#the main one looks better here

[moonkhao]

WE ARE | EP16

[deadpoologist]

their relationship in a nutshell

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I wouldn't really agree that boys are just arm candy in magical girl shows and only there to look cute. Yeah, sure the girls' friendships are the focus, but the boys are usually very much involved in the plot and most shows do explore their feelings about the odd things that happen due to magical shenanigans even if they aren't in the know (It's why ML baffles me even more with how they screwed up Adren's arc when he's the deuteragonist, when all these boys are supporting cast and get well rounded arcs)

I'm not much of a winx fan, but the specialists were very much not arm candy. Did the girls talk about them being cute? Yes, it's what teenage girls do. Did the narrative suggest they were good looking? Yes, but that's standard for most love interests in any genre. But we still got scenes with them talking amongst themselves about how they themselves feel and they got a fair share of badass fight scenes even if they wield no magic. A large amount of episodes actually included the boys and girls working as a team solving a mystery or fighting a villain. The girls might deal the finishing blow but the boys were still integral to the plot.

I hope this doesn't come across as hate, it definitely wasn't my intention. I'm just a bit too passionate about the magical girl genre.

I do think you have a good point with ML having a problem choosing a genre or blending two genres successfully.

For the CCS fans, I will add though that Cardcaptor Sakura had both Tomoyo and Syaoran serve as sources of motivation for Sakura. And both Sakura and Syaoran collecting cards even if Sakura is the only one who could seal them and yet never made you question whether Syaoran was even necessary for the job the way ml does with Chat.

I wasn't trying to say that boys have no part to play in magical girl team shows or that they're always treated as having no lives beyond the girls, that's why I mentioned that the Winx Club boys - aka, the Specialists - have their own (mostly off screen) lives and occasionally show up help the girls:

the boys are usually off doing their own thing and only occasionally show up for a date or to give the girls a ride on their cool bikes or magical spaceship

Even then, this is certainly a simplification of the roles that they play in the story, but I kind of had to simplify their roles down to their base components for the original post's discussion as I was talking in broad strokes of how these stories are written.

In terms of those broad strokes, the Specialists are absolutely only there for shipping fodder. That's why each one is assigned to a girl from the start and why their main role in the narrative is supporting their assigned love interest or causing relationship-based drama for their assigned love interest. If it weren't for shipping, then the Specialists would not exist.

While the Specialists do have fleshed out characters and may even effect the plot, the execution of those elements is designed around the girls. A really obvious example of this is the character Timmy, who has character development as the boy's tech guy. Why is he into technology? Because he's the designated love interest for the fairy of Technology and we have to show why they're a good match. Along similar lines, the boys don't really get plots that are removed from the girls because this is the girl's show. Every episode features one or more of the Winx, but the boys are optional and often don't appear.

This is because, narratively speaking, the boys are just love interests and that brings us back to Miraculous' big problem. You can't have a show where Adrien is written like a Specialist while also being part of the Winx Club and where Alya is written like she's part of the Winx Club while technically being more of a Specialist in terms of power set and actual narrative role.

I'm was thinking back to my memories of various Winx Club plots to find one that really highlighted what I mean here and I remembered that one of the big dramas in season one was the reveal that Bloom's love interest - Sky - was in an arranged marriage and had just never told her. As it turns out, that's a great example of what I'm talking about re Adrien!

Is that plot line technically based around Sky and letting his life effect the plot? Sure, but the fallout of that reveal revolves around Bloom, not Sky. The story doesn't really care how Sky's feeling as the conflict progresses. Instead, it focuses on how it affects Bloom and her friends because of course it does! She's the main character. It would be really weird if that plot suddenly focused on her side character love interest and his friends during one of her darkest hours/biggest moments.

Think of that and then consider how the ending of season five is written. Notice any similarities? Sure, this is Adrien's family drama, but because he's just a Specialist, the focus isn't on him. It's on Winx Club member Marinette and Adrien only shows up at the end for a kiss. That is the problem. That is what I'm talking about when I say that Miraculous will randomly write him as if we're watching a magical girl team show where Adrien is just the love interest.

In fact, let's really dig into this example because it's a good one.

