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sweet-star-cookie · 16 days ago

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if you were to drop cassie + the zodiacs into a human/modern AU (an AU where all the zodiacs and constellations were humanized and there is no magic in the universe), what jobs do you think they would do? what would their new human names be? would their dynamics change as a result of the lack of magic and the trauma that comes along with it? and what do you think flicker's normal animal equivalent would be?

(definitely not related to a christmas special i'm cooking up nooope no frenzied AU writing here)

Oooooooh? 👀 Whatever you've got cooking, I'm very excited :D You know it's funny, now that I think about it I've done a lot more speculating about humanization/AU stuff for this set of characters than even I remembered initially, haha! The upside is that means I actually have some stuff to give you :D Of course I don't consider any of this to be "canon" even in an AU sense, as the ideas here are pretty spur-of-the-moment overall and I would need to develop them more if I were to ever make an actual AU story myself. Some of these I've never thought about prior to now, so it is by no means complete in terms of info, but I hope it helps!

With that in mind, don't feel restricted by what I give you here, if you come up with something different for these characters that you want to write about, go for it! Feel free to play around and have fun ^_^ Alright, on to the (very long) answers!

I'll start with the Flicker question, since that'll have the shortest answer comparatively! When figuring out their size in the main story I have compared them to a small kitten before. Considering they can fit in the palm of Cassie's hand most of the time too, something in the rodent family might be more suitable here. Given their stubby limbs, small paws/feet and round body, a hamster comes to mind for me (though I'm biased because I grew up with pet hamsters, haha).

As for Cassie and the zodiac, it would depend on what setting/context this takes place in to determine how they meet and interact with each other, and what dynamics they'd make or keep from their original counterparts, including what part of the world they/their theoretical ancestors are from. Are they all somehow in Cassie's town, or are they all somewhere else? How Cassie would meet them would obviously be very different too, and depending on their occupations she'd be less likely to meet some than others, but of course you can find ways to bring them together anyway.

Since there are nearly infinite options to answer the question of setting, I'll instead give you some general ideas for their possible occupations and such and you can go from there! Some of the "jobs" the adult zodiacs have on the Astral Plane do translate pretty easily to regular Earth occupations, but again you don't have to stick to those if you don't want to. Same with the names, I only have some that came to mind or that I've had previously so feel free to make some up for yourself!

------ ARIES

Possible Occupation: I could see him as a gym trainer or something, the kind that may yell a lot but that actually works for people who are motivated by that kind of intensity, and he genuinely cares about the health/strength goals of the patrons with great passion as well. Perhaps he's still underestimated for his size/height but is able to prove himself with his strength anyway, and thus everyone at the gym respects him. What's funny is Aries actually used to be half-human in canon! Here's the old concept art from around 2016, if that helps at all:

The only reason I eventually changed him was to balance out the cast a bit more variety wise, as Leo was the only anthropomorphic animal zodiac character at the time. This is the same reason I changed Capricorn to be anthropomorphic as well, though in his case I felt it also strengthened his concept as the "sea goat" a lot more easily that way.

Possible Name: For some reason any variant of Aaron comes to mind, I'm assuming because it matches with the "ar" syllable in Aries (though that may also be me thinking about Aran Ryan, the stereotypical unhinged/angry Irishman character from Punch-Out lol)

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: (If you're including them too) I'd imagine that Perseus would be a rather anxious member at the gym that takes a lot of effort to motivate properly, but Aries sees potential in him and sees it through anyway. Either that or he simply wants to help out with other things around the gym to build up his confidence more. He's young, so maybe it's his very first job or something, and a challenge for Aries to learn how to train someone who doesn't match his own demeanour very much at all.

------ TAURUS

Possible Occupation: I can see her as some kind of animal rescue operator or a park ranger that's focused on areas with protected species. A zookeeper could work well too, she'd definitely be one that would be excited and energetic when giving tours and facts about the animals because she loves them so much.

Possible Name: One that I have in my old "what if" notes is Tori Dellman (I don't remember why lol)

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: Wherever Orion would be in his original character arc could determine their relationship here, like maybe he's still a hunter/poacher that Taurus has to deal with but eventually befriends, or he is a fellow park ranger/animal rescuer/zookeeper.

Coincidentally, at the time of writing this I am finishing up Part 2 of Orion's updated reference sheet that shows his human form prior to his deer transformation, so stay tuned for that soon :D

------ GEMINI & LEO (Putting these two together since they're the children of the zodiac cast and thus wouldn't have set jobs/aspirations like the adults do)

Possible Names: The Gemini twins could theoretically keep their original names (Solana and Luna) but there are a bunch of other names that mean sun/moon that you could use if you want to keep that duality theme but in a subtler way.

Same with Leo, there are a bunch of names that mean "lion" that you could use (though that already includes Leo itself, of course).

Relationship with Zodiac Companions: I feel like this would also be determined by what dynamic they have with their guardians/parental figures (Sagittarius and Cancer) and if they're adopted as their children or not. This would extend to their companions as well, as I consider Leo Minor to be Leo's little brother in canon and that could be the same here. Auriga could be an older sister to the Gemini twins in turn, though I could also see her as a camp counsellor or some other kind of teenage volunteer on a school trip or something.

------ CANCER

Possible Occupation: Her giant claw cannons that can shoot water and her strong build make me think she could work well as a fire fighter, the kind that isn't weighed down by her gear very much and doesn't mind leaping into danger multiple times if necessary, still keeping that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ kind of attitude when it comes to her own safety.

Possible Name: The only name I have for her in my notes is Maura Kinloch, though this was a relic from a very, very old lore draft where it's implied that her incarnation of her constellation has been around for literal centuries, further implying that she was the only one of the armour clad characters on the Astral Plane who actually lived as a knight during the medieval times on Earth (make of that what you will lmao)

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: This would again depend on how you interpret Hydra/Hydrus and their relationship with her, though you don't necessarily have to humanize every single one of the animal characters either. Considering their constellations are defined as "the water snakes" you could also have them be her pets, either as snakes or some other kind of reptile/amphibian.

------ VIRGO

Possible Occupation: Considering her Lady Justice themeing in canon, she could have a similar job in a courtroom, though which one she has is up to you. A judge or attorney might be most fitting, but she could also be an investigator or detective as well.

Possible Name: Not sure, sorry ^^' Whenever I need to think of AU names I usually either pick a name that has a meaning adjacent to their original concept, or one that phonetically sounds similar/has some of the same syllables as their canon name to tie them together.

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: Given Corvus's status as a former thief/delinquent in canon, you could use that in the AU and whatever job Virgo has could determine what relationship they have. Perhaps Corvus is a part of a case she's working on as a suspect and she needs to prove his guilt/innocence, or he's the classic "help us out now and we'll reduce your sentence" kind of thing, perhaps acting as a sort of double agent.

------ LIBRA

Possible Occupation: I picture her keeping her job as a librarian/archivist, though how high up the "ladder" she is in terms of that occupation is up to you, and whether or not museum experience is included is a possibility as well. If you want to connect her AU part to Virgo's to match canon, she could also be either a fellow attorney/judge, or the stenographer (the person who transcribes what is said in a courtroom). They could always just be friends outside of their respective jobs too, though.

Possible Name: Elise, from my old notes. Not sure if I picked this one because they both have L in their spellings but I like it. :)

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: Lupus would still be some kind of assistant to Libra I think, regardless of what occupation either of them has. Similar to Scutum (see below!) I actually have a drawing of him as a human, though it's not finished yet:

I had fun with this one :D Though he appears a lot younger as a wolf, he's actually a young adult in terms of age. ------ SCORPIO

Possible Occupation: This is one I actually have a slightly more fleshed out AU idea for, believe it or not! I pictured Scorpio as some kind of secret agent/spy or maybe even a trained assassin or bounty hunter depending on whether he actually has a body count in this AU or not. Perhaps he's caught up in a conspiracy or plot where he realizes he's on the wrong side of it all with what he has been assigned, and has to pivot to save the victim(s) despite the extreme danger in doing so.

If you want a more "pedestrian" angle for the AU though, he could just be the type of guy who tries his best to get by with whoever will hire him, but somehow keeps finding trouble or having trouble find him. Maybe he was categorized as a delinquent in his youth because of his suspiciously adept knife skills, rightfully or otherwise, leading to his characteristic brooding pessimism even after he became a young adult.

If Virgo/Libra are still tied to the justice system in this hypothetical, I think it would be funny if Scorpio was truthfully just a regular guy, but one that constantly gets roped into ridiculous situations through no fault of his own. So once they get him on the stand and they look at him like "...again?" he's just like "for the love of god it's not me this time-"

Apparently I cannot give him a break even in an AU, sorry bud xD

Possible Name: To match his occupation, it's likely that his real name is unknown/redacted and he uses Agent Scorpio/Scorpius as a code name or alias instead. Not sure what his name would be in an otherwise normal situation though, maybe he has to keep changing it to avoid whatever trouble keeps finding him.

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: In sharp contrast to Scorpio, Scutum is a paramedic with a big heart and chipper attitude, the kind that may not follow the rules all the time but is always riding off on his Moped with his medical bag to save a life somewhere. If he arrives on the scene on time, he has a tendency to put himself between a victim and the assailant's weapon to protect them, earning him his nickname. I've actually drawn this version of him too :D

(this is still one of my favourite designs to date, heehee :'D )

Despite their opposing occupations, he and Scorpio end up working together a lot more than either of them expected. As a paramedic, Scutum has the MO of "everyone deserves rescuing", including trained assassins in this case! To him it doesn't matter who they are, a patient is a patient. ------ SAGITTARIUS

Possible Occupation: For some reason I picture him as an outdoorsman, like a hiker or survivalist or something. I think it would be funny if, even when fully human in this AU, he is still mistaken for a bear in the woods from a distance because of his hair and stocky build. Whether he practices archery as a job or simply a hobby is another thing as well, as that could factor into his survival skills or perhaps he competes in tournaments with it.

