that the purity "you can't do this" "oh they're siblings" "oh but they're mirror counterparts" shit needs to stop. Creators in the LU fandom struggle with people trying to police this as well. I'm sorry those purity gatekeeping whatever folks tend to come from the LU fandom. It pisses me off too. It's something creators on both sides are fighting!

LU is one comic and headcanons/background in that comic and in the fandom do not apply across the board to other linksmeets. However, LU is going to be what many people are coming from and I can understand that that's frustrating.

I also agree that there's a lot of game knowledge not used or known in LU fandom stuff. Everyone is coming from different places of access to the games or time to watch let's plays. Doing homework and research should not be a requirement to engage with fandom. It should be something someone wants to do for fun. If you don't like their interpretation, block and move on.

and I'm sure guilt tripping and insulting people is a great method to get them to do what you want /sarcasm

The LU fandom was once a lot better / gave a lot more focus to researching and comparing and contrasting the games. A lot of the initial character building in the earlier fandom days was from dissecting the games and it was SO MUCH FUN. I think that part of the fandom has kind of died down and it's unfortunate. More prevalence is given to the existing fanon instead of understanding where or why that fanon came about, or looking to the games. (whenever I see people asking for if there's a fandom consensus on something I have to resist the urge to tell them that There Is None. There are more frequent uses, but no One Right Way to do something, and that's how it should be. Write what you think is most interesting without worrying about what others may expect. The beauty in the LU fandom for a while was how varied the fandom made the designs, or hcs. It was almost as though each portrayal was it's own slightly different LinksMeet and we were just sharing the cast and building them up together, and that has pretty much come to a slow and steady halt.) (There are youtube videos about the LU characters even which fail to differentiate between LU comic canon, LOZ canon, Jojo's Q&As, and fanon, and it's frustrating!) However, it is what it is? Imo we, (I?-) Should be doing what we can to disambiguate the information instead of picking fights.

I should not be giving time to loz-LU drama rn. However, if people want resources on game info or character analysis hit me up!

There's a good number of LU posts that explore the characters from a game perspective (granted that they're from the LU fandom 2020~2022). If you want to know where a fandom hc came from there are explanations. There are a number of websites for accurate loz game info, and I have playthroughs I could recommend.

(edit: this post has escaped containment somewhat despite being untagged and nonreblogable. I'm going to add sources because context is important.

Here's the post I saw in the linked universe tag that inspired mine. [here]. I scrolled further on their blog to see what might have inspired this post and found this, the OP of which is who I'm referring to with the "them again."

I have a follow-up post looking into what inspired ["them again" unnamed artist] here. I ask that you please read the comments on both my posts as well because, again, there is more context.

What happened wasn't the LU fandom's fault in this case but was blamed on the LU fandom anyways. This has happened before from this artist as well. Not to mention the time they read a LU fic they didn't like, asked their followers to share what they hated about LU fanon, (and the post blew up with thousands of notes of hatred towards LU fandom headcanons and creations. and there was understandably a response from LU creators saying how this was incredibly discouraging to see from an artist they respect, and that they hope people continue to create anyways) and then the artist lashed out at the LU fans who were encouraging others (and the artist themself!) to continue to create (I could go into it but it would require another post...)

This has been ongoing.

Please do not let the narrative be turned into "look at the LU fandom attacking itself again." In this scenario, the bashing of people not knowing loz lore / bashing of LU headcanons was directed at the LU fandom from someone against it, which incensed an individual within the fandom to join in. If you've seen LU fans encouraging each other to continue to create, it is not because LU fans are attacking each other, but because of this one artist's influence and the subsequent thousands of notes on their post (comments and reblogs full of people saying how much they hate LU, the fandom, and creations the fandom has made) and how discouraging that is to see.

If anything, the LU fandom (at least amongst the creators I know) have come out stronger and more unified from this. Let's continue to hold each other up!)

[swarmishstrangers]

Hesdcanon(s) on how Folly would react on realizing she's falling in love? (x reader)

either that or elaborate more on BPD Folly :3 I'm a curious pea of why you have that hesdcanon!!

I can give you both!! Sorry, you present me with an opportunity to talk about Folly I'm GYUNNA do it cause I love her and I love talking about her ehheehh I kick my feet. Also! As a general disclaimer. I'm someone who heavily suspects I have BPD and also, please acknowledge that while I worked off the best I could, that some of experiences I gave Folly either can or might be absent from someone else. BPD is an individual experience and may look different from person to person. I did my best!

! TW for brief mentions of suicidal ideation + depersonalization in regards to talking about Folly !

Gonna start with elaboration on my BPD headcanon for her first as BPD and how that comes to relationships is very important when it comes to me talking about when she realizes she's in love. BPD is a personality disorder characterized by unstable moods and emotions that come about due to *trauma*. I don't need to say much else about Folly herself to know that she does in fact maybe sorta kinda..has trauma. Lol.

But!! Here's the thing that a lot of people don't know (I was this way once too) is that BPD has different types as to how it can manifest + it can be multiple at once and can be subject to change to different types and fluctuate. Me and my best friend @peopleeeater have discussed BPD when it comes to Folly specifically in terms of what types she'd fall under or have been observed to possibly fall under. It's a little difficult? Mainly because Folly is just a complicated character when it comes to her mentality. Here's the ones I think she can fall under though,

- Impulsive

-Self-destructive

-Petulant

Not only is she seen generally being hostile to most characters (not exactly a sure fire sign of BPD but bare with me), but also very subtly in the game she alludes to have suicidal ideation with how she projects her wants for "freedom" onto Melanie when referring to how she killed Melanie + in one of the floppies (written from the perspective of Null).

Sorry if this is kinda heavy! But one of the symptoms of BPD is suicidal tendencies or suicidal ideation. Folly talks about how shes immortal and how most things can't kill her seemingly, meaning she *feels* stuck and trapped in the hell she was saddled with. The only reason she says shes working with MR is because she feels as if MR can grant her that mercy, that freedom.

Another reason why I headcanon she has BPD is her contrasting inner dialogue/conversations she has with MR and some with Null compared to the rest of the characters. From interactions had with NPCs, you know Folly and how she just picks, nudges, pokes, and prods and people to get under their skin, to invoke a bad reaction or kick them while they're down. These are all but gone when it comes to MR.

This shows a level of rawness/a teensy amount of vulnerability to how she truly feels about herself. A lot of the times when it comes to talking about herself to other characters she'll try and put herself above them, as they're lessers, just her food, play things to her that she can bat around within reason. This versus this conversation with MR, we know it's maybe just a front *or* maybe it's simultaneous, maybe this feeling can switch back and forth.

One more thing that I use in game that leads me to headcanon this is her canonical depersonalization issues. Depersonalization refers to someone's feeling of themselves being separate and outside of their own body, feelings, and emotions. Like feeling detached or like you're looking in on yourself rather than feeling like you're feeling those things. It's also a symptom of BPD.

(Comic by CatJammi, not in full, creator of Folly).

But!! I have general thoughts and headcanons about her BPD outside of what I use in game. Can expound on those too if someone asks! You just asked for why I personally came to that conclusion so im showing you stuff in game or said by the creator to show why.

With this, I use this in mind when it comes to writing Folly in relationships, as BPD plays a factor in one's relationships they have with people. Folly is not medicated nor has she had any help in the forms of a therapist, so this may lead to more volatile or snap reactions, but I imagine the longer she's in said relationship, the more you gain her trust, the more she'll be able to reel it in a little or realize when she needs to be alone.

ꨄ When she realizes she's in love, she's two things. This is the most furious she can ever be at herself...and the most terrified she's ever felt, burying deep into her very bones. Her knee-jerk reaction when she realizes is to isolate herself, to stop talking to you or being around you. To snap, be mean, to get you away from her. She has this perpetual need to make people hate her. It's just. So much easier. Much less to deal with. Not only is "love" something she'll never understand..but it's also something she feels a deep guilt over. She doesn't deserve that. She doesn't deserve happiness. And yet..it makes her so angry how much she feels the need to still seek it, to seek that person. It's a waging battle that pulls her thin and it angers her.