You can have a look at the transcript for the finale episode of Miraculous season five here and see for yourself that Adrien doesn't even show up on screen until the final scenes when the big drama is over. The Winx Club wiki also has episode transcripts, so I took a look to see what happened in Winx land during the arranged marriage reveal plot (I love that this is a thing. It's so useful for fact checking myself!) This is the script for the episode after Bloom learns the truth. Sky does not appear even though his lies and family drama are the fuel for this episode's events, which are a major part of the season's arc. Note how perfectly that matches Adrien's writing?

Similarly, Sky's dialogue in the reveal episode is all about Bloom. He's worried about her learning the truth and thinking less of him. To match that, here's Adrien's only real dialogue in the penultimate episode of season five (full transcript):

Adrien:(Covers his ears.) I cannot transform... (Looks at his ring and tries taking it off.) Plagg: What are you doing?! Adrien: I'm not in my right mind. I'm too angry — at myself for falling short of Marinette's love, at my father for sending me here in London, at this stupid app and these rings that use my image... it makes me sick! This nightmare is giving me the horrible feeling that, if I transform, I'll get akumatized and destroy everything with my Cataclysm — Marinette, Ladybug... (Takes off the ring and hands it to Plagg.)

Switching back to Winx. After Bloom learns the truth about Sky, bad things happen because she's depressed. This results in her and the Winx going off on a journey to learn the truth of who Bloom is. After the girls share this big plot moment and Bloom gets her mojo back, the boys show up to be their ride home and to give Bloom her romance moment where Sky wins her back by declaring that he broke off the arranged married because he loves her.

Sky notably doesn't get an arc about choosing between his arranged marriage and his true love. We don't even know that the marriage is broken off until he tells Bloom because that was never really a conflict as far as the narrative was concerned. Of course he's going to pick Bloom! He's her designated side character love interest! He only exists to be with her. We don't need to treat this as a serious thing for him. The arranged marriage plot was never about him anyway. It was about giving Bloom a reason to have a darkest hour moment that moves the plot forward. Similarly, Sky calling off the marriage is nowhere near as important as him telling Bloom that he's called off the marriage to be with her in a grand romantic gesture.

This perfectly mirrors Miraculous' season five ending where Adrien doesn't appear until after Marinette is done fighting her big girl power fight against his father. As far as the writing is concerned, that fight isn't about him. His connection to the villain only really matters in terms of how it affects Marinette's actions during the final battle. Then, when the battle is over, Adrien shows up to give Marinette her big romance moment because, while the plot may be driven by Adrien's family, he is not a Winx club member. He's just a Specialist. Or, in the words of the head writer:

[image text: She's Barbie, he's Ken. You don't like it. I get it. It won't change. Anything else?] (The full, even more damning context of this tweet can be found here.)

What else can I say other than, "I rest my case."

Oh, and also that I didn't take this as an attack. I just thought it was a good opportunity to really dig into the nuances of this and what I was talking about in that original post as I never know how obvious this stuff is if you don't closely study story telling. As this case study hopefully shows, if a show is about a group of girl friends using the power of friendship, then their love interests may have important roles, but the boys are never going to be more important than the girls and most of the boy's screen time will be focused on romance and how their existence effects the girls because it's ultimately the girls' world. Without them, the show wouldn't exist. Without the boys? Well, then we just wouldn't have a romance plot.

[nyaskitten]

New villain poster !!! :DDD

[lucienne-thee-librarian]

Just to minimize my chances of being genuinely misunderstood OR deliberately misinterpreted, and crucified for something I don't think, How Dare You Say We Piss on the Poor website etc...I'm gonna say this right up top. I absolutely understand why people don't like Thessaly as a character, if anyone does completely unironically stan her as some kind of feminist hero who Did Nothing Wrong uwu, I personally see it as a bit of a red flag. I don't like terfs real or fictional. In a vacuum, I could even completely sympathize and agree with the people who want her cut.

HOWEVER.

It's really something to me to see people clamoring for her to be cut, because she carries and expressed an ugly indefensible prejudice (transphobia) in words towards (1) person. Meanwhile Hob fucking Gadling enacted one of the most violent forms of antiblack racism I can even think of against thousands no, millions of people, the ripple effects of which still affect billions more today. Just a little light idk, profiting off the fucking slave trade and had to be told by someone else that it was bad...and he's a fan favorite.