Possible Name: I have Argus or Darius as a first name here, and considering the Scottish inspiration for his canon design you could give him a Scottish surname as well if you like.

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: If you want to keep Centaurus's insatiable desire to explore, you could have him be a companion on Sagittarius's hikes or a survivalist-in-training. He might want to partake in some spelunking as well if the area in question has caves. Even in canon Centaurus's name is often shortened to Rus, so you could use that here as a short form of Russell.

------ CAPRICORN

Possible Occupation: I think he'd be a well-to-do patron of the arts, likely still an owner or an otherwise staunch financial supporter of a theatre, big or small. Whether he is/was an actor or is simply a performing arts enthusiast is up to you, but I think his refined taste and penchant for the extravagant would still shine through in his demeanour, clothing and possessions. Whether he and Aries are still brothers here is up to you too, though the contrast in their occupations might make for an amusing dynamic, as Capricorn in this AU likely wouldn't lay a finger on a weight even if his life depended on it.

Possible Name: Quentin Armanis, Noctus Finch, or Atticus Strombold (I'm really good at coming up with fancy names I guess lmao)

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: I think Pegasus and her siblings would still be in the performing arts here, though depending on the setting, how they and Capricorn meet might be different. Perhaps Capricorn has a more hidden altruistic side where he supports young and/or indie theatre efforts in addition to the larger ones, but all on the down-low for the sake of whatever reputation he's trying to keep.

------ AQUARIUS

Possible Occupation: I can see her keeping her fashion designer/hair stylist angle here, but how "high profile" she is in this regard could vary in the AU depending on her goals/passions. Regardless of whether her and Pisces are still married in this AU, I could see Pisces becoming at least a muse for Aquarius's designs if nothing else.

Possible Name: Odessa, or some other fancy name that a fashion designer would have.

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: Similar to their initial rivalry in canon, Aquila could be a rival of hers in the fashion world as well, perhaps even "fighting" with similar clothing styles and motifs to see who can do it better. Whether they patch things up or continue the drama would remain to be seen!

------ PISCES

Possible Occupation: For some reason I see her going in a lot of potential directions. She could work at a spa, an aquarium, or maybe she'd be a swimming instructor/competitive swimmer, all options to keep her water/fish theme. Whether or not her and Aquarius are married in this AU may alter one or both of their occupations as well.

Possible Name: Cherise, perhaps to match her predominantly pink/red colours in canon and cheerful personality. Depending on her occupation, I can see others calling her "Miss Cherry" as a nickname (the word cherry derives from cherise, and cerise is French for cherry).

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: This also depends on how you'd approach Austri in this AU, as even if she's still a circus performer like she is/was in canon, how she and Pisces meet would likely be very different regardless. They don't necessarily have to be connected outside of meeting each other at some point though. I could see Pisces simply knowing Austri for being a performer at the aforementioned circus or even as a mute comedian that specializes in physical comedy instead of verbal. Considering Austri's canon connections to Capricorn as well, perhaps they know each other through association that way.

------ OPHIUCHUS

(Including him too because he's sort of the 13th zodiac and it would feel wrong to exclude him considering how important he is to canon lol) Possible Occupation: Considering he's a healer in canon, I'd imagine him being in the medical field would be appropriate, especially since the caduceus (a symbol associated with Ophiuchus and traditionally represents healing) is still used as a medical symbol today. Depending on what you wish to do with Scorpio/Scutum's part of the AU, you could have them be connected (for better or worse!)

Possible Name: No idea, sorry ^^' It could be similarly long/complicated as his constellation name, and maybe has a degree of unintentional intimidation to it. For me at least, the name Ophiuchus always felt very grandiose even if my character with that name is of a more humble nature comparatively, so you could play around with that depending on what angle you wish to take with his character's personality/goals in this AU. Is he still considered an antagonist here, or something else entirely?

Relationship with Zodiac Companion: A similar situation to Cancer where you don't necessarily have to humanize Serpens and Cetus and could make them pet snakes, though having them be Ophiuchus's assistants at his medical practice could also work well too, since that's basically what they do in canon (and the caduceus imagery often includes two snakes already).

#thank you for this!!! i've missed getting asks so this was a lovely surprise :D #honestly writing this out really makes me want to go back to that Scorpio/Scutum AU #it was a lot of fun to think about #though i am often distracted by these things when i should be working on canon first lmao #it is HEAVILY inspired by an anime called Buddy Daddies that I had just finished watching at the time #Scutum doesn't have a lot of similarity to Katsuki personality wise #but Rei has so much Scorpio energy it's actually unreal #if for whatever reason I ever needed a Japanese VA for him I'd pick Rei's VA instantly #no shade to his English VA but something about the Japanese one just hits different #it captures the EXACT energy he has and it's amazing #anyway!!!!#thanks again ^_^#asks #tabsters #long post #my art #my OCs #Starglass Zodiac #SGZ #AUs #non-canon shenanigans

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cere-mon-ials · 2 years ago

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2022 in kdramas

*that I finished

I spent my January nursing all that The Red Sleeve broke (my heart), nourishing what it gave me (provocation to write, notes here), cursing what it did for my overall k-drama viewing expectations. I am still mad that Lee Se-young wasn’t recognised for what she did in TRS, a show that belongs to Deok-im and her alone. I had finished Good Manager a day before, a long-winded bromance between Namkoong Min and Lee Jun-ho. I didn’t think much and truth be told, I don’t remember much either. Happiness fell flat after three episodes; stayed for the remaining episodes because of the excellent chemistry between the main characters. I evidently watched Coffee Prince many years too late but I saw every reason why I might have never finished school if I had seen it earlier.

Run On kept me thrilled on occasion, became white noise otherwise. I loved seeing my two joys, running and translation, woven into the show, loved the miracle of found friendships and homes, and a defiant writing philosophy that healthy relationships are worthy of being probed. Despite how unbearable Our Beloved Summer was about Ji-woong’s unrequited love, I could see the good-naturedness of the story writer-nim was trying to tell. I loved watching why the two leads fell apart and what brought them together. I loved that this had something to do with communication but I loved even more, that it just had to do with having grown up and realising you can love something you’re not and that’s one way to experience life. Kairos is the most underappreciated show that tackles time-travel. Great writing with exceptional attention to detail.

February was spent with the duology of the Ahn Pan-seok—Kim Eun—Jung Hae-in universe, the k-drama equivalent of Austenian bliss. Both shows benefit from Kim Eun’s thesis that romance may be intimate but love, in a patriarchy, demands a public that must accept it. Ahn Pan-seok is the finest orchestrator of moments that feel like the time lapse that falling in love is, that thing that people often reduce to soulmatism or violins at first glance. In One Spring Night, it works. In Something in the Rain, it fails because Kim Eun was still finding her voice as a writer who is stumped by what makes for the ‘right’ kind of conflicts in a 16-episode arc. I don’t think that’s the only problem with SITR but it’s the one she solved with marvelous elegance in OSN. In both shows, the main leads are charmingly, refreshingly communicative with each other. But it is in OSN, where Kim Eun figures out that being vulnerable is not the same as talking about vulnerable things, and how to make it count for all relationships that matter. Son Ye-jin and Han Ji-min, I love you both equally.

In March, I began paying an honorarium to the guard of my Jang Hyuk horny jail. Deep-rooted Tree made me cry in at least 14/24 episodes. A Joseon murder mystery wrapped in a drama about accessible language as the beginning to breaking down class barriers and nation-building, with nerdy love for character interiority? I ate that up. Han Seok-kyu is the only reel King Sejong ever. Just like Jang Hyuk is the only reel Bang Won ever. My Country: The New Age is a shallow show with hilarously lofty dialogues and masterful action sequences. In my most generous reading, MCTNA attempted to ask if Bang Won’s modernity could have come at a lesser price; is modernity not equivalent to audacity? Woo Do-hwan is almost as good at portraying audacity as Jang Hyuk.

Having Park Eun-bin and Kim Min-jae play Brahms in a riveting duet is exactly what Do You Like Brahms? set out to do. Introverts are rarely done well on the screen and getting it right with not one, but two leads is an achievement too. If you are a person fuelled by that mystical "passion," the creative arts industry can be a cruel place. Chae Song-ah is, by all accounts, not as talented as the others around her, and this is not a story of stick-with-it-till-you-rise-from-the-ashes. Even the hope that it might be is wonderful writing because Song-ah is far more assertive than anybody gives her credit for, like a baby who holds onto your finger with shocking strength. In classical music especially, there is no such thing: you are good or you are out. Park Joon-young is great and yet, he is begging for an out, because being good is just the beginning. These two and the other characters are deeply in love with music and they want to protect that love. They all find out that in the end that love needs sustenance, not protection.

I binged Fated to Love You in April, in a private experiment to see how much Jang Hyuk brainrot I can take. (Let’s remember this is a summary of the shows I finished.) I came out of it with brainrot for one more Jang. Outrageous show, outrageous star power. Soundtrack No. 1 was a forgettable experience save for the fact that I am now a person who looks up Park Hyung-sik’s MDL page on the reg. I think everybody is right about Twenty-Five Twenty-One: (a) Baek Ye-jin and Na Hee-do were always going to break up (b) It was a terribly-conceived finale. Two other opinions I am going to leave here: (c) Ji Seung-wan, darling of my heart, should have been the lead for the show that writer-nim actually wanted to do. (d) More people would see this, and also may have responded with thoughts beyond ship discourse, if Na Hee-do was played by anyone other than Kim Tae-ri.