ꨄ You anger her. How *dare* you? Thinking you can work your way into her good graces like this. How do you think you're an exception? Do you think you can change her? How she is? Who she is? Do you think you can tame a *monster*? You're doing this to feel better about yourself aren't you? To try and fix her? <- this is what we call a #BPD moment because it's the snap anger response as to possible ulterior motives and assumptions on her part of how you actually feel towards her. When..shes thinking more rationally..these dissipate. And she feels sick, angry, and guilty about herself all over again. Her skin itches..

ꨄ Falling in love is usually a time where someone might feel happy, giddy, nervous, catch the butterflies...but Folly just feels an eruption, a cacophony of emotions and most of them bad. She doesn't deserve it, doesn't deserve you, you can do better, you cant possibly want a monster like her. You want someone normal, someone not broken, someone who has done unforgivable things like she did. You can't. You can't possibly want her, she thinks..

ꨄ Ultimately, this is a topic to be broached and initiated by *you*. Folly won't. She can't be the one who initiates it. It isn't a refusal out of nervousness, but out of pride and the need to isolate. She's already got it in her head that you're not going to reciprocate. And she hates that horrible maddening back and forth her mind keeps jumping to. *No*, she shouldn't be with you...oh but how she craves it, to have that visceral need to cling to you, to be selfish. But *no*, no she mustn't, she can't have you, doesn't deserve to have you, She shouldn't dare lower herself, to break so easy. Its maddening to her. And it's a conversation to be initiated by you. 50/50 chance of it going alright or bursting into flames lol.

[physalian]

“Likable” vs “Compelling” Protagonists

Protagonist does not mean “good guy” it means “the person the story is about”.

Antagonist does not mean “bad guy” it means “person in opposition to the protagonist”.

We know this, yes?

So when I’m talking about “likable” protagonists I do not mean that your MC has to be witty, funny, charming, etc—they have to be compelling.

I didn’t much care for Death Note, I thought Light got away with way too much without consequences for his actions, but he was very much the villain and the protagonist. He was an arrogant narcissist with a god complex and you watched the show not to see him win, but to see how badly he would eventually lose.

This was because, despite my dislike of his story, Light was a compelling character. You don’t necessarily agree with his motivations, but you do understand why he does what he does and why he believes what he does about himself and his world.

In contrast, one of my favorite anime is Code Geass. Lelouch (who is often compared to Light) is *constantly* getting kicked in the ass by his own hubris. He's arrogant as well, but he makes mistakes everywhere and suffers if not immediate comeuppance, then drastic consequences later down the line. Which, to me, made a far more compelling character than someone like Light playing with cheat codes.

Most of the time, “likable” and “compelling” go hand in hand, because your protagonist is the “good guy” that we’re supposed to root for.

So one of the worst mistakes I think you can make is writing a hero who just doesn’t want to be here.

—

I recently read a story where MC needed to win a competition, baseline unsponsored underdog story, and everyone loves an underdog. The problem was the MC’s attitude. Nothing pleased them and in their internal monologue, nothing was good enough and everyone else was the problem. They actually hate competitions and can’t wait for this to be over…even though no one forced them into it with a gun to their head. They hate all their competitors for behavior they themself exhibit. They hate their lone sponsor for being a sleezeball, and yet, chose to enter a voluntary competition, knowing this sponsor’s behavior, and still blaming the sponsor for their problems.

The entire time I was reading all I kept thinking was, “Then go home, bitch!”

This was not a high-stakes competition, and the MC didn’t have dire enough circumstances for the reader to believe this was a "life-or-death, even if it sucks, MC has to win," type situation. Not like Hunger Games. This was all completely voluntary.

So I started wondering if the author meant the MC to be the villain with all these personality flaws, but they’re still the underdog with no wins under their belt to support their level of entitled arrogance and no notable skills that make them inherently better than the competition.

So I was rooting for the MC to lose, and I don’t think I was supposed to. Even if I was, the mixup between “underdog hero” and “catty bitchy villain” was too confusing for too much of the story. MC didn't have to be here, didn't want to be here, so... why was MC here?

—

Some suggestions for compelling motivations for your protagonist boils down to this:

Define as quickly as you can these three things for your protagonist of any walk:

What the protagonist wants

How the protagonist plans to get it

And what’s in their way

Specify the stakes, if not physical, then personal. It doesn’t have to be life-or-death, but if they’re entering a risky situation, whatever it is has to be extremely important to them. Luca doesn’t have as high stakes as, say, Toy Story 3 but the moped race is important to the heroes, thus a compelling motivation.

Make this a journey they actually want to be on. Even if it’s grimdark or horror, if your hero is complaining the entire time and wanting to go home, yet plowing forward anyway because the plot’s dragging them on a leash, your audience will be as invested in the story as that character. If they don’t actually have the commitment to see their quest through, why should the audience care?

Alternatively, make this a journey they cannot afford to walk away from. Whether that be pressure from without or within. Frodo didn’t have to take the One Ring to Mordor. He chose to, because it was, in his mind, the right thing to do. He suffered his entire journey with the Ring and got homesick and depressed and discouraged, but he never called his own journey stupid and dumb. He could have put the Ring down and walked away or given it to somebody else, but he chose to carry on, because that’s who he is.

Even reluctant chosen ones have an ulterior reason for remaining in the story. Your long-lost princess might not want the throne being thrust upon her, but she’s chasing something else that accepting the throne and going along with the plot will give her. Maybe it’s power, respect, vengeance, money, protection, connections. So she’ll tolerate the nonsense so long as it still gets her what she wants and her struggle might be trying to not let herself get corrupted by the allure of politics and “the game��. Or, she's playing along merely to stay alive and actively trying to escape and return to her simpler life.

Popular example: Percy Jackson is a reluctant chosen one throughout his entire story in every book, even Last Olympian where he insists that he's the unknown prophecy child. In The Lightning Thief he doesn’t give a damn about the quest for the Master Bolt, he’s there to get his mom back, and cooperating with the quest will give him the means to achieve his goal, and along the way, finds that he doesn’t quite hate it as much as he thought he would.

—

So. Yeah. In no way, shape, or form does your protagonist have to be “likable”. If someone tells you they aren’t, they probably mean that your protagonist is contradictory, or lacks compelling motivation and drive, and lacks a clear goal or aspiration that will define their story. Or, they lack drive to even participate in the story at all.

Or they simply mean that your charcater, who you intend to be likeable, has a nasty flaw that would turn readers off, but a beta should be able to tell you that one easily. If they can't come up with a solid reason why your charcater is unlikable, it's probably a motivation issue.

The earliest draft of a WIP that shall never see the light of day had my protagonist sent on a glorified space field trip by her parents, and wasn’t happy to be there. This not only made her unlikable, but also uncompelling. She didn’t want to participate in the plot and only did it to hold up her end of the deal, she wasn’t excited about the actual trip nor making friends, and eventually grew into it far too late in the story.

I then changed it to have the trip be her idea, and she ran away from home to chase this dream she had. Doing so gave her much more agency as an MC and gave her an immediate motive and goal so you wanted to see her succeed right from the get go.

Even villain protagonists have a goal, and generally they very much enthusiastically want to be in this story. You don’t have to like them, but you do have to want to root for them, if not for their success, then their eventual downfall in a blaze of glory.

—

Interested in a fantasy novel without a "chosen one" protagonist? Eternal Night of the Northern Sky is up for preorder in ebook, paperback on sale 8/25/24. Subscribe for updates if you'd like~

[oneforblu]

skip and loafer 71 thoughts

WOW. another beautiful chapter. i love where the story is going with shima's character!! finally, we're starting to unravel all the parts shima has been hiding away. compared to the last cultural festival, shima has made significant progress by taking small steps to become someone he can be proud of. along those steps, he is finally addressing the issues with his mother. for so long, shima has put on a facade to please the people around him, but slowly, he's starting to become his own person. one thing he has to finally face is his relationship with his mother.

after so long, we finally get to see what his mom has been thinking. we understood that shima's relationship with his mother was perfect, but he constantly felt pressure to please her, which ultimately caused a rift in their relationship. seeing her point of view shows us she truly wanted the best for shima but came about it the wrong way and ended up selfishly wanting things to work out for HERSELF. shima just wanted to make her mother proud, and her mother wanted shima to become a star, no matter what the cost. being a single mother is difficult; no one can truly understand that position unless they have lived it themselves.