People are saying Thessally being Dream's love interest reflects badly on him or is somehow endorsement by the narrative (?!?!?!?!?!? Didn't she (SPOILER ALERT AS IF IT MATTERS BY NOW) help participate in his extended assisted suicide? She's not painted as a great person to me just another character what are y'all SMOKING whatever fine. It's fine this is fine.) But shipping Dream with Mr. Former Slaver is not only not verboten or frowned on widely in the fandom but its THEE most popular pairing by far. So...why the difference?

Like where are the same fans who are saying Thessaly shouldn't just be more clearly shown to be wrong, she shouldn't even be in the show at all when it comes to Hobert's crimes??? Yes, transphobia is indefensible. Isn't racism?

And I hear the cries of "it's fiction!!!" Already rallying (if anyone who needs to hear this even sees it lol) to which I say:

HORSESHIT. I KNOW you don't, deep down, really agree because if you did, why get upset about Thessaly being included??? Why does what she said to one person matter if it's Just Fiction You Guyze. Fictional characters are allowed to do bad things and fiction isn't reality sweaty....except when you only apply that standard to fictional racists you like and simp for, but fictional transphobes you don't are SO HARMFUL they shouldn't even be portrayed in fiction.

Like. Give me a big fat BREAK. This looks like bullshit, no? I'm sorry, but I'd love for someone to try and give any other explanation besides one personally offended you or hit home for you, and the other doesn't.

And if that bothers you or you feel like it says something negative about you...idk what you want me to say??? You can't control how other people perceive you and that's how people outside this majority-of-the-fandom bubble see it. You don't need to respond, I just wish and genuinely hope this gives you a moment to think about why fans who ARE bothered by both (and not just paying lip service to being bothered by the one but railing against the other) are so frustrated with people saying everyone is welcome but in practice only bending over backwards for the comfort and emotions of themselves, and people they can easily relate to.

You don't have to like Thessaly (I don't. I find her an interesting antagonist, I don't stan her. And frankly imo likability is not. the point of her character) but you'll pardon me for feeling more than a bit cynical and side eying people's motivations for what seems a...pretty obvious double standard, on what fictional crimes related to real world issues matter to y'all, and which clearly don't. Either actually bring the same energy to the table for fictional people who committed atrocities, even if against a group you're not part of and thus don't feel the need to empathize with, or just carry on, but accept that you don't have the SLIGHTEST room to talk about cutting characters who do immoral things. And you also need to accept that you look like a hypocrite when you do.

[lloydfrontera]

y'know what's funny in a 'not really funny at all but i have to laugh or i'll start biting people' kind of way??

the adaptation team working overtime to make the relationship between javier and lloyd look so much less deeper than it actually is in the novel makes the novel look so much gayer than it already did on its own. like. sorry but your attempts to cover up the homoerotism just makes it stand out more in its absence.

because if there truly was nothing remarkable about lloyd and javier's relationship and they were just very good friends and nothing else then why take the time and effort to change it in the adaptation so they look less close than they actually are.

why skip entire scenes that make their relationship deeper. why change their dialogue and thoughts so they're less invested in one another. why give interactions that they had with each other to their romantic interests. actually why give javier a whole new love interest that did not exist in the novel.

why go through so much trouble to change something that is so important in the source material if there truly was nothing else going on in the novel.

what was it about their relationship that made the adaptation team decide they just needed to change everything about it so they weren't as close and attached as they were originally.

if they were truly nothing but platonic with each other in the source material then why change their relationship so much in the adaptation that it's almost unrecognizable.

what about it did they find so unappealing that they simply had to modify it until it was but a shadow of itself.

in trying to cover up something they only managed to call attention to it by the people who knew what was there originally. now we know that they wanted to get rid of it so badly they were willing to butcher the story and plot for it.

it's really funny :)

[blu-ish]

PROJECT SELENE AU ESSAY SHJSHSJ

[PRESS START]

It was Eggman's most ingenious plan yet. And it didn't even require breaking the world apart! Everything was set into place. All under the watchful eye of his old colleague, Agent Stone.

Dr. Eggman was--to put it lightly, old. His creations, zany, more than usual. His mind... t h e r e.

But his plan would work, it HAD to work... because if it didn't, he knew he wouldn't have it in him to try again. "It's been too long..." Sage would whisper, "Please, rest."

Stone never told him to quit, Stone continued to encourage him. Stone... wanted him to succeed.

So where did it all go wrong?

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This AU takes place in the somewhat distant future; around 20 years.

