#there’s no way for me to have them see my side or other perspectives fairly so at this point i fuckin give up

[jammmbi]

for a man who refuses to vote and claims to not be interested in politics past ranting about how fucked we are and how everyone in government is corrupt my dad sure does watch a fuck ton of right-leaning youtube content

[pochapal]

trying not to start #discourse over here BUT it needs to be said that i am fascinated by the depths of the average tumblr user's addiction to suffering. go into the notes of any semi-viral positivity/mental health post and it's literally crawling with people going "nice sentiment but it's meaningless against capitalism/trauma/disability/systemic cruelty/the Horrors so fuck you for peddling this delusional bullshit". like yeah bitch the Horrors *are* inescapable! why does that mean you have to be miserable 24/7 about it though??

[m1d-45]

renewed

summary: many things have changed in aether's life since he met you...

word count: 2.7k

-> warnings: n/a

-> gn reader (you/yours) + aether as traveller!

taglist: @samarill || @thenyxsky || @valeriele3 || @shizunxie || @boba-is-a-soup || @yuus3n || @esthelily || @turningfrogsgay || @cupandtea24 || @genshin-impacts-me || @chaoticfivesworld || @raaawwwr || @ryuryuryuyurboat || @undrxtxd || @rainswept || @wanderersqt || @rozz-eokkk

< masterlist >

aether isn’t quite human. at least not entirely, not anymore.

it could be argued that even prior to coming to teyvat, he and his sister weren’t entirely human. they were nearly always stronger than the native life wherever they traveled, never lingering long enough for an accurate portrait to be drawn. between their glittering wings and the razor sharp swords at their hips, it could be easily argued that from the perspective of the people they visited they could be called angels.

a few wrote legends about them. the gilded warriors with shimmering swords that blinded as they slashed, so in step with each other that it was as if they were one being. the saviors, the adventurers, the peaceful giants, twin faces atop four wings apiece. lumine always managed to sneak away a copy of these legends, and they privately laughed over the artwork at their camp that night.

“we don’t look that intimidating, do we?”

“i’m fairly certain-… hang on, is that a tail?”

“that’s supposed to my hair, i think.”

“no no, look. it connects lower, here.”

“…by the stars-”

they didn’t see themselves that way, though. they were simply twins, defined by the other in every sense. never apart for long, always stood side by side, trading swords before a dangerous fight as a promise to return them.

‘draw me with courage.’

‘wield me with valor.’

lumine and aether and aether and lumine. they never fussed about the order, so long as they were together. call them whatever you’d like, insults or praise or a simple, tired request to leave, as long as it was both of them. they were all they had left. the other half of their life. to try and pry apart the seam would only result in bleeding hearts, limbs tangling together to at least die by the other’s side. even ‘twin’ was too simple a word to fit the entirety of their lives into. ‘twin’ implied a degree of separation, an impossible gap between them where wind would blow and the world would dig into, pushing them away like waves in a boat’s wake. ‘twin’ was too shallow a word, to bitter, too small to encompass everything they felt.

such fervent devotion could never be considered ‘human,’ for no human would ever live long enough to know the fear that came with knowing everything that swelled would eventually fall. no human would clutch so desperately to the twin pillars in their life—would ever consider basing their world upon two things. they’d call it foolish, even, for what would you do if one collapsed?

aether never liked that question. he didn’t like it when he and lumine first heard it, he didn’t like it when he and lumine heard it a second time, he didn’t like it anytime he and lumine heard it after that. he didn’t like it now, her sword slipping from his hands as he reached, his fingers barely brushing hers.

the unknown god laughed, and he barely had time to feel rage before the world closed in on him and his memory faded away.

aether and lumine. lumine and aether. she was always insistent upon his safety, but just this once he wished she wasn’t. living in whatever stasis she was in within that cube would certainly hurt less than this, bile rising in his throat at his failure.

somewhere in his mind, he knew that it logically wasn’t his fault. he remembered the layer of warmth that had surrounded him mid-battle, saw the reflection of understanding in lumine’s eyes. it wasn’t technically his fault, he didn’t ask to be saved, ignoring that it was his own actions that led to his god’s blessing. perhaps if he wasn’t so strict about the time of his prayer he wouldn’t have to be alone on this beach, though there was no way to find out. the sand stretched on either side, and though it wasn’t infinite, he had not left the immediate area around where he’d first woken up. to move was to move on, to leave, to accept that his world had shattered into a thousand little fragments and to give up on picking them off the floor. he couldn’t leave. to leave was to surrender to this new fate. to leave was to forget about his sister, to forget about his self, to forget about the half of his life he never imagined he could lose.

family and faith. to lose his gods favor was a threat he could live with, as there would only be himself to blame. but his sister?

if he hadn’t fished up paimon, he’s not certain he would have eaten the fish that came up instead.

she was bright, bubbly, at least after coughing up an impossible amount of seawater. she thanked him profusely while wringing out her hair, insisting on helping him in return because “it’s only fair!” as if he wasn’t three times her weight (save her magic) and and ten times as strong.