however, it's clear that even if her intentions were pure, deep down, she wanted to use shima to prove to herself that all her sacrifices were worth it. motherhood requires a lot of sacrifice. you constantly do what's best for your child and even put their needs before your own. i emphathize with shima's mother. it's understandable to do everything you can to give your child the best opportunities. however, sometimes parents put all their hopes and dreams onto their children without meaning to. shima's success became more than what was best for him; it also became his mother's only hope.

the contrast between shima's family dynamic and mitsumi's family dynamic is so well done. in the past few chapters, we've seen how supportive and close mitsumi is with her family. you could easily tell from how confident she is that she grew up with a lot of love. shima, on the other hand, grew up constantly feeling the world on his shoulders. he did all he could to make his mom proud, and all that pressure eventually broke him down. the theme of family is handled exceptionally well in skip and loafer; i love seeing how different dynamics impact the characters.

acting caused shima a lot of pain. parts of it were fun and even fulfilling, but the stress of trying to be the best actor and the best son made it unbearable. even after not acting for so long, shima still felt pressure to act "perfectly. He spent so long doing what he believed everyone wanted that it caused him to lose sight of what he truly wants out of life. he put acting on hold; he didn't have many meaningful connections with people, and he hadn't properly dealt with his mother. but now, all he wants to do is his best. after meeting mitsumi and growing a beautiful relationship with her, shima understands that he wants to stand beside her.

it takes so courage to change the way you've lived for so long. the moment shima decided that he WANTED to be on stage again was the beginning of his journey. i'm so excited to see how shima performs in the next chapter! i am incredibly proud of all the progress he has made. each and every chapter, shima is steadily working to become the person he's always wanted to be. it makes me so emotional to see how far he's come from the beginning of the story. i hope shima has a talk with his mom because I believe that once he clears the air and speaks honestly from the heart, he'll feel much more confident in his self-discovery journey.

i LOVED this chapter!!!!!! i am so in love with this story, and each chapter just reminds me of how beautiful skip and loafer is. i'm so excited for what's next!!

[ninadove]

And because I now have fancy new tags to put to good use…

Thoughts on Miraculous S6 E2: The Illustrhater 🎨

Please note that this is a salt-free space. I do not want to see even a grain of salt in my notes. You will be blocked on sight. Cool? Cool. (And even if it’s not cool with you… well… blocked on sight… so…)

First things first: the new animation style is actually really cute and works really well in context! Chat in particular looks great, contrary to what that first promotional poster made us fear. Adrien as a civilian might be the one who suffered most, probably because of the hairstyle change… It will need some getting used to, but overall, I like what I’ve seen so far. So much love and care was put into the smallest details, like the sparkles on Mari’s tights!

Special mention:

SHE HAS SPIKES????? LITTLE HAIR SPIKES????? IN HER HAIR????? AND DRAGON SCALES????? AND SLIT PUPILS????? AND HER SUIT LAYS EVEN MORE INTO THE ASYMETRIC VIBE, HIGHLIGHTING HOW MUCH INDEPENDENCE SHE GAINED AND HOW COMFORTABLE SHE IS WITHOUT THE PRESSURE OF BEING PERFECT ALL THE TIME????? AND SHE LOOKS SO HAPPY????? LIKE SHE’S HAVING SO MUCH FUN????? LIKE SOMEONE IN HER LIFE HAS BEEN A GOOD INFLUENCE MAYBE????? 🥺🥺🥺🥺

… Apologies, I seem to have lost the plot for a minute. Where was I?

Oh, yeah. If one thing is clear from this first look at S6, it’s that Marinette’s secrets will catch up to her at some point. The writers lay it on thick in both Alyanette scenes and with the “Even as superheroes, they share everything” DJWiFi/Love Square contrast! It’s not exactly a surprise, but with how many people claimed we would never hear a single word about the Agreste plotline again, I feel somewhat… vindicated.

Marinette not knowing how to act around Adrien actually makes a lot of sense to me? She’s had to be his rock through his grieving process, meaning she has functionally not left Ladybug Mode since the end of S5. Of course when she gets a chance to chill and actually do regular couple things, she gets terribly scared! Seeing her trying to imitate other couples was so funny and cute… Did you know I love her… And Adrien was such a wet cold lost kitten through it all… Did you know I love him…

That being said, this felt like an Alyanette episode first and an OT4 episode second. I loved seeing these four work as a group again! Nino was simply too precious and I loved Adrinette “““covering up””” for Renapace. Rena grabbed Ladybug’s hand for their little manoeuvre like it was second nature to her, which is very reminiscent of Bumbleby from RWBY, aka the Sapphic Battle Couple!

(And that Chekov’s gun… I’m sure we’ve all seen Chekov’s gun…… We shall not mention it yet……… It’s there and we know where it’s headed…………)

But of course. Of course. The character who shone the brightest in this episode? Was Lila.

It’s clear from the get-go how different she is from Monarch!!! Smarter, more manipulative, but perhaps also… more compassionate, in a twisted way…? She gives her victims the illusion of choice (“Only if you agree, of course” // “And what shall I call you?”), making herself small when she first approaches them only to reveal her full size when the magic takes over.

AND YET it seems to me she must know pain intimately to leverage it so well… Really makes you ponder the Manon theory, especially when comparing Illustrhater and Puppeteer’s costumes…

Another key difference with Gabriel is that she is on the field, constantly observing and taking notes, which is extremely scary but also exposes her to more risks. I’m very curious to learn more about this chameleon magic of hers and what she means by “you’ll know nothing about me, about us, bout them”… She seems to think of herself as the center of a web, a spider rather than a butterfly, if you will!

(Also, the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the Diabolo menthe reference was intentional!)

[so-i-did-this-thing]

Long time lurker, first time caller (asker?) I just had this realization reading your responses to ask. I think it's interesting to know people feel that way about being compared to fictional characters and celebrities, and I get why with your explanation. I've never been told I look I look like any one, and those trends of "what celebrity or fictional character do you look like?" I always skip answering even when all of my friends are because I feel like I don't look like any one. I think I have this creeping feeling of, I know why I don't think I think I look like any one, but I can't accept it because I am afraid of it. Like, I just keep "talking myself out of" accepting my trans feelings. I think it's because when I think of my "ideal" state, it's not really Masculine or Feminine, but I wont ever fit the popular western idea of Androgenous. Sorry, I don't have any one to talk about this with, and even if you don't publish it knowing some one else sees it helps a lot.

Please be safe.

You make some really good points here. Humans love to compare and contrast, but again, that can lead to hurt feelings and erasure, especially as Western beauty standards double down.

It can suck actually *not* being regularly compared to someone, too, when you're in a culture that values that -- feeling like the only kid in grade school who didn't get a Valentine. We really need to break out of the idea that comparisons are a compliment, even when intended as such. It's really a "read the room" sort of thing and deeply personal.

And your example of comparisons making you feel trapped because you can't see yourself in *any* of the choices out there. Yeah, oof. It's a big part of why so few of my male role models have ever been younger men.

I hope you're able to find inspiration out there for your style, and find some freedom to explore who you are.

[paxesoterica]

I fell behind on GQuuuuuuX watching, but recently caught up (as of episode 5).

I don't think I've written down my thoughts about the show previously, so here are my notes so far:

*I love the vibrancy of the colors in this show, especially the multi-colors used for character eyes.

*Machu's impulsive willingness to use violence for the sake of others is a nice contrast to her shock at seeing people actually die, and I'm curious where her character development is going to go from there. Compared to past Gundam protagonists, I'd say right now she bears the most resemblance to Kamille, but I can't help but note a few Suletta undertones as well; to be sure, she strongly contrasts with Suletta's initial desire for a 'normal life', but the two share a sense of justice and willingness to stand up for others, as well as an initial willingness to let someone else guide their actions.

*Machu is heavily associated with jellyfish, including a stylized jellyfish on her beanie and slippers; even the wire attacks of both the Witch and the Black Tri-Stars are arguably evocative of jellyfish using their tendrils to attack prey. Some types of jellyfish are known to be bioluminescent, to which her desire for Kira-Kira might allude, and while jellyfish can swim, they'll sometimes let themselves be carried along by the current or the wind, letting an external force guide them rather than relying on their own strength.

*Something is up with Machu's Haro. It's possible it might be connected with Amuro, due to it being a Haro and being able to unlock the Psycommu functions of the GQuuuuuuX. I also can't help but think the fact that Amuro's dad, Dr. Tem, didn't suffer brain damage in this timeline, is going to be significant somehow.