Sonic is now in his "prime times" as he likes to call them. After his last scrap with the egghead left him... well, without a leg. He really took a "step" back to revaluate his life choices. And figure out more leg puns to cope--

You see, Eggman was.. losing it, everyone noticed; and to the surprise of some, Sonic wanted to help him. To let him down easy, to offer him help to live the rest of his life honestly...

He didn't want--

He was so sure he would've never needed too... but--

He killed him.

It was an accident. He killed him. He killed someone. He didn't mean too, please, please, please.

The world cheered. He promised, he promised, he promised, HE PROMISED H E R.

Sonic was no tech wizz, but he faintly remembers Tails mentioning something about the whole egg network shutting down not soon after his defeat, DEATH. All the badniks he grew up scrapping shut down. Every single one. I'm so sorry Omega, Tails will think of something.

Eggman saw how the chaos emeralds teleported the Ark away from the Earth all those years ago. So he planned to do it again, this time, he would teleport the Earth itself, from the safety of his egg fleet, from the ARK. If any of the world leaders refused his rule, then the Earth would simply blip away.

It was insane.

Sonic should've known it was a trap.

But it was too late.

He was trapped. He was scared.

He couldn't let the chaos emeralds fall into his hands. his cold hands.

So Sonic shattered them.

And he fell. Along with the airship above him, along with the cannon, along with pieces of the ARK. Along with the feeling in his left leg. Everything was gone.

Shadow was there, holding Sonic after he fell from space, like if he let go Sonic would vanish. He'd never seen his rival so, s c a r e d. Asking why, how he could be so foolish.

There were a lot of things left unsaid that day.

He felt lost.

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The chaos emeralds were destroyed, with no temples to revive them, they were drained of all their energy and thrown away like worthless pebbles by anyone who were too naive to know what they truly hold.

Agent Stone knew better though.

Like the doctor, he wasn't too good with... biological engineering.

Trust him when he says he's looked, endlessly for any other option.

But alas, the Gaia manuscripts... the Echidnas... Chaos...

All sing the same tune.

The emeralds needed a living vessel to survive.

How bothersome.

With the network shut down and no time to revive her it right now, he looked for a more suitable option.

Luckily G.U.N had some spare scientists he could, "borrow".

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Dr. Sunniside was more than eager to assist, not like her life was on the line or anything. She found the project fascinating, as well as terrifying.

When word got out that she had collected a singular emerald that still contained whatever little chaos power was left. The last thing she thought was a well dressed "gentleman" kidnapping her and her team; forcing them to stay in their own forsaken lab in the middle of nowhere-- to create a biological creature that could potentially restore the other 6... wherever they were.

Why did he need them?

She wasn't getting paid to ask, not like she was getting paid at all. Besides getting to live she supposed.

G.U.N had disbanded prior to whatever mess the world had found itself in yet again, her skills and intellect were "going to waste" as her new boss said it. Was anyone looking for them? Too many questions, not enough answers. Too little time...

They had no idea where to start, she knew Mobians themselves had a somewhat natural pull towards chaos energy. So they would start from there. And hope for the best results.

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Six...

Six failed attempts, and they were running out of supplies; out of whatever DNA they were given.

The semantics they were able to "borrow" from within what little worked of G.U.N's internal database, held familiar blueprints for a similar experiment.. ironically enough. Though old and unclear, it did hold a lot of research into something called chaos drives.

It took a couple years to perfect, but Dr. Sunniside and her team were able to mimic these drives to power whatever was left of the lab. And hopefully used on the project.

He was getting impatient.

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She wasn't sure what to do with what she was given.

A broken, robot?

She remembered seeing the wreckage live, the colossal pieces of advanced technology falling to the ground.

Nothing should have survived that explosion, much less be minorly intact.

Yet here it was, a oddly mobian shaped robot with blue chipped paint. Complete with a missing left leg. Must've been whatever was left of Robotnik's tech. Of course by now she had already pieced together Agent Stones her boss is involvement, as well as the metal robot.

She just wanted to go home.

It was almost impossible to turn it on, the metal mobian seemed to run on a very specific network; one that was strictly turned off.

With whatever little power they were able to divert to force its databank to work, Dr.Sunniside and her team had finally found the answer to all their problems.

Encrypted Biodata.

There were two instances, from what they could tell, where this machine copied living creatures biodata. Mobian biodata. Complete with the biological overlay they could use to create a stable lifeform.