and he let her. he’s not sure why, but he did. he watched her fumble to catch crabs, ending up covered in sand, and managed a weak smile. it was for her, he told himself, spearing three with a sword that wasn’t his, helping her arrange driftwood into a measly campfire. he hardly felt hungry despite being on the beach for what had to be a few months in local time, but she was so insistent that he have some.. it was for her benefit. he just had to get her somewhere safe, then… then…

“so, where are you from?”

aether looked up from his barely-touched meal, meeting her eyes. they were so wide and earnest, too trusting for someone that just met him.

not that he had any ill intentions. no, lumine would always joke that the day he was willingly rude to another would be the day the sky turned red—something that had been the case on one of the planets they’d visited, much to her delight.

aether turned back to the fire, pushing aside the memory. “another planet.” his voice was hoarse and his throat scratched with salt from attempting to drink the seawater earlier, which was not as potable as he’d hoped. “i flew here with my sister.”

“you have a sister?” paimon looked around, though they both knew she wouldn’t find anything. “where is she?”

aether swallowed salt and bile, taking another bite of his crab just to stall. “how about we talk in the morning?”

she let the topic drop.

he didn’t sleep that night, lending her his scarf as a pillow and keeping watch. she didn’t wake when the moon erased the shadows in the sand, or when the sun first crested the sea, or when the sky fully lightened to a pale blue, birdsong filling the air. one of the remnants from the fire found its way into his hand, reaching out to gently shake her awake. her eyes were heavy and she covered her mouth as she yawned, aether looking away before his own could water.

he drew nothing in the sand as she asked her questions—who are you, where’d you come from, who are you missing, what happened to her, why didn’t you do anything?—sketching out mountains and seas he wiped away as soon as they took form. he spoke for much longer than he meant to, his words pulled out as if they were tied to some invisible string.

when was the last time he was alone for this long?

paimon listened intently, brows drawn and frowning deeply, watching as he carved twin—twin, separated by time and space—stars into the sand. “so… what you’re trying to say is that you fell here… from another world? but when you wanted to leave, to go on to the next world, your path was blocked by some unknown god?”

wow, he wanted to snark, i didn’t know there was an echo out here! but the chance never came. magic gripped him by the throat and his eyes went wide in panic, his mouth shaping words he didn’t choose to say by force. he didn’t want to say what someone else told him to. he didn’t know what was going on. he was being pulled at some ghost’s whims, walking stiffly across the sand. it did not skid from beneath his feet, nor pull his balance one way or another. it was solid as stone, leading him up the beach without warning, without knowledge of why or when it would stop.

when was the last time he was this helpless?

(lumine.)

he stumbled across the shore on uncoordinated limbs, fighting fruitlessly. ahead, slime bubbled up from where the sand met the sea, but the ghost did not stop. mist coagulated into a pale blue blob with hazy spots for eyes, and only then was he allowed to stop. paimon yelped and ducked behind him, a familiar weight sinking into his hand. the slime had barely the chance to turn and see him, jerking up as if surprised, when his arm slashed forward.

a sword. not his sword, not lumine’s sword, but a sword, pulled from nowhere, the dull blade hacking at the blob of its own will until the sludge dispersed and sunk back into the sand. a soft mist lingered above the sand, but he was pulled forward without care or remorse. he didn’t even know if it would have hurt him.

weight hit him between the shoulders, cold spreading over his skin and absorbing into his skin. energy buzzed beside his ear, his earring humming with neither outlet nor conduit. were he anyone else, he would have been afraid, but he recognized the buzz. all at once, he understood. all at once, the weak puppetry was vindicated, his muscles relaxing and letting it happen. your energy sank into him, and he let himself stop worrying.

if you were here, he’d be okay. if you were here, you could fix this.

if you were here, he could find his sister, and everything would be okay again.

aether was not human. not entirely, not anymore, and he knew the people of mondstat could tell. you had stayed to guide his body for a week, alternating between helping the knights with dvalin and exploring the plains of mondstat. he was weak and your grip was frail, his attacks uncoordinated and clumsy, but you were there. you understood. the cavalry captain gave him a long stare as they exited his domain, a mix of curiosity and disbelief swirling in his one eye.

when you finally left, you did so in the middle of mondstat square. a physical weight lifted from his shoulders, the anemo he’d absorbed turning from calm and controlled to pushing at the edges of his form, trying to make him give. the anemo archon approached, soothing the wind with a wave of his hand, pulling him along for a drink and a chat. his knees did not want to bend without your command, his mind fraying a bit from continued exposure.