*Nyaan is still a bit mysterious, but the last episode affirmed for me that her most prominent trait is pragmatism, and a willingness to do what she needs to to get through the day.

*Her vision of Kira-Kira is notably different from the one shared between Shuji, Machu, and Shiiko, and I think that might be due to how Machu and Shiiko were both drawn toward Shuji/the Red Gundam (albeit for very different reasons) and thereby his vision of Kira-Kira, while Nyaan realized she couldn't rely on Shuji and had to resort to her own strength instead. Perhaps, in time, Machu's perception of Kira-Kira will change into something different as well.

*I've heard some folks mention that Nyaan might be Thai, based on her skin tone and (nick?)name, and her situation is an allusion to the real world struggles of Thai immigrants in Japan. I'm unfortunately not particularly well-informed on that, but I will note that development on GQuuuuuuX started a little bit after the 2019 anime film, Seven Days War, which has a prominent plot point of Japanese high school students protecting a Thai immigrant kid from the police. That connection might seem a bit tenuous, but please note that the main writer was Ichiro Okouchi, and that this film also featured a prominent plot point of the male protagonist's crush revealing that she was a lesbian and actually in love with her best friend, with both said friend accepting those feelings and the protagonist being gracious about the situation, so arguably the film has a stronger connection to Gundam than you might think.

*Shuji gives me Anthy vibes, in the sense of being a potential friend to the protagonist, but who's under the influence of some malevolent other that may drive the two to conflict instead.

*Shuji's alias for Clan-Bat is 'Hara Herimushi', which apparently translates to 'Hungry Tapeworm', referring to a parasite that can live in the intestines and cause stomach troubles (or, in its larval cyst form, it might instead be located in the brain and cause a change of behavior).

*Shuji is way too casual/calm about killing somebody in a combat game that doesn't need to be lethal, but considering how helpful he's been in making money for everyone, it makes sense why Machu and Nyaan are ignoring all these glaring red flags.

*Shippers, as they say, will ship, but my current assessment on that front is that Machu has some attraction to Nyaan and Shuji, Nyaan has some attraction to Machu, and Shuji doesn't really seem interested in either that way. The last episode ended on a cliffhanger that would seem to indicate that Machu and Nyaan are going to 'fight over a dude', and I can certainly see why some viewers might genuinely believe that, but I trust Yoji Enokido, who is one of the main writers on the show, to be more nuanced and complicated than that. In any event though, these three are on some sort of collision course, and I can only hope they fare better than Amuro, Char, and Lalah did.

*This post analyzes our main trio by of comparing them to Enokido's previous work on characters from Revolutionary Girl Utena and Diebuster, and I recommend reading it if you haven't already.

*Speaking of which, I do find it funny how people keep overlooking his work in favor of Hideaki Anno. I feel that if more people paid attention, they would recall that he's previously been the main writer on both Revolutionary Girl Utena and Star Driver, both of which utlilized a duel format for its fights up until the end, so the Clan-Bat stuff feels like a pretty natural progression from that. The show might shift to outright war toward the end, especially if a Season 2 gets announced after episode 12, but I wouldn't necessarily expect or count on that.

*The TV series omits mentioning the Rose of Sharon or Char's fight with Sayla, but since it frames the 0079 portion as a flashback being recounted by Challia, I'm guessing he may simply not know those details, and hopefully both events will be revealed in a later recount. Shuji does mention that the Red Gundam is looking for 'a rose' on Earth, which means that my initial speculation that Shuji might be the Rose of Sharon is probably incorrect (and it's also probably not any of the major characters we've seen so far, assuming that the Rose is a person and not an object of some sort).

*I don't think any of the theories that any of the new characters are secretly old characters from previous UC shows are correct, but I wouldn't be surprised if several of them are linked to previous characters in ways that we simply don't know about yet.

*I've seen some folk speculate that, because the Zeon trio is running after the main trio toward the end of the opening credits, that means our leads will be joining the Zeon crew. However, I think it just means they're all ultimately after the same thing, and that doesn't necessarily indicate they'll engage in jolly cooperation; they could very well be rivals instead.

*Shiiko Sugai reminds me a bit of Juri Arisugawa from Revolutionary Girl Utena, in their beliefs of 'there are no chosen ones/Newtypes' vs. 'there's no such thing as miracles', and even a little bit in how both want more from life than the expected 'traditional' roles of women. Unlike Juri, Shiiko seems to be straight, but she clearly wants more than just a life as a wife and mother, and I can't help but contrast her continued pursuit of a combat role with how Fraw Bow and Mirai Yashima became relegated to background characters in Zeta while their husbands continued fighting.

*I actually wondered if Shiiko might be related Mirai or Bright considering that she has the GQuuuuuuX equivalent of dot eyes, but at this point it seems to have just been a stylistic allusion to 0079 than anything deeper.

*Challia seems way too cheerful about a civilian stealing a secret military project under his purview, and using its experimental systems for a combat game. Perhaps he's hoping it will cause a second Zeknova, and give him the opportunity to learn more about Char's fate.

*Challia's casual acceptance of Nyaan's brutal use of her Mav suggests that, in contrast to his genial demeanor and seemingly kindly treatment of Xavier, he has some rather unhealthy ideas about how relationships should work...but perhaps that should be expected of a man who's still 'in the thrall of the Red Comet' a good five years after the latter's disappearance.

[atopvisenyashill]

About queer characters in the world of Westeros: do you think it's possible that GRRM supercharged F&B with queer women because someone pointed out to him that there were so few of them in the main series compared to the queer men?

To explain, there are about 15 queer male characters in the main books: at the Wall, there are Garth Greyfeather, Alf of Runnymudd, and Satin; in the North, there's Whoresbane Umber; in the Vale, there's Lyn Corbray, in King's Landing, there's two Ibbenese men who are a couple; in the Reach, there's Loras; in the Stormlands, there's Renly, JonCon, and Balon Swann, in Dorne, there's Oberyn (bi), in Essos, there's Myles Toyne, Bokkoko, and Xaro Xhoan Daxos.

In contrast, there are only 4 queer female characters in the main books, only 2 of whom even appear on page: Ellaria (bi), Lady Nym, and the Fowler twins. There's multiple sex scenes between women in the books, but all the characters involved are straight: Dany just needs a helping hand, Cersei is trying to process her rape by hurting another woman the way she was hurt, Irri is just doing her duty, and Taena just wants gold, land, honors, and a better life for her son Russell.

The number and prominence of queer women being lower than that of queer men continues in TWOIAF, where there are 7 new gay male characters (Laenor, Joffrey, and Qarl, Daemon II and Alyn Cockshaw, Daeron and Jeremy Norridge), but only 4 queer female characters (Alys Harroway [bi], Sabitha Frey, Essie and Sylvenna Sand).

So on the whole, before F&B, queer male characters in these books were many and varied and important, while queer female characters were few and often sidelined, and also GRRM contriving reasons for straight girls to do sexual things with one another on-page could be viewed as needlessly tittilating as well as not taking queer female sexuality seriously, treating it as a show to be put on for men.

So I was wondering if maybe GRRM made an active choice to fill up F&B with lesbians because someone had pointed out that there was little representation of queer women in the books and he was criticized, or he was afraid to be criticized and accused of misogyny by the fandom (some people say that GRRM isn't influenced by his fanbase, but I think he is more thin-skinned and anxious to please than we realize). So maybe someone went after him with the metaphorical tommy gun and was like "Where are the queer ladies, George? Give them to me!!!" and he was like "Okay, don't be mean to me, I'll course-correct, I'll have Rhaena be gay and give her lots of girlfriends and throw in Jeyne Arryn and Jessamyn Redfort on top, will that make you happy?"

So do you think that GRRM was pandering to the fans with making queer women characters have their moment in the sun out of fear of criticism, or that he was gently nudged, perhaps by a friend, to try and represent a previously underrepresented demographic?