The amount of chaos energy the machine had previously been able to withstand with the biodata was incredible.

No DNA required, it would be a copy.

This was their key out of here.

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The 7th experiment was a success.

It survived. When the infant was introduced to long exposure to the chaos emerald, it was able to handle the power extremely well; just like she predicted.

They deemed the lifeform, Selene. Regular updates were given to Stone as requested.

It took 5 years for Selene's development, the child was hedgehog in appearance, taking on the same green hue that the emerald gave off. The emerald used whatever was left of its energy to give its life to Selene.

The infant was given ring like bracelets that would work as cuffs in case of a emergency. They were magnetic in design, and when activated would stick its wearer to the metal walls that made up the lab. It was for her own good.

Next, she was handed her first sets of chaos drives.

She was told to absorb the chaos drives energy, and then redistribute it back. Selene had minor difficultly understanding, but adapted fast. As the years went on, she grew only more curious, asked more questions.. endless questions.

Where did she come from? Here, at home.

Why? Because she would do amazing things of course.

Like a superhero? Yes, exactly.

Dr. Sunniside didn't want to admit it, but she grew fond of the child. She missed her own. Her team grew tired, anxious, and Selene seemed to take notice. Dr. Sunniside knew the little one meant well, but the others didn't see her that way. They were trapped because of her.

It was the 8th year, that Stone finally requested a final update before he would come and arrange for everyone's release after he was handed the experiment. They silently cheered, they would not say a word, they wouldn't say a word.

Dr. Sunniside knew better.

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Selene wanted to be just like the superhero's she watched on her tablet. The tablet she totally didn't take from the storage room and wasn't secretly using to watch videos of things outside her home. Her tablet was only able to show nature documentary's and the News for some reason, but she thought it was awesome!

Her favorite one was the blue hedgehog, like her! He was so cool. He would travel around the world meeting all sorts of people, he put a smile on everyone's faces!

She just wished she could do the same with her friends here. They didn't seem happy. They didn't like her. She wanted to be liked. It's not fair.

Every day was the same, chaos drive this and testing that. It was so.. repetitive. I mean, she thought she would always want to help the doctor, and she did! Doctor Sunniside said she was helping people, she wanted to help, like him!

She just wished she could go outside, it looked nice.

Her pretty bracelets itched constantly, but she couldn't take them off, because Doctor Sunniside said that would be naughty. Selene was a good girl, good girls listened. She knew that.

But she didn't always listen.. so she continued watching all these videos, learning all these cool things. Because what else could she do.

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Each chaos drive gave Selene a boost of energy, just think what her reaction could be to restoring the chaos emeralds themselves?

Red chaos drives would improve her strength. It was given to her in moderation.

Yellow would improve her swimming ability. She didn't like to go too deep though..

Purple would increase her jump height, and distance.

Green was the most reactive, that would increase her speed. She was incredibly fast, she couldn't control it.

Each time she absorbed these drives, she wasn't always able to return the power, she struggled to restore them. She said it made her cuffs bracelets itch.

Her quills themselves would also react strangely to the chaos drives, they were naturally green because of the chaos emerald. But would momentarily change color given the specific chaos drive absorbed, fascinating.

It wouldn't be long now.

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The fools.

Stone sneered, staring at the wreckage of the lab. When he asked those goons to destroy the evidence everyone included he SPECIFICALLY said AFTER he had collected the project.

Now look at this mess.

He just hoped they hadn't damaged a certain part of the lab too much. He would need it to track down his investment. It better be alive.

Whatever was left of the Metal Sonic would have to do, he should've never left him here with these animals. But, beggars can't be choosers he supposed... once his years of work restoring the network was completed, and retrieving his missing piece, everything would be set into Stone.

For the return of the empire.

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Sonic wasn't expecting to find a kid out in the middle of the forest. But yet here we are.

She looked pretty rough, heck, it was like if the kid just escaped an explosion. He couldn't see any sign of one though..

The kid had stars in her eyes looking at him, nothing he wasn't already used to. The kiddos tended to be that way around him.

After a lot of head nods of yes's and no's.. Sonic put together that she was most definitely alone out here. Go figure.

No parents, no family, she seemed out of it. But whatever it was would have to wait, he wasn't just gonna leave a kid out here alone. He knew what that felt like all too well growing up.. man, she had to be around the same age Tails was all those years ago.