I think people were right about criticising Lee Soo-yeon’s Grid too. The science of time-travel took some leniency. I get why the finale would have been unsatisfying, even as a setup for a potential second season. But I offer that the thesis of LSY’s shows is never in how they end, because they are not moral science lessons for the future. Grid’s deeply introspective themes of time-travel and the greater good begins with the the sun, the most reliable force in a human's life, turning against mankind. This immediately takes away a human as ultimate antagonist, when it easily could have been. For LSY, the future is the darkest place with unknowable power and we have the task of paving a path of light towards it. Time-travel is not the science-fiction component with which to imagine our behaviour in an unrecognisable, but possible, place. It’s the fucking fantasy. Even if we got the chance to change the past, we really couldn't. The future is what we have got to change and the present to make the first move. Those dreams of going back, repenting hard enough, flirting with what ifs? Not going to cut it. LSY's meta elegance is in bringing the intensely personal version of this theme in parallel to the big one: divorce. FWIW, she had all these threads tie together by Episode 7. I get why she said Grid is the next iteration of her life's work—an exceptional mind.

Park Min-young could have chemistry with a rock, and thank god, Seo Kang-joon isn’t one. When The Weather Is Fine is the rightest show about life in the countryside. It nails the fine line of a tight-knit community that shows up for you and also, how easily they can be the first source of judgement, as people who know your secrets. Best book club in a k-drama. Very well done pining. Imo is my favourite character and she should publish that novel because “Hey. Who do you think killed my brother-in-law?” is a banger opening line. I first saw Lee Jae-wook in this show.

During the weekends of April and May, there was My Liberation Notes. I watched it like a scheduled therapy session, although I do not think Park Hae-young is aiming for catharsis with her works (despite it seeming like the most common outcome). I didn’t have the word “healing” in my everyday vocabulary so often before k-dramas. It’s a genre of k-drama that is meant to be comforting, to inject slowness into everyday life as an antidote for the ills of modern society. Bullshit. There are multiple wide shots of the Yeom family tending their farms, eating in peace amid the greenery, and they are claustrophobic. It might feel like complaints, and you’re free to think that. But PHY knows, as most people my generation do, finding an escape is actually really easy. That’s not the point. The point is to be less sad about being who you are; to know that who you are is enough to make a living, find love if you want it, make peace with your family. This show is about siblings as the real loves of your lives.

I don’t remember what I was doing in June.

Pachinko is not a k-drama strictly speaking, but let’s do it. I adore Min Jin Lee and I am afraid to admit how emotionally attached I am to the world of Kogonada’s eyes. In MJL's book, the linear structure is meant to make you feel like the history of a family can also be a history of the other themes that consume intellectual space. In the show, there is no such thing as a past, or a history. Nothing is done, nothing is over and under the rug. You see Sun-ja’s and Solomon’s stories at the same time because there's no distance that makes what happened then far enough from what's happening now. For this alone, Pachinko is a superior adaptation. I have a shrine for every woman in this show. Watching Yumi’s Cells 2 has been among the happiest experiences of my TV viewing life. Bloody Heart could have been bloodier. I respected that it reached a conclusion without feeling the need to give a neat answer to its central question of assertive power as driver of both unity and chaos—there’s humility in realising that the answer need not be determined in one generation. Jang Hyuk thirst got me into the show, Kang Hanna’s outstanding face and smarts kept me there. Lee Joon’s Lee Tae nearly made me quit. Park Ji-yeon, muah. I watched the back half of Signal in July. It is no fault of the show that I was zapped out of will to see women being killed. There were two scenes of Kim Hye-soo’s that wrecked me bad, I had to quit watching for couple of days. Thank you to the makers for giving a genre-defining template. (Kairos did do it better.)

Alchemy of Souls was super fun as a weekly watch. Daeho is boring to me as a setting and the plot ventures into territories worthy of critical thought once in a blue moon. But I admire the ambition, and the storytelling does have its moments. Lee Jae-wook is a menace. Inhaled Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung over four days; I enjoyed it. Extraordinary Attorney Woo tried. I also binged Reply 1997. Reply 1988 is always going to be my favourite and I am not going to watch R1994 for a conclusive test of veracity.

Between these shows, their endearing efforts at being fulfilling shows about love of different kinds, I nibbled on episodes of My Mister. I couldn’t watch two episodes together; it was so potent, so unbelievably demanding of my attention in every way imaginable, and I gave it willingly. I wrote about the show here.

October brought the best mystery/thriller show of the year: May It Please The Court. It was written with a clear idea of how much to bite, knew how to chew on it, and that’s why it also landed the best conclusion of the year. The show is astute about forgiveness and justice, and well, forgiveness in justice. I think the show’s success is in how it trusted both its characters and the audience to process what this means to them. Jung Ryeo-won and Lee Kyu-hyung have impeccable married energy from first scene. Lee Sang-hee is the best, the hottest, the finest.

Little Women is the mystery/thriller show with the most potential of the year. It wasn’t until episode 11 that the show lost me but I do think the flaws began revealing themselves a lot earlier. I didn’t appreciate the show’s insistence that the central crime of the show was Sang-ah’s murders and not the patriarchal cult that pretends to be a meritocracy. I thought the Vietnam War references were in conversation for a whole different reason: I viewed it as a nod to the first war where losing means more than winning. That war is the blueprint for the 21st century exertion of control for the right to capital and target audience, rather than mere territory and pride. But this symbolism wasn’t what came through and I understand those who pushed back on how the war's references, along with an exotic flower, rang hollow. LW did get characterisation right, particularly the way poverty alters how intelligence is perceived and valued. It’s ambitious premise—that Louisa May Alcott was wrong in deciding these sisters would taper their poverty with unusual politeness—is radical.

I will rewatch the first 11 episodes of May I Help You in several trying days of my future. Baek Dong-joo and Kim Tae-hee, butlers to the dead and the alive respectively, are companions, friends and lovers, in that order. What's not to love? The acts asked of them are rarely grand but they are delivered with emotional heft. I forgive all the detours taken from episode 12. I tend to find it dull when everybody and everything is connected to each other. In this one's ending, it's quite lovely. I see the vision in saying that we only know Dong-joo’s story because that’s the story we have tuned into. The miracles could be happening to anyone at all. I wish writer-nim wasn’t so Christian throughout—the throwaway line about suicide put me off. Best piggy-backing scenes in a rom-com and also, favourite kiss, I am going to say.

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wintergrew · 2 years ago

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you are an absolute God at worldbuilding. Share us your tips !! <3

Omg I definitely don't know about that, but thank you so much for the compliment 😭

I presume you are referring to my SoT stuff, in which case.....

To start, I based it heavily off of the European Middle Ages. With HUGE liberties because it's still a fantasy world, but I am a history nerd and my background is political science, so I was really interested in grounding it in that, culturally and politically. The Thief and Mage are very political because... I'm very political

Before I started writing (though largely out of pure interest), I watched countless hours of YouTube documentaries I could find, watched more informational videos on things like historical fashion (which i already did, but specific that era), read A Brief History of Life in the Middle Ages by Martyn Whittock, and listened to three The Great Courses lectures on The Early/High/Late Middle Ages by Philip Daileader.

A lot of it was for fun because I'm a nerd, but I picked and chose what I wanted for my version of Zaron. Keep the concept of serfdom in farming, the village and city structures, and random daily life things. Take inspiration but change things like the way feudalist structures and manors work. Cut Christianity (or blatant equivalent like in Dragon Age) and therefore a lot of the church and religious orders that were a huge, huge aspect of the era.

Research also had me stumble upon the year 536. That alone greatly shaped the landscape and setting of The Mage.

Kupa is mostly inspired by Great Britain. However places like Neunbruck are aesthetically me stealing from the Bavarian/Swiss Alps aesthetic (and not necessarily middle ages) while the Southern Kingdom is basically Malta because...I think both of them are really pretty. Aesthetically, the Dark Kingdom takes from Romania and Iceland. It's more aesthetic than me doing deep research though. Like, literally just "damn this small island county is gorgeous, I need it for my story" and working around that. I also did some (but admittedly far less) research into Celts (especially the Picts) and Germanic Tribes of Antiquity for Barbarians.

The game KOTOR was a big inspiration, and by extension as is all of Star Wars. I looked up how to write magic systems and saw a lot of advice on avoiding "soft" magic systems...but did a soft magic system anyway. Admittedly, I should have had stricter rules and guidelines on how magic can be used and it probably is one of the weaker/inconsistent aspects where I was basically was just "it's like the Force". Recent chapters hopefully show why I went that vague route but....Either way, I wish I did make myself a formal guide to magic at the start, so maybe don't be like me and please do that.

I realize now after writing this I've mostly talked on and on about myself and this might not be helpful at all. But i guess a takeaway is:

Do research! You don't have to use everything, but it can really be huge inspiration. If you're writing space scifi, watch space documentaries. If you're writing about the 19th century, look up various fiction and nonfiction about the era. Research the history of and consume media about vampires/werewolves/whatever you're focusing on. You don't have to be as insane as me, though.

Other unrelated media also helps. Songs/Playlists, franchises, art, stories you like. Read and consume as much as you can and absorb what you like.

A lot of it is subconscious daydreaming to me. So listening to stuff in the background I'm kinda just "oh wouldn't it be cool if xx?" instead of sitting down and intentionally mapping things out before i have an idea. Story bibles and outlines help after to organize my thoughts, but I don't force myself to stick to them 100%. I had the central story and plot points to The Assassin long before I had the whole second act of The Mage figured out.

Not sure if this is helpful and it might actually showcase how messy my worldbuilding truly is fhghhh but thanks again

#asks

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insipid-drivel · 1 year ago

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Berskerker Tea

I got to try the infamous “Berserker Tea” lauded by the Norse and Vikings. I had some the other day, but I’m having some as I write this, too, and I feel like sharing what the experience is like:

First off, my partner is from a very traditional Norwegian family. His gift to me upon arriving to move in with me was a drinking horn trimmed in hammered gold, carved from an ox horn, and etched with the symbol of a wolf. With him, he also brought... recipes.