Lastly, what do you think of my gaydar? I think I got all the queer characters in one go (barring the intersex Sweets and the "trans" characters, which are rooted in old-fashioned stereotypes about crossdressers). Some fans think that Blackfish and Hotah are gay, but I think that Blackfish was hopelessly in love with his sister-in-law Minisa and Hotah is hopelessly in love with his little princess, Arianne. If they were gay, GRRM would have made it really obvious, as he is never subtle about these things; even a gay man that most readers have missed, Balon Swann, is really obvious once you put together the clues:

-before he joined the Kingsguard, Lady Tanda offered him Lollys as a beard;

-Tyrion had a laugh at Cersei's expense when he saw her flirting with Balon;

-Balon is on a first-name basis with Loras (I headcanon that Balon has an unrequited crush);

-Balon is visibly uncomfortable when Arianne aggessively flirts with him (and he's the second man she couldn't seduce after Renly).

Caveat I’m doing some nitpicking with some of the langauge here, I hope it’s taken in the way I mean it which is just like, discussion based rather than any sort of accusation or anything.

But yeah I have basically said this altho I don’t think it’s just ahout queer women. Obviously there are significantly more queer men, and that’s a Whole Thing - one of my favorite shows, Spartacus, does this too & SDK did eventually apologize for the way he was framing the whole thing. It tends to come from this place that like, putting queer men in a series is groundbreaking but putting queer women in a series is titillating. well, that’s only true if you think queer women exist for the male gaze, if you write queer women for the male gaze. once you realize what you’re doing, i think it becomes very clear that it’s dumb, but you have to realize what it is you are doing first. I think it's pretty obvious that GRRM just eventually realized there WAS this disparity and his rationale for this disparity is goofy. whether that was promoted by a friend, a fan, or something else, i mean, who's to say.

but also, people and me specifically, joke about george being afraid of anal for a reason. look at the characters listed - a lot of them aren’t like, SUPER prominent. with the sole exception of joncon, none of them are povs, and they usually aren’t as prominent compared to other members of their family like loras being very much behind both Olenna & Margaery for page time, with oberyn being probably the main exception there. like, "more queer men" but the list includes two random ibbenese guys? do queer men exist over women? sure. but i wouldn’t call that “variance” lol

I think you’re not wrong that George is kind of fishing for positive feedback but I think there's this very 4chan brained way of thinking when it comes to assigning rationale to george here (this isn't just a this ask thing, it's in fandom a lot). Like, he’s just a very well read guy, and the culture has shifted a lot since he first started publishing. I see him get a lot of flack, for example, about clearly fucking up Emma D'arcy's pronouns all the time but like - is he doing that because he's actively transphobic or because he's old? Why do we assume he's doing it maliciously when he regularly works with and promotes newer authors including other nonbinary people? It's the same with his works - why do we assume he got browbeaten into adding queer characters when the most likely explanation is that he is a person who likes reading, and there has been an influx of queer academics and queer historians since the 90s that brought a subject he had never given much thought to, because he's cishet, to his attention? And in fact, this really fits with his ideas about telling “true” history as in he tries to make his history rooted in real history - admitting that yes gay people Have always existed, and making them prominent characters. So I think the combination of getting positive feedback on the characters he already had like Renly, Loras, Oberyn, Ellaria, and (imo) especially JonCon, made him want to push the envelope a little further and explore queerness in the context of his world. And this is how we get Rhaena, and the plethora of queer characters throughout the Dance, both textually and subtextually.

And I say this is a very 4chan way of thinking because this really goes into the idea that queer characters get added for “pandering” reasons by heterosexuals. I see this attitude a lot with like “don’t expect queerness from heterosexuals” okay but. George himself is very interested in sex, and then himself in his text introduced his own interest in queer sex. he wasn't actually held at gunpoint to make Rhaena a lesbian, or make JonCon gay or add Sweets and Satin - he did it because it served the narrative, and because he is interested in queerness. if he doesn’t want me to comment on it, he wouldn’t have added it. i think it’s a real cop out to say that straight authors shouldn’t be “expected” to write queerness (and i feel this way about other marginalizations). i think there are times the narrative is less strong because of an author clinging to the safety of heterosexuality! i think some people genuinely feel fear & discomfort when thinking of queer sex! if we are meant to engage w his views on women despite him being a man why are we not meant to engage with his views on queerness! i’m not letting that old man off the hook irdgaf!!! he is interested in sex, he is interested in queerness, and has thus attempted to explore this in his work. that’s not pandering, that’s gardening!

And in that vein, I think the description of the “sapphic sex” in this series as being him “contriving” to make straight girls fuck to be not very accurate, bordering on disingenous? esp re: dany just needs a helping hand. dany is, like cersei, working through her dysfunctional relationship with sex through the sexual abuse of a brown woman who cannot quite say no. i’ve made no secret on what i think of the dany/irri scene, but i think the cersei/taena scene is a more successful and moving version of that, and i think placing them in “george just likes girl on girl” is some stan brained sort of stuff. he’s objectively being weird when you take it into account of the story as a whole, but i don’t like framing two marital rape victims working through their trauma in disturbing ways as “titillating” when there’s so much more happening there. yeah i’m sure he DID write the taena scene with one hand down his pants but you can say that for the sept scene as well - and yet no one is making the argument that jaime forcing himself on cersei isn’t in the story for thematic reasons. it’s like saying ramsay only sexually abused theon bc george likes stockholm syndrome romances. that’s objectively true but it doesn’t mean there isn’t also a narrative purpose to theon experiencing sexual abuse from ramsay.

re: hotah and blackfish, i think the queer readings of them have just as much basis as any other, i don't really think any reading is "correct." i would agree that if they were “meant” to be gay, it would be more obvious, but i also feel like their motivations are purposefully unknown & muddled so like, death of the author lol idc what he meant, i’m choosing what’s most interesting, which is the point of making them so muddled. i don’t disagree that areo isn’t "meant" to be gay but i think he is heinously blank as a pov character and people saying he’s gay are searching for a reason to be invested in a character the narrative itself isn’t particularly invested in. i think also in general, areo being gay and having stayed in dorne bc it is marginally safer for a gay man than his home was, fits with the overreaching themes of focusing on the “bastards, cripples, and broken things” than areo being like so many of the men in this series and simply lusting after a girl he watched grow up. i get what you're saying re: hotah having feelings for arianne, and i'm not even saying i don't think it's out of the realm of possibility, but i'm saying i don't think it's going to have any sort of affect on arianne, and hotah will likely never admit to it in his own thoughts, so it doesn't really matter if people think he's in love with doran or not.

(I also don't read him as having feelings for arianne - imo his feelings are very focused on doran, and caring for doran, in a kind of echo to stannis & davos. like, what if stannis was old and frail and needed constant help? who would he turn to? he'd turn to davos, because davos would not judge him for being frail. areo can see doran has a sharp mind, like davos sees with stannis, and i think it makes sense he would stay for doran regardless of whether it's romantic or not. also, i just don't want him to have feelings for arianne lmao).

And finally I think Stannis very much deserves to be in the conversation. I don’t know that George has thought “Stannis is gay” but i DO think he’s pretty directly playing around with Stannis’ sexuality by making him weird & uptight towards his wife and then giving him the very sexual Melisandre as a magical advisor and lover and also Davos, who is very much treated by Selyse’ faction as Stannis’ lowborn “pet.” I think George has thought to himself that Stannis has an air of faggotry to him, at the very least. Also Daemon Sand - that comment about him being Oberyn’s lover could just be about Oberyn but it feels a little random to me to just throw it in there. I also think Rhaenyra, Laena, & Black Aly all deserve to be in the convo as well. I think there's purposefully some subtext going on with both Hull boys as well as Benjicot and Daeron.

[peachyfnaf]

If you could say something to all TSAMS characters, what would you say?

WHOOH boy, that's a fuckin' question and a half, ain't it? i'm prolly gonna piss some people off with this, let's see... i kidnapped most of these characters from polaris' list lol

So I don't go off on tangents for each of em, i'm gonna try to limit myself to 1-3 sentences

Sun: You've been through a lot, haven't you? Find something to do in life, something that you love because you want to, not something that you love out of obligation or programming. You're smarter and stronger than you think, stop being held back by the past.

Old Moon: You have not changed as much as you think you have- you still have some very toxic and abusive behaviors. You are not irredeemable, but you are deeply flawed. Take time, work on yourself, and understand that while making up for your past might be impossible; it's not impossible for you to carve out a future where you and those you love are happy.

New Moon/Nexus: Oh, you poor thing, what happened to you? You fucked up, but you didn't deserve the hand you were given in life, no one in your position would. Please, let yourself feel again- the pain of losing it all- only then will you be able to come back out the other side ready to love again.