“how interesting, that you’re still standing after a week without rest,” the bartender remarked, the glass in his hands obviously an excuse to keep them above the bar. “what’s your name, outlander?”

he did not think of his own name. no, when he went to answer, he thought of the name you had given him, the one you whispered as you sheltered him from the unknown god’s wrath. it was not his, but it was yours, and wasn’t that what he was asking for?

it took too long for him to answer. red eyes narrowed but eventually chalked it up to exhaustion, giving him directions he couldn’t hear. the captain led him to a room in the back, but he didn’t sleep that night, sitting at the window and searching for the thin sliver of stars.

he didn’t need to eat anymore. he could, certainly, and it tasted fine enough, but he didn’t exactly need to. he’d thought it odd, at first, that barbatos was healed strictly by the wind, but he understood now. he spent his free time sitting under vanessa’s tree, half-asleep as he waited for your return.

you were his source of energy, of will. you knew answers to problems he’d have given up on, and if you didn’t then you tried and tried and tried again until you got it right. you were the power that purified dvalin’s tears, you swept the wind to fix the holy lyre, you cleared the seals around decarabian’s tower. he was a medium, and he was happy with that. your presence waxed and waned, the lapses without you seeming to pass by in a blink.

a few of the knights worried for him, but he knew your vessels understood. none held as much of your power as him, none were as reliant on you, but they understood. they excused his oddities with a kind smile, paimon always at his side to make sure he didn’t waste away the day simply sitting in one spot. prior to coming to teyvat, the concept of elemental sight was something he was only vaguely familiar with. a few planets had some talented witches that could feel the flow of energy through the ground and grass, who could watch the mist in the air and predict the weather. he’d never experienced it himself before. now, the world lit up as his eyes took on a teal sheen, your power mixing with the anemo within him to grant him insight. the world was so vibrant, even the most mundane sights capturing his attention. how could he not stare? if he had it his way he’d always view your creations like this.. but whenever paimon snapped him out of it he’d come out of it with a headache, not to mention his staring tended to be off-putting to those around.

a lot of his new behaviors were. when within your control, he moved stiffly, with repetitive motions forecast well in advance. you chose what he said, when and how he moved, you controlled the very flow of elements through his body. it was harder and harder to think for himself without you there and though paimon handled most of the conversation, there was only so much she could say.

“who are you looking for?” lumine. his sister. himself. the knowledge was there but his throat was closed, unwilling to move without your order.

“thank you for your help.” you’re welcome. don’t worry about it. it was nothing. all he could manage was a stiff nod, eyes flicking to the sky, counting the days until your return. he’d gotten a good grasp of your routine by now.

“who are you?” yours. a traveller. lumine’s. he could not blame those they ran across for their suspicion, even though he wanted to. could they not feel the remains of your presence lingering around him?

they had to go to the rite of decension soon. liyue was holding off, though, waiting for your arrival. they’d never dare to make you miss it, so aether felt no hurry to leave. he laid in the middle of windrise, staring up at the stars. he used to sit atop the knights’ headquarters, but it took too long for the lights of the city to turn out and he liked picking out the various constellations.

his was up there, somewhere. he didn’t have a vision like your other vessels, but he could feel it. it was written right beside your decision to save him and not lumine, alongside your actions in mondstat and everything you’d do in liyue. fate, you’d called it, well-acquainted and intertwined.

aether fell asleep on wet grass among cold wind. he did not get sick, nor was he attacked or otherwise hurt. why would he have been, anyway? your blood was in his veins; he had nothing at all to fear.

[writingoddess1125]

Can you please also write about getting high with Buggy, Shanks, and Mihawk?🥺🙏

OMFG YES!!! HOLD ON!!

I did do Buggy in my original but What the hell let's add in a Pt. 2!

You Get High With Them pt.2 🍃🚬

Part 1 <<<

Mihawk

Mihawk would stumble on you making some cookies, you smile at him clearly having already eaten a large amount of the Infused cookie dough.

"I made infused cookies" You say holding up the finished plate. He would raise an eyebrow at you- before you explained how you made and the effects of edibles. Offering him some while the two of you listen to music he accepts, figuring it won't effect him much.

Sitting in his lounge the two of you eat some cookies- You already fairly sky high only have one while Mihawk's eats three while sipping his wine as he enjoyed the taste enough and the odd earthiness, music flooding the room.

"I do not feel anything" He says calmly after only a few minutes, Finishing his second glass. You smile at him and gesture to the other cookie calmly, time moving way slower for you so youd figured it had been longer since he had eaten his.

"Then take another one" You say, The older man sighs and reaches over taking the second cookie and eating the whole thing rather quickly- This should have clued you in that this was a bad idea...

It took 30 minutes before Mihawk was leaned back in his chair and eyes closed. You sit up to look at him and see that he was clearly in a different plane of existence at this point.

"Mihawk- You're in orbit-" You say with a giggle as you see his face scrunch up in confusion, it looked like he was trying to open his eyes but couldn't.

"My perspective of time is way off" He mumbled, this confused you but you let this ride talking to yourself as you let the one sided conversation and music hover and wrap around the both of you.

He was in a different world, completely silent as he stared at random things. Disconnected and disassociated completely from the world of the living as the music plays and he stares at his hand, his pants and his knife necklance-

"Mihawk you alright there guy?" You ask out, pulling him back to the world for a moment and stares at you with squinted yellow eyes.