Sonic knew he and Shadow never talked about kids.. but its not like he was gonna keep her or anything. Yep nope totally not, he has never once gotten attached to a kid and raised them. Besides, Shads was out doing whatever, he hasn't seen his husband in a few months and it's not like they had a house.

They might've been legally married, but hell they weren't anything close to your average married couple. He loved it though, it worked for them both, with Shadow and Sonic out free to do whatever. He couldn't wait to see him again though.. he guessed he could always explain the random kid later. Oh well!

After taking the kid, who said her name was Selene, to Tails workshop. It took one explanation later for his lil brother genius to take a look at her, they needed to make sure she was alright after all.

Selene stayed relatively quiet for the most part, but slowly started asking all these questions, Tails happily giving her the answers.

The fox had labs almost everywhere around the globe, and traveled just as much as Sonic does.. it took some getting used to, but no matter how far away or tall the fox got, he would always be his kid. As he reminds him constantly for the hedgehogs own amusement.

After Eggman... vanished. His eggtech was left scattered wherever they were last placed or used, Tails had started a movement with some of his fellow "brainiacs" to reuse the badniks for helpful purposes and to reduce less waste. I mean they did see how self sufficient egg tech could be when freed from eggmans clutches.. like all those years ago on scrapnik island when they were kids. It took a while to earn public trust, but everything stayed smooth so far.

After a through check up, Tails said Selene suffered some minor cuts, bruises and burns but nothing serious. When asked again about what had happened.. Selene refused to answer, so they didn't pry. As long as the kids alright.

Tails had asked Sonic while Selene explored outside, what he planned to do. Sonic wasn't sure himself, it's not like the world was being constantly threated by some super evil weirdo anymore, besides the less super genius evil ones he's stopped now and again.

He guess it wouldn't hurt to take the lil one under his wing, until they found her a good home of course. It's not like he had no experience with taking care of a kid before. And he turned out pretty great in his professional opinion!

Tails agreed, while he didn't find anything wrong with Selene at first, he did have a funny feeling that there was more to her than she was letting on. Better to keep an eye just to be safe.

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Shadow was not expecting his meet up with Sonic to include a child. Yet here we are.

He had quit working for G.U.N years ago, soon after they disbanded. A small force was still allowed to operate under certain conditions, but it seemed like a lost cause to the hybrid.

Rouge still worked for them, he couldn't figure out why, she always complained back when they were younger how annoying she found them. Not to mention the history..

It was none of his business he supposed.

He does favors here and there for her, its the least he could do for, who he considers.. family. It took him a long time to consider anyone that.

He guessed time did change him.

Sonic and him had tied the knot years ago, they honestly didn't feel like ever getting married. Not due to anything specifically, but Shadow felt like they would just be repeating what they had already felt for each other.. why did everyone have to see it?

But, alas.. they were convinced, Sonic thought it would be funny to get married. Their family was overjoyed to attend, and it wasn't like Shadow got super into it and planned everything; the seating, venue, food, pictures, and--

Okay whatever it was fun he guessed.

He loved that idiot, more than his younger self ever imagined he would've..

He didn't want to leave his side after that incident.. Sonic was bedridden for what seemed like years to the blue blur. Shadow was devastated to see his husband so.. helpless. He should've been there, he should've been faster, why...

The couple always had endless hours of catching up to do when they finally met up, little did he know that came with a kid.

Shadow gave Sonic a firm brow, and after a hasty explanation of the situation. The hybrid was, confused.

The child, Selene. Gave off a strange energy, he wasn't sure if Sonic had felt it too. But something seemed.. off.

After a few days of private discussion, after camping out with her. They decided it was for the best they kept her, for now of course.

Shadow would only stay for the next month or so, G.U.N was going crazy with some accident that happened. Wouldn't be the first time he supposed.. but it sounded bad. Real bad, and he couldn't shake that feeling that it was more, way more than he realized.

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Selene couldn't believe it. She was outside, and it was even better than on the screen.

The grass was greener, the air was fresher, the ground was softer-- in some areas at least with.. what was it called? DIRT! Yeah! Dirt.

The next thing she couldn't believe was her luck, her role model had found her! He knew everything. He'd be able to help her! But...

she did something bad.. very bad, and now they were gone.. she hoped they were okay.. She tried to help, why couldn't she move, why was she stuck, who were those people...--

It wasn't very hero like...