A little cultural factoid: Before one can drink from a drinking horn, you have to “blood the horn”, aka cut yourself - usually nothing worse than a papercut - and swipe the blood into the grooves of the animal or deity carved onto the horn itself. It’s done in order to protect the warrior drinking from it from bad luck and evil spirits, particularly before and during battle. To my understanding, the blood “feeds” the figure carved on the horn in order to call upon its protection.

“Berserker Tea” is essentially the closest modern equivalent to the draught that Norse berserker warriors would consume before going into battle. Some of the ingredients are a secret, but it’s mostly comprised of tea (I prefer chamomile), mead (a wine-like alcoholic beverage made from fermenting honey and is also very high in healthy probiotics), and psilocybin mushrooms steeped for hours or days at a time and consumed cold. The longer the mix is allowed to sit, the more potent the drink becomes. It’s not unusual to mix cannabis in, either, in order to stimulate the appetite and make it easier to sleep. Shrooms can suppress the appetite and stimulate different areas of the brain so it’s difficult to sleep, and weed naturally counters those symptoms so you can snack and sleep whenever you genuinely want to.

It smells amazing when it’s still hot and steeping. Like an ancient Pagan holiday.

In spite of the alcohol, it doesn’t make you sleepy or give the sensation of feeling tipsy or drunk. I only have about a gram of mushrooms in mine, which is about the clinical equivalent of a microdose, but holy shit.

First off, at the dosage I prefer, you don’t actually hallucinate. Colors are more striking and beautiful to look at, art is more captivating to see, and stimming feels amazing, but you aren’t going to see little green men or dragons circling the sky. Jokes you’ve heard before become hilarious again like it’s the first time you’ve heard them. Most forms of chronic pain disappear. Music is more than music. Your mood becomes buoyant and pleasant. Feelings of anxiety and depression go away. Chronic fatigue and sleepiness just... evaporate. PTSD and traumatic memories and flashbacks aren’t traumatic anymore - they’re there, and you may actually remember more detail or uncover memories you’ve blocked out, but they can’t overwhelm you anymore. You can choose to observe your memories and make a real, firm statement like, “That sucked and it wasn’t okay, but I’m not going to be afraid of it anymore,” and it works.

Unlike caffeine, you genuinely feel awake and alert (it’s a lot more like having the right balance of B12 in your system rather than a stimulant like caffeine), and the effects last for 8 hours or more. There is no crash-landing or hangover, and when you sober up, the realizations and observations you made with things like trauma and triggers for depression actually stick.

I wanted to cry the first time I felt the tea kick in for me. It feels like the way antidepressants should feel. I wasn’t hiding from any psychological pain, and the tea wouldn’t let me. It almost feels like it forces you to confront what’s been bothering you, in fact. It doesn’t let you become numb to emotional and psychological pain the way something like opioid use can. It turns your brain into an open book for your own perusal, where the facts and truths are plain in front of you, but as harmless as an ink blot on paper. It lets you process in a way where the most uncomfortable and unexplored passages in your mind are well-lit and safe to delve into.

I didn’t end up sacking Rome or bush-whacking supply trains in the Teutoburg Forest while contemplating rallying behind Versingetorix over in Gaul, but it’s still a pretty awesome experience.

Right now, with another round in my system, all I feel is pleasant and comfortable while also contemplative about my life in general. I’m able to be a little more critical of myself without being self-deprecating, while also being able to be vastly more forgiving of myself, too. There are no strange hallucinations dancing in front of my eyes, and the only compulsion I have that’s out-of-character for me is that I feel like smiling a lot more than usual. I think I may put some music on my headphones and take a walk in the woods. Who knows? It’s a great day.

#psilocybin #berserker tea #vikings #norwegians are wild #microdosing #hallucinogens #tw: alcohol #tw: drugs #tw: blood #tw: cutting #i mean it's entirely ceremonial in purpose and not intended to be self destructive #unless you're a roman on the wrong side of the danube

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hacemorra-death-gremlin · 1 year ago

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Interlace: Some other Options

Yo! Are you an artist that doesn’t like drawing humans for any reason? Don’t like the idea of just drawing some guys and want to do something special? Interlace, for me, has been pretty fun because I consistently take it and go “oooh but how would it work if they were x?” So here’s a selection of some of the AUs that you could draw instead of the base stuff. Note that for a lot of these, I don’t have designs fully figured out, so you’re free to take artistic liberties and fill in the unfinished parts yourself, just make sure it’s still the same character in the end :) These are: Furry | Dragons (WoF) | Pokemon Mystery Dungeon | Pokemon (Trainers)

It’s probably dumb but I think it’s fun! So that’s why I’m leaving this open as an option.

Furry

For this, we’ve got:

Sam: Pine Marten

August: Elk

Gabi: Flying Fox/Vampire bat cross

Leila: Raven

Izze: Therizinosaurus

I don’t have much art, only some sketches of furry-ified Sam and August. Here they are Dragon (WoF)

THIS one has a lot more information! Copying this from an old post about them “[Sam] Braconid (they/he/she) is a Hivewing. He has a personal weapon, a proboscis that shoots out from under his tongue with some kind of toxin, which causes initial numbness then unbearable pain after hours. They gain animus magic sometime through the story, thanks to The Curse, which also makes them significantly more obsessed with Oleander to an unhealthy amount. She doesn't use her weapon and keeps her animus magic hush hush.

[August] Oleander (he/him) is a Silkwing-Nightwing Hybrid. He starts off the story without any abilities, since despite being 18 (assuming its like late 20s equivalent based on dragon maturity) he has not gone through metamorphosis yet. He does, and afterwards his wings are odd, he has regular silk, and can breathe a bit of fire which is weirdly linear and kinda... sticks. The Curse just kinda loosens his

inhibitions. Just a little.

[Leila] Gloam (she/her) is a Nightwing, who was hatched under a single moon and can read minds. She is extremely nosey and this power is not the best for her. The Curse makes her rampant need to know and curiosity much worse, staining her eyes green, opening more across her scales, and letting her mind reading powers grow until she can split open a mind and look inside like peeling an orange.

[Gabi] Lobo (he/she) is a Sandwing. Like legitimately Lobo's unremarkable. The Curse makes him a little more angry that's about all.

[Izze] Juniper (she/her) is a Leafwing, who has a little bit of leafspeak. Not much. The most she can do is really cheap tricks, not very useful as a weapon. Though Juniper is on a whole other level, seeing as Juniper is immune to The Curse SOMEHOW.

Some character background. Braconid, Oleander, and Juniper's families and ancestors back 250+ years are Pyrrhian. Despite their tribes being from Pantala, they are Pyrrhian dragons in all other ways.

Braconid and Juniper were invited to the prestigious Jade Mountain Academy, and were both put in the Copper Winglet. They got on like a house on fire and when they graduated, moved close to home in Colony. There they started writing scrolls together. They mostly write on draconic folk tales, legends, myths, and most strikingly supposed supernatural encounters. Braconid does most research, Juniper comes up with ideas and handles writing. In public appearances, Braconid acts as the grumpy skeptic and Juniper as the charismatic believer.

Half of Braconid's job is spending a lot of time in Pyrrhian libraries, and the library in Colony is the biggest on the continent. This is where Braconid met Oleander.

Oleander, with no wings, has been left at a major disadvantage. He was hatched just outside Colony, and hasn't gotten the chance to travel further since the ability to fly is kinda important for crossing a continent. So he's stayed in Colony. He works at the library as a librarian, and met Braconid on his walks to work. It started out slow, but they over the years fell in love and now live together. Oleander appreciates that Braconid never pitied him, only trying to be accommodating.

Working at the library, one other coworker convinced the librarians to have game nights every so often, which is how Oleander gets closer to Gloam, the head librarian. Gloam completes her duties, but is well known for getting lost in research of things she finds interesting. She was hatched in Colony, and has seen most of Pyrrhia, just finding Colony the most comfortable place for her.

Lastly for background would be Lobo. Lobo is from the southern side of the desert, close to the mountains, where the sand gets dark and almost red. She joined Queen Dawn's army at 6 (once again, age weird assuming 15-17 here), thinking it would give him the chance to help others. After a few years she figured out she was wrong, and deserted, fleeing back home. He quickly feared being caught by a patrol and moved outside the Sand Kingdom to Colony to avoid court marshall. Lobo now is a gossip columnist, hot on the drama of Colony. On the side he likes to study strange phenomenon and old stories, and runs into Juniper and Braconid on that front. She hates them.”