"I am unsure how to answer" He says, before falling back into his anti-social thoughts and world.

Shanks

You were a new member of Shanks crew and by far the youngest, so when he catches you with a joint he questions what it is. You tell him and explain the relaxing feeling it provides and how things are a lot more interesting, Shanks of course finding this to be fun ask for you to share with him and the rest of the crew. Clearly not having enough you tell him to head to a island near by were you knew it grew.

Heading to Zasso Island you lead the crew to a friend of yours who gave you plenty for a cheap price since not many people partook. After rolling more joints at once then you would in a month you spark up the whole crew.

"Why do your shoes look like that?... it's like wooden feet with sandel straps" You point out, Shanks slowly leaning over to look and see what you were describing.

"Holy hell it does... Actually I don't know where I got these shoes from-" He mumbles in surprise at this, staring at his shoes in surprise.

"Shhhh Shhhh Chill" You hear him say, clearly not wanting to ruin the very relaxed atmosphere. However you and him constantly started talking, Shanks being quite a chatter box.

"They look like dead peoples feet-" You say, which start to make your paranoid brain go off at such a sight.

"I do think I did wrong by Buggy- I think he loved me more then I wanted to acknowledge..." He admits as the two of you lay on the hammack together.

Shanks is the contemplative high, thinking about the past present and future as he is high off his ass. Turning the whole deal into some warped therapy session for everyone.

"How do you feel about him?" You ask softly, turning to look at the Captian as he took another drag of his joint.

"I.. Don't know- But I know I keep him close to my heart" He admits and places the joint back to his lips to open his coat were their was a inner pocket. Pulling out some folded papers which you see are wanted papers- Buggys and Luffys specifically.

Buggy

Go to part 1 for Buggys original

After using far too much will power you two stumble out of the Hotboxed room and venture down to the kitchen. Standing there just dazed as you two take it all in-

"So many different types of food..."

Buggy mumbled as he stared at the pantries of his ships kitchen, you grabbing some jugs of water and hand one to him which he takes and downs really quickly.

"My mouth feels like a desert" He whispers way too loudly, reaching clumsily for some leftovers. You nod in agreement and reach for some of the pastries left over from breakfast and Buggy grabs a random bowl and some sweet crackers.

"I've got a question- For your abilities does it still hurt to be like cut up? Even though you get cut up?" You ask as he takes a far too big of bite of what seemed to be straight frosting- or mashed potatos you couldn't tell.

Leaning against the countertop eating random shit together as you start asking questions.

"Hm? Yeah- I'm just used to it so it doesn't bother me too much" He said with a shrug, Taking another bite of the mysterious food.

"That's sad- You shouldnt be used to pain" You mumbled sadly, Buggy reaching over and patting your back with unsteady heavy hands.

"It's better then being used to having your will broken. Physical pain will fade or you grow uses to it- But emotional last forever. That's the real pain" He said calmly, once again that Philosopher Buggy coming out. It isn't long before the two of you go back to the room wehre you guys hotbox it again.

You two will lounge back in the room with far too many snacks and start singing random songs.. Mainly show tunes since he loves his musicals.

[leftneb]

alr amateur in-depth analysis time bc I don't think I can really come to any sensible conclusion provided the state of the dash rn

I have a much more refined version of this now! partially changed my mind on the interviews bit and went more into details of the collision. I'd recommend reading that one

(be warned this got very out of hand I really did just want to look at the contact but then things happened)

regular racing

2. max moves off the racing like

I'm assuming this is to prevent lando from taking the inside line. makes sense so far

3. lando takes the outside (normal racing line as you can see by the tyre marks)

4. max suddenly veers back onto the racing line

this is likely an attempt in blocking lando from overtaking. but at this point they were side-by-side, which means max is just driving into him

the only place for lando to go at this time is off the track

5. they make contact

IMO this was on max, but it definitely wasn't "on purpose" (max also wouldn't try to initiate contact considering it would ruin his own race)

as far as I know this is fairly characteristic of max, he has a sort of "kill or be killed" attitude on track, which usually translates to "either YOU move or we're BOTH crashing out"

either of them could have moved to avoid collision, but they didn't, because they're racing drivers, obviously they're not going to move and give up a win

max basically drove into lando here, absolutely did NOT leave the space

as for the other overtakes/attempts

max already stated that their mistakes (the slow pitstop + his lockup) cost them a lot, these allowed lando to get in a fighting position in the first place

lando was natually going to try and make the most of that opportunity, though maybe a bit too aggressively at times

lando sets up for the overtake, gets blocked

pretty much standard procedure, nothing to talk about here

2. lando overtakes max but locks up in the process and runs wide

you could definitely argue that this was just a bit too aggressive, or that lando was going in over his head maybe

to me the whole "lando doesn't have experience fighting for a win and he makes mistakes because of it" feels a bit like a cheapskate but there's truth to it

lockups happen, especially under pressure (and even more when he's aware he has to run a perfect race in order to beat max)

Lando then says on his team radio:

"he can't keep moving after I've moved it's just dangerous. we're gonna have a big shunt. he forced me to go wide and lock up"

looking at it from lando's perspective I can see what he means here

lando took the inside line and they were practically wheel-to-wheel by the time max started turning, seeing that max is taking a line that would lead them to a collision he panics and locks up

like just imagine you're lando. you've taken the inside line, there is no space to your left, so you're expecting max to leave you a gap. instead he starts turning in on you. you are going to try preventing contact so you break and swerve, you lock up, the only way forward is off the track

from max's perspective I can only imagine this happening if lando was out of his view. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt here

also I think "he can't keep moving after I move" (and the entire radio message) pretty much foreshadows the contact later on

3. lando takes the inside line, max leaves him space by going off the track

we are going car racing. lando is being aggressive here (though I wouldn't go so far as to call it unreasonable) max doesn't break hard but leaves him the space, the only place he can go is off track

you could definitely phrase this as "lando forced max off track"

but you could also argue that "max broke track limits to maintain his position" he COULD technically have backed off, but again, would have been very uncharacteristic of him

post-race statements

I am biased toward lando (and I really hope that didn't affect my analysis too much) but I do think the whole "apologize or we're not friends anymore" sentiment is a bit. side eye.

as much as max was being aggressive at times, so was lando, they both want to win, obviously they're going to be aggressive

it was a hard race, it was a GOOD race, they both made mistakes but in the end it was max who denied them both the win, which is an unfortunate consequence of, yk, racing

generally I think approaching these things objectively is always the most sensible. however, we have to acklowledge that we're talking about some of the most competitive people this planet. they both immediately went to blame the other, they always do

lando implying that he wants to basically break up with max because of this is insane. but so is max refusing to acknowledge that the collision might possibly have been his fault

as a viewer I want to just sit here. eat my popcorn. and enjoy the race, prefferably WITHOUT the entire community going to war about it without any respect for other people. like I'm not saying there should always be peace and love, there is NEVER going to be a race like this without drama but for the love of god don't ACTUALLY want to kill eachother

[starryalpacasstuff]

She Loves To Cook and She Loves to Eat: I can't summarize my love for it sufficiently

A while ago, I asked @lurkingshan for Japanese QL recs, and Tsukutabe was her first rec. And while I'm finally watching this significantly later than I expected to, I'm so glad I did. I watched both seasons as a whole, which turned out to be a good idea because while season one was good, season two was excellent.

I think, going into this show I expected it to be a simple, domestic show that was pretty much all fluff. And while it was all those things, it was so much more too. It's got a lot of hidden depth to it, particularly in terms of how mature and real it is.

Tsukutabe is many things, but at its core, it is a show about people being kind. It's about people receiving kindness and being kind to others in turn. From inviting someone to a home cooked meal to volunteering to cover overtime work, the characters in this show exemplify how much change you can bring by simply being kind. It's something that fills you with warm, fuzzy feelings as you watch.

It's also a show about healing. We get to see people who have very different relationships with food heal and develop them as the show progresses. One thing I loved about this show was that it consistently treated everyone's problems as equal, never downplaying any of them. Nagumo and Kasuga's problems and relationships with food are fundamentally opposing, but are also equal in that they are two sides of the same coin, and are treated as such. I nearly wept tears of joy at the balcony scene with Kasuga and Nagumo, which was absolutely beautifully handled.

The show delving into the pressures of family and society in regards to marriage hit extremely close to home in the best way possible. I really appreciated the realistic and relatable portrayal of people's views on marriage, in particular how the show delved into the relationships queer people have with marriage. The depiction of the common belief that queer relationships are less likely to last was also extremely familiar. My mother, who is more liberal than most Indians, once told me that an Indian lesbian she talked to said the problem with being gay in India is that, due to gay marriage not being legal, there is very little commitment in gay relationships. While I'm still slightly unsure of whether this was true, the point stands that this is a fairly prevalent belief amongst Asians who don't grab pitchforks and torches upon hearing the word gay. I really, really enjoyed how realistic this show is in this regard, because it made me feel so seen.

Kasuga and Nomoto's relationship was adorable. Watching them figure out their deeper feelings for one another, stumble into a confession and then figure out how to be in a relationship was delightful. I was extremely pleased that there was little to no miscommunication, and that both of them acted like mature adults with decent communication skills (what a surprise!). And finally, they had an excellent dynamic that felt very real.

Another thing I absolutely adored was how much focus this show gave to the food, to the point where it was practically the third lead. I mean, I'm sure that it's to be expected from a show called she loves to cook and she loves to eat, but I still found myself genuinely surprised by the amount of attention that was given to the food in the show. Whenever food was cooked and eaten, we were presented with generous shots of both, which, as a lover of both cooking and eating, I greatly appreciated.

This show is amazing in many areas; the food, Kasuga and Namoto's slowly blossoming relationship, and the fantastic explorations of relationships with food. But, what really stole the show for me was the supporting cast. Each character that they introduced was someone who was at a different place in their life, with a different perspective that they brought with them. And, most importantly, as I mentioned before, they were so kind. The interactions between most of the characters were incredibly wholesome, and the story did an amazing job of showing us as much about the supporting characters as it could in the limited screen time they had.