His name was Sonic, and he was even cooler in person. She had already met all sorts of people, she couldn't wait to tell the doctor all about it when she finds her again.

Sonic had a super special partner too, named Shadow. She liked his stripes. They offered to take care of her for the time being, it was like she was dreaming.

But she needed to focus, she needed to find out what happened. She would need to tell them.. but, maybe not right now..

For now though, she wanted to see everything! Experience it all! She never felt more free, even more than when her bracelets fell off when she ran away from the rubble.

This was only the beginning.

[genericpuff]

fp spoilers ahead and a content warning for violence:

hades normally:

hades when he's possessed by his dead dad and threatening to rip his wife's head off:

i rest my case, make murder hobo hades president, rip her head off you beautiful sick fuck-

[sundial-bee-scribbles]

trying to psych myself up to finally do oc refs by doing fandom-related refs instead: volume 1

wanted to update my yuma from whatever tf this au is so he was a bit more unique... takes inspo from a lot of different things while also trying to be its own sorta thing? which is fitting given the au ;)

bonus chibi now that i'm also figuring out how tf to do chibis lol:

[intotheelliwoods]

To whoever is still alive after all that, congrats! You made it through the hard part! Hope you enjoyed the week event~ Not sure if I will be doing another one anytime soon though haha, also do expect a small break from me after this!

Few things to make clear to those who missed stuff:

This timeline is safe! The two Leos who are currently in the timeline will be happy and well by the end of things! From this point on its just them healing~

If by chance you are confused on what happened, I lovingly hand you this post! If you are still confused, feel free to send me an ask!

I am not paying for any medical bills <3 But hey the huggy leos persisted through just like I promised-

[alchemiclee]

i know this has been said 473773474833 times by the kavetham/haikaveh shippers and probably even nonshippers, but i'll say it again. I finally finished the genshin summer event and did the little after quest in sumeru and.....every time kaveh is sneaking around trying not to be noticed coming out of alhaithams house it's just such a gay vibe. he's basically screaming "I can't be caught being gay in a homophobic society!" even if that's not what the game writers are *actually* saying. that's just how it comes off and they can't make it come off any other way. with hoyo's gay history, it makes me wonder if it's on purpose and all a cover-up to have a technically different reason for it so they can get away with it lmao but we will never know.

[rapidhighway]

i might've fucked up -.-

[cuteniaarts]

Digitalised + coloured + redesigned version of my Suiren and Vaatu sketch from two days ago, as promised!!

Coming up with Suiren’s design was a very long process of trying and failing because after you’ve drawn 9+ different versions of one character, the creativity starts to run a little dry, but I’m actually really proud of this one, she looks absolutely adorable <3

(Also yeah I did mostly just scribble Vaatu’s pattern because who has the energy to draw the all out accurately. Not me, that’s who, I’m chronically tired. People who draw him on the regular have my utmost respect. He’s still a funky little guy though :D)

Bonus, Raava incessantly screaming inside Suiren (and being completely ignored because Suiren is tired of her) while all this is happening:

[puppygirlpencil]

random character a day, first up is Rouge! bat bat

[guinevereslancelot]

decided to leave my job and i'm gonna fr gonna cryyyyy

[time-is-restored]

btw this might be me swinging a bat at a hornets nest but like. absolutely none of my disappointment from the tl finale comes from ship baiting or any relationships that didn’t happen (though to be clear, i think the tedbecca fake outs were meanspirited and served no narrative purpose - in noted contrast to the season's earlier jamiekeeley fakeouts, for example, which were explicitly there to demonstrate jamie's growth + maturity)

tedpendant is a really fun concept for me, and i LOVE the characterisation + thematic potential there!

but as someone who personally resonated with a lot of ted’s struggles, the idea that ted could leave richmond so… seamlessly, for lack of a better word, really doesn’t sit right with me. the thesis of the shows entire first season - assuming it can be said to have only one - was about how everyone needs the love and support of a community, whether that comes in the flavour of someone who hypes u tf up or someone who will relentlessly call u on ur shit (or, as happened quite frequently, both!).

rebecca, roy, jamie are the clearest examples as the characters with the most screentime: they were all deeply isolated and disconnected from the people around them, and that was making them miserable. the connections they made with the team, the vulnerability they finally allowed themselves to express (the ghost banishing ceremony comes to mind!), and them going on to want *more* out of their life are what made their arcs about *progression* rather than *regression*. without that clear theme of compassion + community inspiring positive growth in everyone who encounters it, there is, frankly, no season one.