Earth: As you've grown and experienced life, you've become very immature. This isn't directly a bad thing, but it contrasts with what you try to be, and makes you an unreliable person to go to with mental health struggles. Don't take life so personally, and push a little bit harder, there's no need to be so soft on people who reject help who clearly need it.

Lunar: I am BEGGING you to show some vulnerability. I know it's genuinely so fucking hard after all you've been through, but if you keep acting like you're okay after every loss then eventually you'll become a shell of a man. ...And also, respectfully, humble yourself- you are incredible, but you are not the main character.

Solar: Take a break. Please, for the sake of yourself and everyone you care about, take a break. You can't save anyone if you yourself are dying- and the people you are trying to reach won't extend their hand to a dying man. Take a break.

Eclipse (V4 Specifically): ...What can I even say to you other than that I am so incredibly proud of you. And that I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for everything you went through, being compared to someone you're not. I wish people would leave you alone, as you so desperately want to be, you more than deserve that peace.

Bloodmoon: You're a lot more put together than people give you credit for. I'm sorry you were made the way you were, with the inability to live life without being consumed by your urges. You were born a monster, and no one gave you the proper chance to become anything but one.

Ruin: I'm sorry to say this, I really am, but even though the life you lived was horrid and tragic, that gives you no right to end billions of innocent lives in your quest for justice and revenge. You have my sympathies for the trauma you experienced, but my sympathies end there. Everything you experience after the massacre you pulled is your victims coming to bite you in the ass.

Jack: I love you, so much- I love you for trying as hard as you do. Remember, it's okay to say no. You are still growing and have a lot of it to do, be kind to yourself when you make mistakes.

Dazzle: Sweet girl, the most precious thing. Never change who you are, you are literally the shining star in the darkness that is this world. Never forget how much you are loved, for it is more than you could ever know.

The Creator: No matter how many machines you build, what scientific discoveries you make, how much progress you offer to humanity, you will always be alone. No one will ever love you, and it's all your fault. Remember that when you die alone, old man.

Monty: Your violence is not funny, at least not at the severity of which you do it. You lying to your girlfriend is not funny. Do better or fuck off.

Foxy: You try so hard, and I appreciate it, but learn that there are some things that you can not fix, and some places where you shouldn't stick your nose in. It's okay to be "a rubber duck", it's okay to be normal. Stop trying to be something you're not and embrace what you can.

F.C: I love you so much kid. You're a bit wild and off your rocker, but you've also shown so much unexpected maturity. Stop growing up so fast, yeah?

Puppet: I can appreciate all that you try to do, but please, understand that you acknowledging that you make mistakes does not nullify them. You have been hypocritical time and time again, and you need to learn and grow from those experiences, not just brush them off. You are capable of great things- just learn to do them.

AND THATS EVERYONE. YIPPEE. im gonna go eat shrimp now lol

[storms-path]

So, How 'bout That Arcadion?

So I had (and still have) plans to do a write-up on Dawntrail's final dungeon and how it contrasts so interestingly with Amaurot and The Dead Ends after my analysis of Dawntrail and Conquerors, but then Arcadion decided to spring out of nowhere, grab me in a headlock and demand I talk about the music and how it reflects our new darling challengers.

So I'm gonna. As always, spoilers below, read at your own risk, etc. etc. Also I know very little about actual music theory so a lot of this is based on vibes and how things relate to themes and characters and all that. I'll leave the proper music analysis to the musicians. I'm here for the fighters!

So, let's start at the beginning with the cunning, cutting Black Cat. You might be surprised to know that Yaana and her theme were what inspired me to write about this in the first place! While her battle theme might not blow away anyone, that's kind of the point. She's a rookie, unestablished in Arcadion and just as hungry as you are, if not moreso, to prove herself a rising fighter.

The lack of any real lyrics aside from the crowd chants are very effective at displaying how the Black Cat lacks a proper identity at this point. That and the shared leitmotif with her sister (we'll get to her later) foreshadow that she is trying and failing to escape Eutrope's shadow. It's clear that even now Yaana's older sister's disappearance haunts her, to the point that she's following in Eutrope's footsteps to find the missing fighter, or failing that, answers.

Honey B. Lovely, on the other hand, is about as in-your-face as she can get. There's very little subtlety to this one, she wants your love and adoration forever and ever. And she wants so much more than only you can give. I do love the contrast between her song's incredibly chipper, saccharine sweet melodies and singing voice... as she's singing about essentially turning you into a mindless drone who will wait on her hand and foot, right down to threatening terrible violence if you manage to break free of it.

Charming lady, this one. Just look at all her new fans. Someone please get her song out of my head I can't stop hearing it while I try to work I just want to be a good little drone please stop

Speaking of contrasts, Brute Bomber is about as far from Honey B. Lovely's chipper little ditty as you can get. Another song without any vocals, unless you count guttural growling and roaring as vocals (though sidenote, I adore how they degrade into chiptune towards the end of it, that's so good). But unlike Black Cat, Brute Bomber very much has his own identity and purpose. In his case, the lack of lyrics are because he simply doesn't need them.

Where Honey B. Lovely is desperately trying to win you over and failing to hide the venom beneath, Brute Bomber is just here to beat you up until you stop moving. He's the champion! What does he need with some stupid lyrics? You don't need to understand him, you just need to understand that he's better than you and he's going to prove it by beating you bloody. His is a refreshingly simple track. Hard, heavy, no frills. Just like him.

And then there's our surprise final challenger, Wicked Thunder. She's in a whole other league compared to the others and she knows it. Really, there's not much to say about her that her song doesn't spell out. She's desperate, driven to try the unthinkable thanks to her slowly eroding soul. She's tasted glory but the aftertaste has her choking, and only claiming our soul for her own will cleanse the palate.

That being said, the sheer confidence in her vocals are what really sells her as a serious threat. While most of the song focuses on what she's lost, the chorus is a battle cry, a ringing roar of protest against anyone who thinks she's beaten. The repetition is used excellently throughout, hammering home both her desperation and her conviction. She will win, even if it costs her everything she once held dear.

Anyway, all of this is really to say that I completely adore Arcadion so far and I can't wait to see how the new tiers fold me over a table and shatter my spine from the top rope. They absolutely nailed the wrestling vibes with this tier, right down to the electric theme songs. And to think, this is only the beginning!

[kad00dle]

Got any earthworm Jim headcanons? Personally I believe that Jim is autistic/neurodivergent, he’s just so me fr

also I LOVE Psycrow in your style how fluffy and shaped he is :3

Thanks for the ask, and I’m glad you like my Psycrow doodle! 

As for headcanons, I had to sit down and think about it. With EWJ having different characterization across media, it’s kinda hard NOT to have my own interpretation...but idk if it’s "headcanons" or "something I saw once in the cartoon/comics/graphic novels and amplified it by 20x.” Either ways, I ended up writing more than I anticipated (sorry!). I never wrote out something like this, so hopefully it isn’t too much of a bore to read. 

Anyways, EWJ headcanons:

Villains primarily work alone with their own agenda as priority. The villains in-canon seem to be working in allegiance w/ Queen Slug for a Butt, but I’d like to think they work more as individuals with occasional alliances for their own benefit. For example, Psycrow is technically a bounty hunter in-canon so yeah he’ll work for anyone with money (with the head on Jim being more of a personal vendetta cuz petty) but at the end of the day he’s his own boss. I especially like to think Professor Monkey for a Head as a neutral being in that he’ll work with anyone if it fits his interest or funds his fucked-up experiments. A while back I had a fun thought of what if the suit glitches and Jim goes berserk as a side effect, and maybe the professor would study him NOT as an ally but because he built the suit and is genuinely interested in studying his finest creation (and use that info to make more berserker suits for his own evil agenda). 

The Princess is painfully awkward in social interactions. The GN (and the show?) touches on how she has little positive interactions with other people before making friends, so I imagine her coming off too intense or uncomfortable around people. Imagine a contrast of Jim being he’s TOO trusting and gullible but also affable and approachable (see: the bar seen in the GN) compared the Princess’s pessimism and militaristic mindset making her not as approachable.

On that note, Peter is probably the best w/ dealing with other people, being the middle ground between Jim’s overly trusting, sociable nature and the Princess’s extreme cautiousness. 