PMD

This is kinda close to the furry one in the sense I don’t have much information but I DO have what creatures they are and the art. Sam: Tatsugiri August: Dondozo Gabi: Lucario Leila: Absol Izze: Quilava

Pokemon Trainers No art, just information. I’d personally find this option fun :) Sameeh Hisuian Goodra (Partner) Tatsugiri (curly) Augustine Venomoth (Partner) Dondozo Venipede Leila Armarouge (Partner) Murkrow Gabi Heracross (Partner) Mienshao Houndoom Hisuian Sneasel

Izabel Altaria (Partner) Lapras Phantump

#ignore this if you aren't here from art fight lol

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anything-viva · 2 years ago

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Africa, You Spin Me Right Round, Eye of the Tiger, & Like a Virgin for that 80's ask game

africa: favourite 80s music video?

as much as it's memed nowadays, take on me has such a cool concept!

you spin me round (like a record): favourite modern cover of an older song?

ooh this is hard... house of the rising sun by lauren o'connell is so haunting, i like it

youtube

like a virgin: share a controversial opinion.

ok i'm going to put this under a readmore bc it got wayyy too long, rambly, and disorganized. it's about ai art lol

im going to leave the ethical issues of data collection and copying art styles out of this. those are two other whole cans of worms... instead im going to tackle the "ai art isn't art!"

imo "art" is communication: you need an idea and to interpret how to convey it. any stricter of a definition cuts out too many other things that we know are art. the solution isn't to raise the bar of what is considered "art", it's to have taste. does that mean ai art has inherent value? NOPE! i don't think art has inherent good or bad value, it's just another means of expression.

i think the genesis of ai art is like the rise of photography during then late 1880s. photography was similarly demonized as cheating. instead of mixing the paint yourself, it "let the machine do all the work" (sound familiar, digital artists?) but as we know now it takes a LOT of effort and artistic interpretation to make a good photograph. it just uses a different skillset. to make a good piece of ai art requires a lot of phrasing and writing. like if someone spends a lot of time crafting a prompt, then yeah i'd say that's decent. HOWEVER!! just typing in, idk, "princess peach" to dall-e is roughly the artistic equivalent of a stick figure or a blurry photo of the moon you took on your iphone. (tbh... the ai example i used is even less art than those.) you still have to construct the stick figure's lines and arrange them the way you want. you still have to decide how to hold the phone when to snap the photo. and with ai, you you still have to choose to depict a subject and how to do it. it's not very good nor original, but it's still interpretation on some level. does that make it good? FUCK NO. even if the result is technically impressive, i'd still consider it basic.

i think the "if you ask a subway worker to make a sandwich, did you make the sandwich?" argument doesn't apply to ai art bc another human made that sandwich. ai isn't human, it's just a tool. imo, the subway worker is a human, so they made the sandwich. but does the camera own the photo you take?

ai art is eventually going to become respectable like photography. and when photography got popular, yes a lot of artists (particularly realists) lost their jobs, but the craft survived because artists adapted! since ai art is so polished nowadays, artists are going to have to do the opposite. they're get weirder, messier, and most importantly more original. like i said, anyone can type "princess peach" into dall-e and get a million bland results. in order to survive, we're gonna have to figure out what makes our perspectives unique and push that to its limit. we'll make things a machine can't dream up on their own. this isn't the death of art... at least, not yet.

#deadmail

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battlekidx2 · 3 years ago

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Amphibia - The Hardest Thing Thoughts

(art credit to @kayseix)

Ever since last Saturday I’ve been trying to write out my thoughts on The Hardest Thing and after four drafts and almost 10,000 words written and deleted I think I’ve finally figured out how to organize everything I have to say about this finale.

Series finales are the hardest thing to stick the landing on and in many ways they can make or break a series for many people. This episode managed to hit all its emotional beats home just like Amphibia has always done. I have a few issues but nothing that will keep me from revisiting this series in years to come.

I know I’m not the first nor will I be the last to say this but The Hardest Thing is saying goodbye. The girls have to say goodbye to the friends and family they made in Amphibia and in a way all these goodbyes encapsulate and close out their individual arcs and the show’s themes.

Marcy’s goodbyes were bittersweet in a way that was different from Anne and Sasha’s goodbyes. Unlike theirs hers was sad because of what could have been. She didn’t get to know Olivia and Yunan as well as she could have and now she won’t be able to. She befriended them but because of her outlook when she came to Amphibia she didn’t get to find a new family in them like Anne with the Plantars or Sasha with Grime. And her goodbye with Andrias was short and full of pain because if it weren’t for the core they could have been family but they can’t turn back the clock.

Andrias has broken free of the core but he can’t undo his betrayal of her. He can’t stop himself from stabbing her or letting the core possess her. He cared about her but when the moment of truth came he chose the core and his mission over her.

Marcy has insight into how the core treated and manipulated Andrias which gives her new understanding of him but it doesn’t negate his actions. It also doesn’t negate the impact he had on her life. It is a weird mess of emotions and complicated feelings because she did care for him and vice versa but so much has happened that they can never have that bond that the others have. But they will both forever carry the impact they had on each other.

Their story is tragic.

Marcy’s goodbyes are a new beginning. Her big moment in All In was the equivalent of Anne’s big moment in Reunion where she stands up to Sasha or Sasha’s big moment in Turning Point where she decides to do the right thing. These were beginnings where the girls made the decision to be better, become who they were meant to be, and work to reach their full potential. And their subsequent actions in those episodes solidified this change. These goodbyes were the solidification of Marcy’s decision to change.

In a way this isn’t the end of her story and arc that Amphibia brought about but the beginning and I think that works perfectly for Marcy.

Sasha and Grime’s goodbye was about more than one thing but it was most importantly a close to their emotional arcs. Both Grime and Sasha build walls around their hearts and put up a tough exterior to hide their genuine care for each other and others. Throughout the series we’ve seen time and time again that they have chosen each other above themselves. Sasha stuck with Grime after Reunion and protected him in Toadcatcher, Grime returned for Sasha in Turning Point, Grime sacrificed his arm to save Sasha’s life in All In, etc. They have had each other’s backs at every turn no matter how dire the situation. They may not say it aloud but they have become family.

Sasha and Grime have developed a father/daughter sort of bond through their adventures and seeing them finally let their walls fall and break down crying at their goodbye was emotional. Neither would have dared to show this type of emotion around others before this point in the series. Sasha was determined to hide her sadness and hurt behind confidence and anger and Grime would never show anything other than ruthlessness before Sasha. They bettered each other and broke down each other’s walls.

But Sasha’s goodbyes also play into the idea that you won’t always get closure for everything. Sasha gets to have this heartfelt goodbye with Grime but she never did get to see Percy and Braddock again. She never got to make things right. And that’s an important part of her arc.

Sasha for so long struggled to see the consequences of her actions and it caused her to lose Percy and Braddock and it almost cost her her friendship with Anne. She luckily got a chance to reconcile with Anne and build a stronger bond than ever because of it. But this isn’t the case with Percy and Braddock.

This adds extra weight to Barrel’s Warhammer. Sasha’s actions in that episode made it so that she didn’t get to ever see them again. Her actions had lasting consequences that she will never get to undo.

Even though that’s the case Sasha doesn’t stop trying to better herself and that’s important. She was very self destructive at the start and actively put her life in danger multiple times but now she wants to get better, to be better, for those around her but also herself.

Anne’s goodbyes come full circle as well. This goodbye really shows Anne and the Plantars’ personal growth. In season 2 during the episode A Day at the Aquarium they couldn’t bring themselves to say goodbye or even think of the fact that they would have to say goodbye but now they are faced with the reality that they will have to let go. They didn’t want to be reminded of their adventures because they thought it was too painful but after all this they surround themselves with mementos of each other and the time they spent together.

Anne and the Plantars are family they have been and always will be no matter what. This doesn’t change that. It can’t. They have irrevocably changed each other. Her goodbye with Sprig was understandably the one that was the biggest tearjerker out of all the Plantars.

The friendship between Sprig and Anne is what started this series. It’s what got Anne to grow and what motivated Anne to stand up for herself. It’s what gave Anne perspective on what a healthy friendship looks like. It is, in a way, the catalyst for much of the growth and change in the show for the characters and the world. If Sprig hadn’t become Anne’s “first non-toxic friend” (in the words of Matt Braly) then none of the girls would have grown into who they were meant to be.

Spranne against the world was a catchphrase they used that grew into something much more than what it was that first time they shouted it in early season one. Since then they’ve faced down tyrants, toad rebellions, the FBI, an immortal collection of Amphibia’s greatest minds, and the literal moon and have always had each other's backs.

Spranne kicked this adventure off and it’s their goodbye that closes it out.

It’s simple and beautiful and heartbreaking all at once.

Now to come back to the space battle and the moon. Sasha and Marcy’s calamity forms have been teased since Anne first accessed hers back in True Colors and we finally got to see them in action.

Amphibia didn’t hold back and gave us the most fun and colorful fight sequence in the whole show. I love how all of their calamity powers have to do with their activities from home that helped them most in Amphibia. Anne’s tennis skills and natural athleticism helped her fight even before her lessons from Tritonio which is most notable in Toad Tax. Sasha’s cheerleading helped her stay alive from the heron attack in prison break and feeds into her fighting ability. Marcy’s passion for fantasy and DnD plays into how she is able to do so well in Newtopia as mentioned in Marcy at the Gates. I love that this keeps coming back around in the story.

I love this frame of the girls grabbing onto each other and laughing while they spin in space. It just makes me really happy about how far they have come individually and as friends. The fact that they all grew so much and were able to come back together always hits me. It brings me back to that photo Matt Braly shared on twitter of the sketch of the three girls on the coach leaning into each other so with the caption “it’s complicated”. Through everything they all cared deeply about one another and managed to grow so they could get to this point.

Most importantly this part closes out the arc of the calamity trio as a whole. Anne started out this series as a follower. She did what Marcy and Sasha wanted and took the easy path but that’s not who she is anymore. She asks for their permission to take the lead and they allow her to.

She accepts her fate and makes the hard choice. In a way this is the hardest thing as well. Sasha and Marcy have to take a step back and give Anne their stones and their trust. Anne has to make this decision knowing that she will be giving up everything.

Anne has grown to be a light for so many people. She’s grown to love herself and through that has learned when to take the lead. She’s what Sprig dubbed her in the very first episode, a hero.

Anne makes the ultimate sacrifice and dies. The Anne we know does in fact die. A copy was made of her right before she expired; she is “for all intents and purposes the same Anne Boonchuy”. It’s been a week and I still don’t know how to tackle this subject but I do believe that this is Anne. I am happy that at least a part of Anne does in fact get to live her life. (To be honest I still don’t know if I’ve fully processes this part of the finale)

And we come to one of those things I’m conflicted about which is the creator of the stones. I’ve sat on this for a while now and I think I agree with this take right here. It would work better if there were any indication of there being a god outside of the line of foreshadowing within the episode Adventures in Catsitting and the photo on Anne’s bedroom wall.