Not only was Sayama a consistent, reliable support and voice of reason to Namoto, she had her own issues that she regularly discussed with Namoto, because that's what friends do. Too often in QL do friends of the main characters seem to only exist to listen to their problems, provide (typically questionable) advice and further the plot. I loved how the story subtly showed us how marriage pressure affect Sayama as well, who seems to be searching for a boyfriend only because that is what society expects of her, which is likely the reason she cannot find anyone. Kasuga's coworker had a wonderful mini arc of her own, and despite nearly all of it occurring offscreen, what little we got was absolutely brilliant. The scene wherein she and Kasuga talked about having to care for elders has to be one of my favourites in the entire show. In this, she was probably one of the first elders to ever encourage Kasuga to act with her own wellbeing in mind. Similarly, Kasuga was likely one of the first people to tell her to do what makes her happy. The fact that they are, in way, speaking in place of each other's loved ones only makes this moment even more of a tearjerker. The final scene wherein we see her looking for a job was delightful; it was the perfect conclusion to her story. Yako perfectly embodied the older, experienced queer and I loved her so much. It's clear that she's not had an easy time being a lesbian and asexual, but she overcame the challenges and came out smiling. Although I do wish that the show had explored her asexuality more, and perhaps even expanded on her story, I also understand that time constraints wouldn't have allowed for it; and besides, there's a certain poignancy to the conclusion she got. Honestly though, I'd absolutely love to see a spinoff based on Yako's story, exploring the hurdles she's overcome and maybe even seeing her find love (season 3 anyone?). As for Nagumo, I don't think I even need to say anything. She had a wonderful arc that was extremely well written, and by the end of the story she had blossomed into a better version of herself. I also loved her friendship with Kasuga, how the two of them grew closer over time and helped each other with their respective problems. The wide range of characters helped emphasize the show's message of how everyone is different, and how it is these differences that make our world a better place. Even Nomoto's coworker is an example of this, as someone who seems to have little to no interest in romance, who doesn't hesitate to take up the overtime work so that the two girls can enjoy Valentine's Day. (I'm headcanoning him as aroace and you can pry this from my cold, dead hands).

Found family is a trope I adore, and this show has to be one of the most beautiful executions of this trope I've ever seen. Watching Namoto and Kasuga build a little family for themselves—one that accepts everyone as they are—was a very healing experience.

Another thing I really liked about this show is how realistically conflict was handled. On the most part, the show did not antagonize characters. The man who told Kasuga to drink beer is treated as simply an annoying person one stumbled across (a common occurrence), the cooks at the restaurant make an effort by offering different sizes of rice portions after serving Kasuga a smaller portion due to her gender and both Nomoto and Kasuga acknowledge that it was not the real estate agent's fault for mistaking them to be friends. Nomoto's mother is slightly overbearing and conservative, but she clearly cares for Nomoto, something that hit very close to hom. I appreciated that the show portrayed this so well. Most people are not evil and out to get you, they're just people living their own lives based upon the beliefs they've built up over the course of their life, and most of the time it is not worth our time to get worked up over it.

Meanwhile, Kasuga's father is perhaps the only actual antagonist of the story. I really liked how this plotline was handled because of how real it felt. The show plays out exactly according to the actual thought process someone would have in a situation like this, in particular an asian; that our parents are products of their time and that while we wouldn't condemn them for their actions, the same does not make us responsible for dealing with them either. Side note while I'm on this, I was also very happy that the show did not compare Nomoto and Kasuga's different methods of dealing with family, because not only were they in different situations, the show also seems to emphasize that neither choice is wrong, and that it is up to each individual to choose their own path. Going back to what I said about being glad that the show did not compare Kasuga and Nagumo's situation, this seems to develop into a theme for the show. The show is filled with different people with different lives and different perspectives, and never once does it try to compare any of them, which I find to be a beautiful message.

If there's any criticism I have of this show at all, it's only that it's probably not the best pick for a binge. The slow plot, laid-back feel and fact that each problem that arises is resolved in the same episode makes it an excellent candidate for a show you watch a few episodes of every day. Unfortunately, I placed myself in an 8 hour flight with the downloaded episodes being my only source of entertainment, so I did end up binging most of it. It's definitely not bad as a binge, I certainly enjoyed watching it, I simply feel like watching it slowly is a far better choice. All in all, this is a wonderful show. It's cozy and comforting, and it's very realistic and mature in a way that's quite refreshing. Watching it made me feel warm inside and I'm so glad I finally watched it.

[its-not-a-pen]

—Terracotta—

Ok so I visited xi'an during my trip back to china (3 months ago?), and this idea popped into my head during the 9h train ride back to shangdong. I am of course 100% projecting my own love of the terracotta army onto Qin Shi Huang, in reality he did not care for this pit of mud statues depicting lowly commoners. In fact, no one ever bothered to write about it and they were lost to history until 1974 when some farmers digging a well stumbled upon them. But it's exactly the reason I'm so fascinated by them. QSH's tomb has not been excavated, and although I have a running joke about cracking it open--mercury vapors be damned--none of the riches inside will ever enchant me as much as the chance to see the face of a person who lived during this time.