Jim and the Princess often disagree with their different ideologies, but learns to see from the other’s perspective to become more rounded people. The first GN touches upon it with Jim’s “i love everyone” vs. the Princess’s “trust no one” mentalities, and a panel explicitly address their clashing viewpoints (“That’s the problem with you! Everything is about this fight and you never stop to enjoy what you’re fighting for!” “Because if we don’t fight, NOTHING will be left to enjoy!”). I thought it was an interesting take on their dynamic and a chance to flesh BOTH characters out while developing their relationship but I don't think Doug did much with that nor do I trust him to do it well . I can see them arguing about how they view humanity, and after some adventures, the Princess learns to stop and smell the roses and learn to trust others’ intentions while Jim learns that not everyone has others’ best interest at heart (but that’s why it’s all the more important to fight for what’s right). They’re both black-and-white in ideologies, but together makes up a whole person. someone please write this fic i need it

Peter is the go-to guy for suit/ship maintenance. Don’t want to make him Tails to Jim’s Sonic, but I figured he’s smart enough to pick up on the suit’s quirks and can reattach/fix minor errors during their adventures.

Psycrow and the Professor probably goes drinking together often. Kinda like frenemies. Tried inviting Evil or the Queen once, but they’re either a bore or annoyed by their antics.

The Princess can’t swim. Insecktica seems like mostly terrains with little to no bodies of water, so she probably wouldn’t have learned how to.

Genderfluid Jim/Jim is the BEST ally. Many had said this before but he’s an earthworm why would he care about heteronormativity. But aside from that his schtick is that he loves life and saves the universe so people can live their best lives like he would; he would WANT people to be comfortable in their own skin! He would want people live their best lives and love their best loves! I don’t think he knows or care that society has clothes considered “girly” or “masculine;” if a dress makes him look and feel awesome then dammit he’ll wear it.

A complete disregard of canon, but the Princess is basically Samus Aran. Spoilers for the GN #2 (if anyone cares): apologies for those who enjoy it, but the Princess being an Earth fairy/human hybrid was not it for me. I may feel different about it if Doug ever elaborates on this (i doubt it) but it kinda kills the sci-fi vibes of the series for me. Instead, maybe the Queen kidnaps a baby from a space colony she destroys, and commissioned the Professor to infuse royal Insecktican blood into the baby as a fucked up bioweapon experiment. It’ll explain her bug-like features and super strength, as well as add a layer of personal complex of being raised as a weapon of war and destruction, seeing the worst in people, and why she struggles with building connections with people. 

There’s probably more that I can’t remember right now, but these are just of it. 

Honestly at this point idk if I actually enjoy EWJ canon material or just steal the characters and make my own stories lol 

(Joking, ofc! I do enjoy the series! Honest!).

If anything, the biggest joy i get from the series now is reading other people’s interpretations and characterizations of these stories. I feel the love y’all have for the characters, as well as just being really enjoyable reads! 

For those who made it this far, thanks for reading and feel free to share your own hc in the comments!

also sorry for all the gn slanders

[hoodlessmads]

Dark Heir spoiler thoughts:

Okay some of these are criticisms but please understand I really liked it! I liked it even more than Dark Rise. I’m just an overdramatic person and need to yell sometimes.

These don’t have any particular order, I’m just freestyling -

Reading Captive Prince years ago (and rereading since) before reading Dark Rise made me have an unfair resentment towards James for being basically the same character as Laurent but not as good and that continued here

Will is the second best character Pacat has ever made after Laurent and book 3 might push him ahead

I loved seeing Will use more and more of his evil powers

The best one being where he possesses anyone with a brand and his eyes turn black and he turns into Legion (maybe shoulda turned that off before trying to appeal to Violet…)

Finding out his mom actually was tying him to bedposts and beating him this whole time somehow shocked me because for some silly reason I believed one of the most unreliable third person subjective narrators ever, Will, that she was a nice lady just doing her best. Anyway I love this revelation because it makes such perfect sense, it’s just, “Oh. Of course.”

Violet and Cyprian are both himbos yet Violet is somehow the only character with a single brain cell left at the end of the book

Cyprian drinking from the cup makes no sense after they had a whole discussion in the first book about how drinking from the cup put the Stewards into the Dark King’s plans and made them his thralls and was the entire reason they died, a massacre which Cyprian experienced viscerally, and then he goes and drinks from the cup anyway and oops surprise Will can in fact enthrall him. Cyprian is able to fight it off but that doesn’t change the complete recklessness and out-of-character-ness of it to me.

Violet/Cyrprian is a good ship

Phillip/Visander is hilarious (in a good way)

Will/James is fine but I wish I was more compelled by them than I actually am. For being the main couple, I don’t feel like their relationship has been given the room it needed to develop organically and instead it feels like we’re falling back on physical attraction and a vague shadow of a past relationship in the old world that we didn’t get to see. It’s hard not to compare to Damen/Laurent which by contrast was developed so painstakingly.

Elizabeth is incredible

Visander sucks, actually

The whole Light kind of sucks. The Stewards, the Sun Kingdom, they were all assholes

People with black-and-white morality are truly terrible, aren’t they? And pretty much everyone is like that except for Will, James, and Violet

Sometimes I felt like that fact was really being hammered in on purpose almost as though to make James murdering like 300 people seem less bad (but it didn’t….)

But I don’t dislike James because he murdered 300 people, I actually love villains and I especially am attached to the idea of everyone being redeemable. But what I don’t like is the book telling me I should like James without giving me a good reason or the book downplaying his actions to make him seem more sympathetic. He can have murdered all the Stewards and still be compelling, we don’t need to diminish what he’s done in order for him to be likable

Also everyone in this book except like, Will and maybe Violet and James is an idiot (and I’ll excuse Elizabeth for only being ten). Someone send these characters to Psych 101, they don’t seem to understand the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy…

Like obviously if you tell someone they’re evil over and over again for their whole lifetime they will become evil

Theory - I don’t think Violet will turn on Will. I think she’s just shell-shocked. She wasn’t really given a chance to take a stance before James Peter Panned him away. Violet knows exactly what it feels like to be told you are evil because of some past thing, and she knows Will better than any of the other characters. And she knows that morality is not black and white (Tom is her brother). She’ll definitely end up in Will’s corner by the end.

Theory - The line of the Lady and the line of the Dark King are the same bloodline and they split off later. Sarcean’s “cataclysmic night together” with the Lady was mentioned not once but twice. Pacat doesn’t waste lines. The child that the Lady had was Sarcean’s, or at least one of them.

Will better figure out how to destroy that collar quick…before they both get even more traumatized. I think that will be one of his main goals in book 3. Or I hope…otherwise it will be hard to develop the genuine romance

I sure hope Will can also figure out how to expel that shadow from Cyprian before he like… dies. Don’t do that to Violet D:

So, I’m not a huge fan of YA in general (outside of YA anime and manga which for some reason hits different). I used to like it a lot, it used to be most of what I read. I grew up reading series like Redwall, Darren Shan, Demonata, Pendragon, and so on. But I’ve grown out of the genre (I’m 27). Not every adult does - one of my best friends who is a year older than me still really enjoys YA. But because I don’t like YA, I think my enjoyment of Dark Rise/Dark Heir is influenced and my criticisms may be unfair.

But I find that with fantasy series like this, I the books really need to be longer. Or there needs to be more of them. I feel like Dark Rise has so many moving pieces, enough characters that there could be a trading card game (and there are literally collectible cards), so many different magical artifacts and magical powers, an entire magical old world beneath the semi-magical 1820s Europe world to develop, and also by the way a whole story that took place 10,000 years ago that has to be told at some point. I find myself feeling like all these different elements are being introduced and moved on from too fast and I wish they were all given more time to breathe. I think that’s part of why the relationship between Will and James feels a bit rushed to me. I don’t know if the short length of the series was Pacat’s choice or an editor’s, though. I don’t feel like Captive Prince had this issue because there were no supernatural elements, the cast was much smaller, and the plot was comparably simple so a lot of it got to be characters just talking to each other, which was great, and the world building was accomplished mainly through these interactions. The plot and world of Dark Rise is much larger in scope but the page count is the same (a little longer maybe).