No one before this point has been concerned about where the stones came from and there’s also the fact that someone/something we’ve never seen before in the series is what saves Anne from death. I don’t think either of these things fit the series as well as they should (The link explains this a lot better than I can).

That being said it works very well within the context of Anne’s arc and the themes of the show. Anne is given the chance to become a god and she turns it down. She isn’t perfect and she’s constantly growing, learning, and changing. Things aren’t set in stone.

Amphibia is centered around the theme of change. That nothing is permanent. And how that isn’t a bad thing. Bonds grow and change and sometimes you have to let them go but that doesn’t make their impact less meaningful. People change. They can seem set in their ways like Anne thought Sasha and Marcy were but they can surprise you and grow.

Nothing is perfect but with that comes beauty. The creator of the stones can’t grasp this. There is an inherent disconnect between an immortal being and a mortal one when it comes to this. They see Anne make this grand sacrifice and jump at the chance to make her their replacement. They claim she is perfect but she knows this isn’t the case. Anne understands this part of life now in a way she couldn’t before her journey.

Her understanding gives the god a new perspective and they allow her to go back and continue her life. Anne gets to continue her journey of growth and change. While she has an understanding and perspective beyond her thirteen years she still has so much life left to live and she deserves the chance to live it.

The epilogue shows a better world for Amphibia and shows just how much the world and its inhabitants have changed due to the trio. Sprig, Polly, and Ivy are going to go on more adventures and carry on in Anne’s memory by exploring a new continent. Grime, Olivia, and Yunan work together to facilitate peace and exploration. Hop Pop gets to grow his avocados. And Anne has a statue built in her honor.

Andrias roams helping fix the world he tore apart by planting seeds while carrying around the legacy and memory of Leif, Barrel, and Marcy through his keepsakes from each of them. He will never get the closure of his friends having seen him change and work to make up for past mistakes but he carries them with him and the lessons he’s learned from each. This ending fits perfectly with Amphibia’s themes.

I talked in depth about the earth epilogue here but to sum my thoughts up I think the dialogue doesn’t fully get across the intention behind it very well. It doesn’t get across that the girls did in fact keep in contact and that Marcy did visit after Amphibia but drifted apart due to time and differing life paths. I was genuinely disappointed in how the dialogue made the trio’s relationship after Amphibia sound but I love the idea and themes that it tries to get across.

I love the message that people do grow apart and that they can come back together again. I love how the trio meets up on Anne’s birthday, brings her presents, catches up, and takes a new photo. I love the idea that things aren’t permanent and that sometimes you will grow apart but that doesn’t make your experiences together and the love you share pointless, it just takes on a new meaning. I love that all these years later they could come back together and reconnect.

The final frame of the entire show is of the trio having taken a new photo. It’s a beautiful bookend to their story. The polaroid was such an important thing for every girl throughout the story but it grew and changed in significance with each of the girls. This new one symbolizes their new change in dynamic and friendship perfectly.

The fact that our first sighting of the group was this polaroid stuck in a tree in the rain during the opening and that this is the last sighting of the group right before “Complete” appears in Thai bringing the series to a close is so poetic. This series was about the friendship of these three girls falling apart and forcing them to grow separately as individuals before coming back together as true friends.

Amphibia is first and foremost a story about friendship and how each one can change you. How some while you may be separated the impact of that friendship will always remain. That sometimes you can reconnect with these old friendships even after all the time, space, and new experiences have changed you all.

Part of the journey is the end. This wasn’t a perfect goodbye to the series but it was a beautiful one that will be remembered. I know I will never forget it.

Extra thoughts

I want to give TJ Hill kudos once again. I love the upbeat rendition of no big deal that plays in the background of the trio’s space battle and the end credits music.

I have to say my favorite calamity form is Sasha’s. It’s just so extra with the flaming hair and abundance of spikes and it says more about who she is and what she represents than Anne or Marcy’s. (I still love their calamity forms too. Sasha’s just says the most about her in my opinion while Anne and Marcy’s have a lot of similarities to each other comparatively)

I absolutely love the moment where Andrias stands up to the core. They even hammer home the parallels between Anne and Andrias as well as Sasha and the core by having the scene where Andrias stands up to the core share the exact same dialogue as the scene where Anne does the same in Reunion. It even shares the red lighting and background.

I love how Grime kept Sasha’s sword. I love their bond so much.

My full expanded thoughts on the girls’ future careers is right here. I love all the career paths they took and feel like they were all extremely fitting and showed the effect Amphibia had on each of them.

Sasha is bi and I love it.

Olivia and Yunan are canon which I also love.

While it doesn’t hurt the finale for me I wish that we saw Sasha and Marcy’s parents. It just feels strange to have them teased in Froggy Little Christmas with the letters and All In during the phone call at the end only to never see them.

I also don’t think Anne will accept the god’s deal even after the next 78 years. Anne doesn’t want that kind of power and her response within the episode sums up how I think she will still feel after all that time. There is also an inherent tragedy to a mortal becoming an immortal, all-powerful being that I wouldn’t wish on Anne.

I also feel like the pacing of the first half of the episode was too fast. The calamity forms of the three girls is something that has been built up to for quite a while now and they come and go way too quickly. The pacing issue is very noticeable. I enjoyed what we got but it is jarring every time I’ve seen it.

#amphibia #marcy wu #anne boonchuy #sasha waybright #sprig #spranne against the world #polly #hop pop #grime #andrias

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lavellenchanted · 3 years ago

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I'm intrigued by the Glass-hearted Girl. Please, tell more!

Sure! So, this is a Girl Meets World fic that I started mostly to deal with my frustration that they didn't get Season 4 and so the character arcs were very truncated. So it's kind of my attempt to follow through with where I think they were going and how the characters would develop - focusing mostly on Maya and Maya/Lucas - with a little bit of my own headcanons and a few fix-it bits for things that annoyed me on the the show.

I'm actually really proud of some of the writing in it, it's just that at the moment it's more a series of vignettes rather than a full story so I've not posted it. But here's a snippet for anyone interested:

Mr Jackson continued, undeterred by her cynicism, “And when you do get there, I will proudly claim ownership of one of Maya Hart’s earliest works. Which of course I will promptly sell and use the cash as my retirement fund.”

Less concerned now that she might start crying in front of him, Maya looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. “You will?”

With a broad smile, Mr Jackson straightened up and crossed over to one of the cabinets at the back of the room. He rummaged around in it for a couple of minutes before pulling out a canvas that Maya couldn’t see until he turned around.

When she did, her stomach plummeted to somewhere near the level of her shoes.

“You remember this? It was one of the first pieces you did that really impressed me.”

“Yeah.” Her voice was strained. “I remember.”

She had tried her level best to forget, but she remembered.

That god damned purple cat.

Her grip on the paintbrushes tightened until her knuckles went white, and she felt a sudden, savage urge to try and stab them straight through that stupid cat’s head. If she had thought the wooden handles could have actually pierced the canvas, she might even have tried it. Instead she moved over to the supply shelves and started putting the brushes away - slowly, to avoid having to look back at the painting.

“Why would you keep that one?” she asked, trying - and failing - to sound dismissive and not like she desperately needed to know why, of all the many pictures she had painted in his class, Mr Jackson had kept the purple cat.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Maya frowned. “For a start, I remember you telling me I wasn’t using my voice with it.”

“And I remember apologising and telling you I was wrong,” Mr Jackson countered.

“Were you?” Turning - despite every instinct she possessed telling her not to, that continuing this conversation instead of walking away was the emotional equivalent of dancing around with a lightning rod in the middle of a thunderstorm - she gestured at the painting. “Look at it. It’s Riley all over.”

“Miss Matthews?” Mr Jackson raised his eyebrows. “While she’s a talented girl in many respects, let’s be honest, Miss Hart. This is not a painting Miss Matthews could produce.”

The image of Riley’s stick-figure doodles rose to the front of Maya’s mind, and her lips twitched. But then she looked against the cat and the pressure grew behind her eyes and she couldn’t quite bring herself to smile fully.

“Okay, maybe not exactly. But it’s still a purple cat.”

“So?”

Maya stared at him, unsure what to say.

“So it’s a purple cat.” What else was there to say? She didn’t need to explain. Riley had drawn a purple cat in every single art class they had had since they were twelve, regardless of the actual assignment. Mr Jackson had to know what it meant. “I mean, it’s my style, but it’s still Riley’s voice.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I . . .” Uncertain, she trailed off.

Because I became Riley. That’s what she told me. And what Josh told me.

How did she begin to explain everything that had happened during her freshman year? How could she tell him about the triangle, and how she changed, when she still wasn’t sure she understood it herself? Trying to pick her way through the memories of that year was like trying to find her way through a maze of thorns that tore at her each way she turned. It just . . . hurt too much.

She could feel the pain waiting for her now, lurking, ready to claw at her if she moved in the wrong direction - if she moved at all. It pricked at the base of her neck and spine, and already her chest was tightening, making it harder to breathe.

It was all too much.

#wip ask game #my fic #girl meets world #lucaya #thanks for asking Justine!!#I know it's probably not what you expected lol

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demi-shoggoth · 3 years ago

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2022 Reading Log pt 9

41. Curious Creatures on our Shores by Chris Thorogood. They’re not on my shores, which is why I picked this up from the library. This is a British book about animals of tidepools and beaches, with each getting an original oil painting. The book is very pretty, but very slight, at 127 pages, which includes full page illustrations and the least useful indices I’ve ever seen (alphabetical lists of animal names, but no page numbers or connections between the scientific and common names!). The text is mostly to do with recognizing the animals and where to find them, with the biology being covered at a fairly superficial level. Pleasant enough, but forgettable. The only thing that will stick with me is learning that England calls their ecological equivalent to the sand dollar (short-spined sea urchin that burrows in sand) a sea potato. Cute.