Notes under the cut:

#1

the title Qin Shi Huangdi means "First Emperor of Qin" and was given to QSH by later historians. He actually called himself the Shi Huangdi, "First Emperor", and that is the title I've gone with here.

in English the other kingdoms are translated as "states" (i guess to avoid confusion?) but in chinese they are very much kingdoms.

The terracotta warriors used thousands of craftsmen, many of whom were slaves from conquered kingdoms. From a storytelling perspective I thought it would be more streamlined if there were two main artisans who reported directly to QSH.

QSH's clothes are based on the overly complicated courtly regalia. which has 12 symbols that only the emperor is allowed to wear

Notice how this hat is ROUND at the front??? Well I CERTAINLY DIDN'T. HAD TO REDRAW IT!!!!!

the stripped shirt is based on this Chu woman figurine. Clothes were fairly unisex during this time and I thought it was a nice fit.

#2

Paperwork: writing was done on books made of bamboo slips. Anecdotally, QSH had an impressive work ethic and would read 100 bills every night.

Bronze Goose lamp: ok this is actually a Han dynasty lamp pls forgive me. I saw this bad boy at the xi'an history museum and it's bewitched me body and soul. The goose neck is hollow and connects to a reservoir of water in the belly, which minimizes smoke and cools the lamp.

QSH is remembered as a brutal tyrant and brilliant statesman, but I wanted to present a more human version of him here. Bored, tired and drowning in work he refuses to delegate. His new empire is balanced as precariously as everything else on his desk.

#3

The attendants standing behind him are holding little wood tablets called hu for taking notes. Their brushes are tucked into their hats/hair, inspired by Han dynasty custom. (You'll see me using Han stuff a lot. Their cultures were very similar to Qin, since it was only a few hundred years apart).

So I had a slight breakdown trying to find the correct hats for the eunuchs, and ended up redrawing everything the night I was due to publish. Closest thing I could come up with was a reference to a round-style Han Dynasty hat which evolved into this square Jin hat. Yes, this is a cry for help .

#4

the wheeled platform is 100% made up, I tried to come up with a plausible way of getting a bunch of figurines into the palace.

#5 & #6

Painted terracotta soldier

How were the terracotta warriors made

The General: Fun fact, I got to see this guy in person!

#7

The Epic Wide Shot was inspired by some Tang Dynasty terracotta figures I saw at the xi'an museum!

#8

THIS KNEELING ARCHER. ARGGGGG. He use to be my favourite guy. I even went into the pit and drew him IN PERSON. the archers inexplicably have their hair buns on the OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HEAD. So because of him, I DREW ALL THE HAIR BUNS WRONG!!!! REDRAW!!!! PAIN AND SUFFERING!!!!

#10

Qin was famous for it's very long, thin swords. They were more useful as status symbols than actual weapons, as QSH knows from personal experience…

#11

QSH'S Tomb hasn't been excavated yet, but high levels of mercury have been detected in the soil, making the historical accounts of quite plausible.

[luna-the-bard]

bill's mutation allows him to see the third dimention while having one eye because its on his face, towards the third dimention, with your logic a spider could see the eighth dimention, but it cant because the eyes arent pointed towards the eighth dimention

You can see that Bill’s eye itself is also 3-dimensional? Like a dome

This could be what lets him see into the third dimension - or it could be the placement of his eye on the face of his figure instead of it’s edge (so he can look “up”)

Now, since you brought up spiders - we don’t have a reliable way of testing if they can really “see the eighth dimension” because we as humans only see three. For all I know, they could very well perceive something we can’t - or their 8 eyes just give them a more accurate perception of depth. Who knows! Here’s what I can find from a quick google, however:

Their eyes mainly serve to give them a wider scope of vision and detect movement/changes in light, but their eyesight isn’t that great.

Here’s a little bit on how jumping spiders use their eyes:

Anyways, people are free to draw and headcanon whatever they want, but I personally find giving the euclideans more than one eye counterintuitive.

Now, there are still ways of making it work - for example, they could have eyes on opposite sides, or they could have eyes like in your picture, but their brains might’ve never learned how to compare and contrast the two images it receives to effectively judge depth/see in 3D.

There are also ways to perceive depth with just one eye - for example, by moving an object that you’re looking at around and analyzing the parallax effect (closer objects move faster, farther objects move slower, etc), or judging distance to something if there’s areal perspective (landscape further away being more faint/blurry/washed out). I’m sure there’s other context clues that can help as well, but I’m not gonna get too deep into this because frankly, we’re talking about a funny character from a funny show, and as smart as Alex Hirsch is, I doubt he designed bill with scientific papers oh stereoscopic vision in mind (or maybe he did, who knows!).