So wait who is Mrs. Duval

Why did Ettore leave the Stewards anyway? Other than the obvious, which is that they suck

Where was Grace during the whole ending scene? Wasn’t she there but just not saying anything. As this total calamity befalls her only remaining friend group she finally has seen too much and just nopes out and is busy making tea in the corner or maybe popcorn

I do really like Cyprian btw in spite of thinking his moral code is shitty. Gave Violet a chance but sold Will for one corn chip… I see how it is (okay that’s not fair but you know what I mean, he has flaws)

It sounds like I’m in the majority when I say that I still don’t like Devon - I saw that theory about him being the final big bad and I’m so on that train. I think he’d make a good enough final villain. I agree there is something predatory about him and Tom. I don’t necessarily think Pacat wants us to root for them as a couple, though. There were better ways to pull that off if that was the intent.

Not to repeat myself but Phillip was such a pleasant surprise. Like who is this fruit and how did he get here

So next book, I hope (assume) we get to see the rest of the old world story filled in so we can understand where it all went wrong for Sarcean and also the exact nature of his relationship with Anharion because so far it’s been quite vague (intentionally I assume). Like….. you know….. did he agree to put on the collar?

The tricky thing about this series is that once the reader learns that Will is the Dark King, it’s hard to maintain any sort of external tension. Right? It’s hard to feel afraid of the forces of the Dark when the protagonist has total effortless control over them just by virtue of who he is. Will can literally just be like, “No, don’t” and everything’s fine. He did just this at the end of Dark Rise. I find the way Dark Heir seems to end with their “only hope of stopping the Dark army” destroyed to be pretty unconvincing. Why on earth would Sarcean create a destructible object that is the only way of controlling his own army? Of course Will should be able to control them with his will alone. If he can control Shadow Kings and make them die with his words alone, why didn’t he try yelling at the shadow army to stop trying to possess people? This doesn’t make sense to me. And if people become Returners through his magic, shouldn’t he be able to exert some control over their existence the way he does with the branded? Pacat has done a good enough job at getting us to know Sarcean (an extremely good job btw) so as to make the destroyed brand plot point unbelievable. Anyway…

Instead, the tension in Dark Heir is almost entirely internal or realized in character relationships rather than physical threats. The tension is between Will and himself, and between Will and his friends. (There are tensions between other characters but focusing on the main plot here.) The possibility that they might find out and abandon him, and the possibility that he might actually be as nasty of a guy as Sarcean was, the slim chance that he might learn something that makes him go, “You know what, I agree with my past self after all.”

Now that everyone has found out who he is, that particular source of tension has sort of evaporated, so now in book 3 Pacat has to find a way to make Will’s conflict with himself and his friends compelling enough to carry us through 450 pages (I don’t expect this will be difficult). What I see as the problems now are 1) what was Sarcean actually planning and how did he plan on getting Will (himself) to fall in line with them (this was a question in Dark Heir as well but now it’s bigger), 2) how is Will going to destroy his own (Sarcean’s) Dark artifacts so he can free James, and 3) Can he convince anyone to ever love him (oh no ouch).

If I had to rank these books at this stage I’d probably give Rise a 3.7 ish…. and Heir a 4.2. I’m holding out for Dark King to be a 5 or close. (I don’t know what the actual title will be, I’m just guessing lol.) I definitely think Dark Heir is an improvement over Dark Rise since I always thought the most interesting part of the latter by far was everything that happened once Will learns he is the Dark King at the very end.

“Are we going to talk about the magic pseudo-sex scene—“ No and I hope we never will

[heinrichsnosehair]

I have no idea how relevant The Villainess is a Marionette still is in 2024, but I just have to air out my grievances regarding the manhwa.

Below is my mini-essay and speech on why, as much as I believe Heinrich should've been the main male lead, the problems in the way the novel is written simply would make Heinrich and Cayena impossible.

Everyone, it's already obvious from my display name, but I am a big fan of Heinrich. There are so many facets of his character that, if written right, could've made him outshine even Raphael and Rezef. One of those facets lies in his character. Appearance wise, his cooler color scheme works fantastically in contrast with Cayena's warmer color palette, which in turn creates a striking imagery: that of the sun and the moon.

His character design is also arguably much more striking compared to Raphael's and Rezef's designs, simply because Raphael is modeled after the typical dark-haired male lead and Rezef after his sister.

I'd like to expand further on my point about Heinrich's character and bring the attention to his role as an antagonist within the story. He is the manipulator behind the scene, who clearly acts as he pleases, whenever he pleases. As a writer myself, I absolutely enjoy villainous characters who do villainous things for their own amusement and benefit, and that's exactly what Heinrich brings to the table. He doesn't need to be redeemed and turned into a "good guy", and that's perfectly fine with me. Like wise men once said, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

(I also have... some opinions regarding Cayena x Rezef, but that's a story for another post.)

By making him the main male lead, the author could've had the chance to explore an enemies-to-lovers dynamic through expanding and creating more opportunities for them to interact. The pieces are already there: Heinrich and Cayena are thematic opposites of each other (the sun and the moon) and they both have a mutual goal of becoming powerful, which they pursue through different methods that can also be used as thematic opposites (working in the light and working in the shadows). Isn't that a more interesting dynamic to explore than a relationship where Cayena (after her transmigration) doesn't even need to work for Raphael to suddenly fall in love with her?

However, even with my evident(ly huge) bias for Heinrich, making him the male lead wouldn't fix the main issue the novel suffers from - and, I would say, would make the novel even worse. He is much too one-dimensional as a character, which brings up questions that, as of season 3 of the manhwa, have not been answered yet: what is the reason why he became like this? What will he do to balance out his tendency for acting recklessly and vulgarly? Is he even a true mastermind capable of bringing forth someone's downfall, when all of his screen-time is so heavily focused on Cayena and what she's doing?

To finish, there really is just so much untapped potential in his character - and in all the characters in the manhwa, frankly. There is too much happening, and not enough nuance to each situation Cayena is placed in. So much to explore, but it's all abandoned for Cayena's romance with Raphael.

Sigh.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[gaiaxygang]

i really enjoy babe & way's relationship in a tragic sense u_u how way was one of the few people babe trusted and held dear to him for 10 years. how way's love for babe is so strong yet unhealthy.

way manipulates babe and nudges him to isolate himself but way genuinely believes at least part of what he's saying. of course babe shouldn't trust anyone who tries to get close to him because they could be using him, way is one of those people!!! the mindset way pushes onto babe is unhealthy but it is also way's own mindset.

way's crush on babe is more obsession than romantic love, but it's still love. the kind of love that hurts. one of the biggest babe & way tragedies in my opinion is that way thought what he was doing was not just right (in the sense that he believes it is Correct, not that it is Morally Okay), but the only way to secure their safety and freedom. everyone knows this is not true but way is so mentally deep in the trenches that to him it IS. this is information that greatly upsets me!!!!!!

another thing i enjoy is that babe knows absolutely nothing about way (pavel and nut joked about this on a radio show even) because way hides from him. way hides from everyone on x hunter but it does seem like he is more open just slightly with alan even though he's known babe just as long and considers him to be his best friend. on top of this, babe is shown to be unaware of way's romantic feelings (or deliberately ignoring them, which isn't any better). babe does not know anything about way.

on the opposite side of this, way knows so SO much more about babe than he lets on. he doesn't need to hear from babe about how tony trafficks children and he sucks because way has lived it. he knew before anyone else what tony's plans for babe were and who the enigma is, because That's Him! he doesn't seem to understand babe but he knows so much regarding babe's past. this contrast between babe and way is something i enjoy greatly ☝️

^^^^ all this is not to defend way though i do a lot of that also i just really like the Tragedy of it all. how doomed everything was from the start and it is all because of tony, as many things in pit babe are. truly one of the pit babe duos of all time.

in the next life, please be nice to me. don't deceive me again. just be a good friend, idiot.

side note: babe & way is one of the major changes between the novel and the series (other than the entire new characters of course). just comparing the novel version of the attempted sa scene with the series: in the novel, way is.... well...... an incel. he wants to impregnate babe almost solely because he wants to start a family with him despite knowing that babe is extremely against having children. the series changed that almost completely. series way thinks what he is doing is the only way forward and it is so painful to watch because he does not see any alternative. he's too lost in his own despair. this, of course, does not mesh well with a few specific way scenes (the pete & way bar scene in ep 8 i believe? and every babe & way scene after ep 9 except their bar fight) where the show emphasizes way's seemingly romantic love for babe. every day i pray someone leaks the original script for the part pavel and nut improvised.