42. Paleontology: An Illustrated History by David Bainbridge. I found this book remarkably frustrating. It posits itself as a chronological look at paleontology through art and diagrams, much like the same author’s How Zoologists Organize Things. Only the art isn’t in chronological order. It often, without calling attention to it, contrasts an outdated reconstruction with a modern one, or uses a modern reconstruction when talking about an older find. It also has a very weird sense of what is and isn’t scientific consensus, positing ideas that are well founded as “probably” or “speculatively” (ex: mosasaurs as lizards), and hypotheses that aren’t fully accepted as if they were fact (ex: the nature of the Tully Monster). And it just plain doesn’t get pterosaurs, referring to well known genera as “enigmatic”, the group as a whole as “fragile”, and showing outdated reconstructions without commenting on them being not accepted (ex: Padian’s bipedal Dimorphodon). The book has some pretty diagrams and art in it, but the text is a wash as far as actual science.

43. The Comics Go to Hell by Fredrik Strömberg. This is a pocket-sized little book showing the Devil, Hell and similar themes as they appear in comics. The text is organized into themes such as “the family of evil”, showing mythological figures that influenced the Devil or were influenced by him, or “selling your soul”, about Faustian bargains. Each two page spread has a panel or set of panels on the left, and expository text on the right. The author’s span is global, although “global” in this case mostly means the USA, Europe and Japan. Because of the size of the book, some of the panels aren’t reproduced in a very legible way, which is a bit frustrating. I had a good time with it, but “time” meant “45 minutes”, and it’s not one I see myself revisiting. Good thing I got it at a library.

44. Supernatural Cities: Enchantment, Anxiety and Spectrality edited by Karl Bell. This is an academic anthology collecting essays about magic, monsters and folklore and how they intersect with cities. The introductory essay argues that the expansiveness and anonymity of a city provides the scaffolding for various supernatural beliefs, both alienating and frightening (monsters, ghosts) and empowering (faith, play). The essays within vary in length and quality, as is usual for these collections, but none are what I’d call weak. Some of the highlights for me include a discussion of urban South Africa’s mixed relationship with consumer goods as seen through the lens of benefactors-with-strings-attached both supernatural (mamlambos, a type of water spirit) and mundane (“blessers”, or sugar daddies); a reappraisal of H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Horror of Red Hook” within the context of his writing beyond “racist even for Lovecraft”; a look at Parisian witches of the 19th century; and a psychological analysis of the Maryland Goatman as a manifestation of anxieties about Washington DC expanding into rural counties.

45. Angelology: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Celestial Superheroes by Angemi Rabiolo, illustrations by Iris Biasio. This is a weird one. Based on the title, back cover blurb and art style, I thought it was going to be a compendium of angels’ names and powers from an agnostic or folkloric perspective, albeit with a pop art spin. However, the author is a true believer, and one with a very esoteric take on Christian mythology and cosmology that I have seen nowhere else. It’s clearly inspired by the hierarchy of Pseudo-Dionysus (that’s the nine choirs), Kabbalistic literature, the Book of Enoch and the Gospel of Bartholomew, but beholden to none of them entirely and mixing and matching as it sees fit. The book includes recommendations for prayer and meditation devoted to particular angels for particular problems (akin to the traditional Catholic venerating of saints), but in places seems embittered towards the Catholic Church (for declaring Uriel a demon, and for abandoning Joan of Arc, for example).

#reading log #angel #devil #religion #pop culture #folklore #paranormal #paleontology #tidepool #marine invertebrate

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namgee · 4 years ago

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implications | knj

❥pairing: Namjoon x Reader (f) ❥genre: fluff, slice of life (pg) ❥word count: 2.3k ❥summary: The adventurer life isn’t for you. You like your routines and you stick to them, but a small mess-up finally forces you beyond your desired level of social interaction as you rely on a stranger. A stranger whose actions and words imply things you wish to explore. ❥warnings: none ❥a/n: this was just a quick little thing I wrote a few days ago before I got started on another smut fic which should come out in about a week 😋 ^^ I did a quick proofread so sorry for any mistakes 😣

A silence that sounds with turning pages, graphite scraping against thick paper and the ever present hums that arise from thought. Your ears anticipate it even before you're there. It’s, for the most part, the same soundscape you’ve grown accustomed to since you started visiting the art atelier. Well, the building technically has multiple ateliers, whatever your artistic interest, for a reasonable fee each month, you can visit the space and use their resources. Each floor focuses on certain subject areas, people are allowed to move around and work wherever they want. Like a Google workspace except for the arts.

You usually stick to the 4th floor, where most of the graphics tools are. The elevator dings, you step away from the metallic box and towards the senior part-time receptionist, Diane, who gives unsolicited artistic advice under the guise that old age equates to prowess in art criticism. The advice isn’t half as bad as you expected still, you rarely take it. You place your folder on the desk giving her a smile, teeth barely visible, it’s the best iteration of ‘a lady should always smile when talking to others’ smile you can muster with your lips chapped from the borderline glacial air you had to walk through this afternoon.

“Well, hello young lady! You haven’t visited the establishment in a while. Mateo has been asking about you actually.”

Mateo is the head of the graphic art department who you might or might not like, there’s still a few weeks left for you to decide. Your roommate, Jovian, had given you the ultimatum, “You have until you finish whatever creature you’re trying to collage together this time around,” she had said waving her half painted stiletto nail around before diverting her attention to another girl who also seemed to be having a hard time choosing as her family and in laws attempted to decide for her. On one thing you were sure, you would have said no to the dress she had on.

“There we have it! That’s a much better smile that one you gave before. It’s always best to show some teeth,” Diane says, her two row of teeth (some of which look awfully fake) in full display.

“I’ll sure think about it next time Diane. I’m just here to check in right now,” you sigh, removing your decaying gloves which have lost their purpose, your fingers are about as stale as Diane’s as you fish around for your membership card in your wallet.

“The time please darling.”

“3pm to 8pm,” you say blowing warm air into your palms.

It takes a few minutes for her to find your name in the system. “Oh sweetheart, it seems someone else already took your spot.”

“Exactly how did they take my spot?”

“Hmmm,” Diane’s eyes lift upwards as she tries to find an answer in the air, “to be quite frank with you I do not know.” She sounds shocked that she doesn’t know something.

“Uh, excuse me?” Someone questions from behind you. You both turn towards the voice coming from a golden haired man sporting what is most likely the best variant of the fully toothed lady smile Diane advocates for. To make matters even better it’s shaped like a heart. “I believe that I was the one who took the spot.” he giggles nervously as if caught red-handed before sliding his own card onto the desk.

You assume he’s here to work with graphics for some sort of fashion related purpose, in fact he sort of looks like the graphics plastered around the building: colourful, bold, warm but still a bit overwhelming.

“You’re indeed the one who booked the slot first, young man.”

“I believe that this is what the trainer for my position was referring to as a glitch in the system.” Diane says with an air of pride.

“Hm, sorry about that,” The human embodiment of a colour wheel says with an apologetic pout.

“Oh, don’t worry I’m sure I can find another place, it isn’t your fault,” you wave your hand around giving him your second or third genuine smile of the day. He mumbles a shy ‘okay’ before heading right, away from you.

“Can you see if there’s any place on the other floors?” You reluctantly ask, after all you had never gone to other floors unless it was to buy snacks because the queues on the 4th floor were too long or to find unoccupied bathrooms.

Diane finds you an opening for the floor above. You thank her and move back to catch the elevator doors right before they close, swiftly slipping in towards a surprised figure, a big figure. You mumble a quick apology after bumping into him. When you turn your head to look at him he gives you what you assume to be his own equivalent of the barely noticeable smile you gave Diane a few minutes ago.

The ride takes a few seconds. You rush out the second the opening of the doors is big enough for you slip past if you just take a deep breath in. Another second goes by where you feel disoriented. The floor layout is not that different from the one beneath but the place looks far more cramped than what you expected. Don’t writers like to be alone? In their own space?

You watch as Mr. Big gives yet another one of his glances, you haven’t figured out how to describe them yet, you don’t know if you’re being judged or just being perceived or whatever it is that writers do.

He goes to the right, so you take the other way. You peruse the space for a place you could sit down to work on your project. Somehow, the writers with their notebooks and laptops seem stingy about letting you settle down despite how packed the floor already is.

For every glance you take at a potential working spot you receive three glances and these ones you know to be of the judgy kind. You walk and walk only to end up on square one. Just to make sure, you do another round and another one as if you were in a full parking lot waiting for one of the cars to magically pull out for you to get a place. By your third tentative walk, the one where you put the most effort to seem approachable and nice, someone takes pity on you.

It seems it’s not only his stature that is big but so is his heart.

“Oh god, thank you!” You sigh, sliding into Mr. Big’s little corner which faces backwards from the café.

“It was starting to look... sad.” He gives you a brief look before focusing back on his laptop screen.

“It wouldn’t have been, if you writers were more welcoming,” you scoff, shrugging off your jacket, the rustling brings your actions to his focus.

A delicate slender hand pushes against his glasses as he leans back, “You’re quite the daredevil, huh?”

“What? Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know, slipping past closing elevator doors and sitting down to probably do something noisy with a lot of... “ He takes a look at your stash of materials, “things while surrounded by silence seeking writers. Those things make me say that.”

“That’s a very boring view on action. Also the concept of this building is literally to allow anyone to work anywhere.”

“Sure, you’re right but just because that’s their goal doesn’t mean it turns out that way. This place is no different from high school, certain spaces have been sort of ‘claimed’.”