my personal favourite scene from season one comes right after michelle walks away from ted, when they’ve agreed to get divorced. ted sits down on the bench looking gutted, and a little shell shocked - and beard sits down with him. hands him the drink, and they sit there together. silent, but together. to me, that scene is an implicit promise from the episode, to the audience: ‘it’ll be okay. it’s going to be hard, but ted isn’t alone, and his friends won’t leave him behind.’

it also makes it clear to the audience that ted isn’t the saintly-giver-of-grace who needs nothing in return, as one might assume on first brush, but rather that he’s Also struggling with his own shit (as is everyone, always, in real life!) and he has something he needs from the people around him too.

and looking at the text of s3, and the conclusion to his arc in the finale, i just don’t believe that he got it. he wasn’t just sad that he was leaving (which would be understandable!), he was completely closed off. unresponsive to the people around him reaching out, borderline confused as to why they were trying so hard!

(side note, while i completely respect the read of ted and trents last interaction being rather rude + ooc on ted’s part, i personally read a different motive into it. for me, it was more like… he didn’t understand where trents enthusiasm was coming from? like, he read that as trent being too invested in what other people think of him, and responded in a way that he hoped would emphasise that ted doesn’t *need* to laugh at everything trent wrote, bc trent Already Knows that he’s done something really cool and kickass, and he shouldn’t value anyone else’s reactions above that. basically, based on his demeanour in the episode, i genuinely don’t think it would’ve even occurred to him that trent was more invested in HIS reaction than he would’ve been with anyone else.)

again, looking purely at the text, the show had already established that ted has really strong depressive + avoidant tendencies, as well as panic attacks (largely triggered by his fear of not being ‘good enough’ in various roles, ie: a father). we saw one area he was able to calm HIMSELF abt these fears (worry for henry, which is a Hell of a choice considering the ending…), but in literally every other heightened moment, he had to rely on his support system to help him make the choices that he WANTED to make, rather than ones inspired by avoidance and fear (ie: confronting michelle abt jake, talking to his mum abt why she was visiting + his dads death).

and to be clear, this is a GOOD THING! we’re not supposed to go through life alone, no matter how bad OR well we’re doing. rebecca and keeleys friendship isn’t worth less for all the scenes where they’re both in good places. if anything, the opposite is true - it’s lovely that they both have someone who want to celebrate the achievements in their life!

and fuck it, we’re sure as hell not supposed to go through life with exactly one (1) person whom we expect to fulfill ALL of our emotional needs at all times either! like, im sure i don’t need to labour my point here, but tying everything to one (1) person in ur life doesn’t make u any less isolated than if u were going it completely alone, whether it’s a family member, a friend, or a partner. i won’t pretend to know the first thing abt what it’s like to be a parent, but i don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that no parent would be at their best if they had absolutely no support/camaraderie/general love provided to them from Anyone other than their child.

so when ted is SPECIFICALLY shown to be in a bad place, over and over again (did he come to terms w his fear to be close to henry overnight???????), and then removed from his community? of COURSE the audience is left feeling unsettled, and like the rug has been pulled out from under them. there was no time in this finale dedicated to how ted would still be in contact with anyone from richmond. no promises of visits, or phone calls - fuck, nothing about emails!! according to the text, we might as well assume this is a clean break (and the maybe-dream-sequence does Fuck All to assure us otherwise. if ted doesn’t go to beards wedding, what WOULD he go to????). and since the show has ALSO completely failed to give us even an IMPLICATION of who/what ted’s support system would be in kansas, there’s… a reasonable argument to be made that this is It for ted. that, after two seasons doing NOTHING but attesting otherwise, the audience is supposed to suddenly believe that ted can (and SHOULD!) pull himself up by his bootstraps, and cope entirely on his own.

that, to me, is a betrayal of the show’s premise. we were promised a show about how, no matter how dark things may get, none of the characters would be left to struggle alone. and then they ended the show with ted alone.

i don’t know. i guess if i had to give this post a tldr; if anyone has any gen fic/meta/Literally Anything in the pipeline, i would absolutely love to be tagged/directed towards it. i’ll be endeavouring to write something myself, as well, but it might take a while before i can return to my WIP, lol.