“And you expect me to act like a good teenage girl and not start trouble?”

“Your words, not mine.”

“Aren’t you a writer? You should know certain words can imply certain things,” you say matter of factly and receive a disjointed but delightful laugh as his hand fists to cover his wide smile.

“Anything else you know about writers that you would like to share?”

“You might end up making a character out of me, or a scene out of my situation.” You’re playing on stereotypes but for all you know they could be true. You lay out your material on the table forcing him to scoot a bit. He doesn’t protest and you appreciate that, so you give me a genuine tight lipped ‘thank you’ smile.

“So what are you doing?” He asks, lowering his computer screen a bit.

“A collage.”

“Of what?”

“I don’t really know yet. I’m just figuring it out as I go.” You stare at the big pile of magazines, newspapers and flyers you managed to collect over the past month. Something has to come out of it. “What about you?”

“Pretty similar actually, I just came here to write, figuring it out as I go you know.” He picks up a piece of paper nearest to him, a green flyer. “Do you even know what it says?” He holds it up to you. The text is in Arabic.

“No, I don’t.”

“Wouldn’t you want to know? I mean the work will be tied to you.” He questions.

“It doesn't matter, it’s not like anyone will see this,” you mumble, snatching the flyer from him.

“Someone should, I don’t know much about collages, actually I know nothing, but I like what I see so far.”

“What exactly do you see?” You probe.

“Ummm… uhhhh… it’s– there’s branches and,” he leans over to get a better look and hesitates “tentacles? Okay, so maybe I don’t know what it is, but I still stand by it. It’s nice to look at.”

“Would you give it as a gift to someone?” You probe even further.

“You know what, I’m just trying to tell you I like it. Like I would totally buy it! So yes, I would give it to someone, myself!” He has an overly cheery voice that encourages more glances your way. The more you look, the more you start thinking they’re watching you and not judging.

“How much?”

He gives you an incredulous expression, he seems both intrigued and confused with behaviour.

You snort a short laugh, “I’m just messing with you. But don’t get me wrong if you do want to buy it then I’m definitely taking offers.”

At that he retreats back into himself and his silence to focus on the blank document page. You shrug it away, you knew his words were too good to be true.

The two of you work in relative silence, your ripping and cutting does add a bit of a soundtrack for the period of time. After an hour or so of working, you move to buy a cinnamon bun, and while you’re at it you buy a second one. You did feel a bit apologetic for disturbing his workspace, you of all people should know.

You place his plate beside him but he’s too engrossed into his writing to provide any response. He does finally whisper a shy ‘thanks’ once he lifts his gaze from the screen. You answer with a nonchalant but truthful ‘no biggie’.

The hours bleed into themselves and soon enough your allocated time is about to run out. You’re quite used to that routine,packing up your material well in time to leave. However, the man in front of you doesn’t seem to have a good grasp of time. Last minute, he hurries to assemble his belongings, swiftly turning around to check that he hasn’t left anything behind, almost knocking down the plate that you manage to catch.

Your elevator ride to the bottom floor is as silent as the one you had earlier. You walk with synchronised strides somehow following the same way after you leave the building. You’re sure one of you is following the other, but as long as you’re concerned you’re taking the way back home. You walk in silence for a few more minutes before you think of asking him where he lives, just to make sure but he beats you to speaking.

“So uhhh, would–” he starts off in a high pitched voice which he masks with a cough, “I meant, would you like to grab a coffee?”

“At 8pm?” Your eyebrows shoot up.

“Or a drink?” He suggests.

“What does coffee or a drink mean?”

“I thought you were good at getting the implications of certain words.” He smirks, which seems out of character, but then again you don’t know him. You’re just curious about something first.

“What did you end up writing?”

“A short story about an avid museum visitor that discovers a collage at an exhibition that has him intrigued.” He chuckles knowing very well it just proves your point. And you smile satisfied to have finally figured out what that particular glance of his meant. He was just taking you in.

“It’s Y/N by the way,” you would have reached out your hand towards him but they’re cold so you compensate with a warm smile Diane would approve of. “And I wouldn’t mind a drink right now.”

“I’m Namjoon and I’m very happy you said that” He punctuates his excitement with a dimple. The same one you would come to grow enamoured with, so much you would make a collage piece out of all the pictures you’ve taken where it is present. In return, he would, just as he did today, unconsciously and deliberately write your works into his stories, and welcome you into his space.

“By the way, when you let me sit with you in your space, were you claiming me then?” You ask out of curiosity and urge to mess with him.

“I– I don’t know what you’re implying. But if you mean me taking pity on you then yes.” You scoff a bit too loud at his response. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to whatever it is you have in mind,” He says, looking down at your quizzical expression with warm eyes and a restrained laugh as he walks closer to you. It seems you’re not the only one who’s good with implications.

thank you for reading my fic, i hope you enjoyed it 🥺 any feedback or comment is welcomed !!

#namjoon #kim namjoon #ficswithluv #bangtanhq #houseofddaeng #bts fluff #bts #btsfanfic #bts fanfiction #namjoon x reader #namjoon fluff #namjoon fanfic #slice of life #mine #namgee

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antiloreolympus · 4 years ago

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Bunch of (Older) Asks [P.2]

1. This episode of LO was cartoonish - no pun intended. Minthe gave an Evil Character speech fr. Your target demographic cannot be over 18 if you are That Much on the nose.

2. I think one of the reasons that LO fans deny it’s flaws is because RS does not plan the episodes, just writes them as she goes. And i don’t remember clearly but i think there were some asks saying that RS steals from HxP fanfics and theories (which makes sense since she likes to control and see everything) and seeing how there are so many theory accounts of LO she probably views them all and steals the theory ideas, therefore giving LO fans a sense of righteousness. What is simply RS art laziness or her just simply not caring about the artwork anymore is taken by fans as a theory for what might happen, leaving RS with plenty of ideas and her fans happy that they saw “hidden clues”. An example would be that of the episode where Persephone is chasing Minthe and then turns her into a plant, the shape of the cape looks like the eyes that Persephone feels around her (although i believe that it’s just simply a coincidence) and the fact that her hair does not grow like crazy. We know that Persephones hair grows when she’s mad, sad etc etc and is even shown on the episode when she turns big and when she grown vines and starts hibernating because she’s on TV as a criminal (which she is). Now because RS forgot to draw Persephones hair longer when she was attacking Minthe, fans are speculating that Persephone now has her powers on control and is not shadowed over by “the feeling” anymore. While the next episode shows that Persephone can’t actually turn Minthe back into a nymph and saying that she can’t really control her powers. RS will probably find a way to incorporate that theory in the comic but who knows when

3. One thing that I hate in lore olympus is the treatment of minthe. I understand why people don't like her, but she's seen by all the characters as one dimensionally evil when she's not really commited a cardinal sin in my eyes? Like she's very obviously lower class, struggling with money, and she figures that seducing a musty rich slave owner is her best way to an easy life. damn bitch i'd do the same, she's also seen to be easily led by thetis, and damn if my boyfriend who i was already feeling insecure around (who's family called me the equivalent of trailer trash and he didnt stick up for me) told me he was dumping me for a NINETEEN year old??? I'd freak out too! She's not perfect, and she's said some awful things, but she's honestly pretty rational. She's also treated pretty awfully by the other gods on account of her being a nymph, and being shafted by persephone who is a literal heiress? She knows she needs hades so she doesn't die, and that persephone doesn't. I don't know, i understand why people don't like her and she's said some unforgivable things, but her actions? They make sense, and she's annoyingly portrayed as irredemable and evil.

4. i get it, minthe is obviously an antagonist, but i get no satisfaction in her death. she was a victim of hades' actions + him using his power over her to where him turning his attention to the next pretty thing he saw meant shed be homeless / in poverty. why would i root for a rich girl's split personality (so it CAN'T be her actually doing it! god forbid!) murdering a powerless nymph for actually standing up to a king and have it be "no you MUST respect the 1% or else ill kill you!" its gross!

5. LORE OLYMPUS WANTS WHAT HADESTOWN HAS

6. The confrontation between Minthe was drawn like a joke/meme when it was a pretty serious moment puts me off so much and the quality of the art was so stiff and underwhelming too. If this were made with the old art it wouldve looked alot better and expressive i think

7. LO would have flopped a long time ago if it didn't use greek mythology names as a crutch; the art style would have only carried a season minimum before people would start realizing how badly written it is...

8. ngl i follow a fucking homestuck RP blog with better greek mythology takes than LO

9. The biggest issue that makes me despise Lore Olympus is that pretty much every character falls into one of two groups: 1 Persephone cheer squad who can do no wrong and 2. Evil Meanies who don't like Persephone the cute uwu bean how dare you not love her, like girl....

10. Every comic or fanfic i’ve seen of HxP depicts Hades as this insecure, shy guy who doesn’t really know how to talk to women and like? Wtf.. how is one of the most powerful gods, the ruler of the underworld insecure?? I get that people love the whole -uwu shy powerful guy talks to main love interest and is a softie - but for what Hades is it doesn’t make any sense. And since so many people want to make gods relatable to mortals (which is dumb and so unachievable) a much better portrayal of Hades would be one of the quiet and fair guy. A confident god who knows what he’s doing and is aware of the power he has. An insecure god means that he’ll exploit everyone in his kingdom and our -soft boi- can’t do that. Hades is aware of his powers and the role he has, and has simply not found a goddess to his liking to be queen of the underworld. LO making Hades into this abused guy who has low self esteem is done in bad taste. I understand that people want to read and see things that seem familiar or that include them and whatnot, however gods are gods. They are not mortals. They don’t go by the same rules as us and do not process things the same as us.

#anti lo #anti lore olympus #lo critical #lore olympus critical #anti lo art

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