I wish we had more information about Bill’s home world and how it functioned, because that could definitely give us some clues on how euclideans see. Do they even have parallax? Do they have areal perspective? Can they judge distance by the changing size of an object? Who knows. I’ve seen theories of euclydia looking like a platformer and theories of it being a flat plane bent into a tube, and I’ve seen people using Flatland as a close reference for how everything looked (although there are definitely canon divergences from it, like colors not being banned), and all sound fairly plausible to me. It’s really just what you want to believe in, at the end of the day, because this is all speculation.

Here have a funny spider my friend @gabrielgba doodled yesterday when I had to kill one that crawled into my bed lol.

[bachissidehoe]

𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 [𝘃𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲!𝗔𝗸𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗮𝘄𝗮 𝘅 𝗰𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱!𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿]

𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: 𝗮 𝘃𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

𝘄.𝗰. 𝟮𝟬𝟲𝟲

Y/n has been told countless times that the longer she resists her heats, the more intense they’ll become. Hybrids are still a fairly new species to enter the living world (they’ve existed of course, but have been hidden from civilization), so there still isn’t enough research to understand how they’re biologically different from humans, and how to treat them.

One of these blatant phenomena that are not well understood are, in fact, their heats. The only thing y/n can do since she started getting them is listen to the advice of other hybrids- no medications, no treatments, the only options she has are to find someone to help her take care of it, or to tough it out. For years, her choice had been to tough it out.

After all, what else is she supposed to do? Though hybrids have joined civilization, they aren’t exactly well understood or accepted. Plus, only female hybrids exist, so it’s not like y/n can proposition a male of her kind to help her relieve some of these symptoms.

And fuck, the symptoms. Instability, heavy breathing, the throbbing in her thighs and lower region, constant arousal, headaches, trouble eating and sleeping- the list goes on. With every heat, it’s gotten more intense, demanding of her attention, and much longer. At first, it would only be bad for a couple of hours, but now, it’s been days of suffering. Closing in on a week. It’s getting more and more impossible to wait it out in her room alone. Nothing helps, nothing even provides a few minutes of relief anymore.

Which is where she finds herself now, mindlessly wandering through back alleys in the pouring rain, hoping that some form of fresh air, a sensation that isn’t just an overwhelming desire to be bred, will be enough to convince her body that it’s done with this and just give up.

But then what? What about next time it happens?

“Ughhhh…” she sighs, groaning at the muddy path as she shakily walks. Her long, usually fluffy cat tail hangs between her legs, soaking wet. In fact, her entire body is soaked from ear to toe, almost matching the way her panties have felt all week.

Her catlike reflexes are slowed, so slowed that she can’t even react in time when she feels the presence of another person creeping closer to her. Her soppy cat ears twitch, but she can’t react at all, only turning her head in time to see a pair of glowing red eyes charging toward her, forcing her into the back of a building at top speed.

She can’t fight, not in this state. She can only mewl and whine, taking in the choppy, blurry scene of a figure- a man- towering over her, forcing her head to the side as he holds her frail body against the brick wall, his sharp fangs jutting out from his open mouth.

Actually, this isn’t a man at all. This is a vampire.

In that moment, y/n ponders the idea that it won’t be so bad to die, as long as he kills her instead of turning her into a vampire herself. Who knows if she’ll still be in heat as a vampire, she’d rather die than continue to experience this.

But in the immediate next moment, she feels just a slight touch from the prominent bulge in the vampire’s pants pressed against her body, enough to send a shiver down her spine. That sensation is enough for her brain to conjure up a different perspective. She needs it. More than life, more than death.

“Wait! Vampire-“ she whines, making a brief attempt to struggle as she sees his sharp teeth closing in on her. It’s dark out, but those eyes of his nearly blind her. “Please- I can offer you my blood, don’t kill me!” She rushes through the words, hoping it gives her enough time.

To her surprise, the vampire pulls his head back, but doesn’t release his grip on her. His legs still hold her in place, which means that bulge in his crotch does too.

She gulps. “I can give you my blood- whenever you want!”

It’s well known that vampires struggle to keep a healthy supply of blood, forcing them to often kill for it instead. Some vampires hire blood donors, but human donors tend not to be able to keep up with the demands, meaning they often end up dying as well. Hybrids, however, don’t have that problem, as they’re often much stronger and capable than humans. To vampires, hybrid blood is the most valuable.

“I just ask- that you don’t kill me. Please, fuck me instead and you can drink from me whenever you want!” She whines.

The vampire pauses. “What.” He says, his glowing eyes fading into a gray color, his fangs disappearing back into his mouth.

Apparently, her request was shocking enough that the vampire lost his hostility.

“I’ll live with you, I’ll, mmmh~” she moans, his body against hers still causing her heat symptoms to reach overdrive. “I just need it so bad, please.” She begs.

“Oh. I see.” The vampire holds his position. “You’re a hybrid. What a good find.”

Vampires and hybrids don’t often encounter each other, especially since vampires operate at night, while hybrids operate during the day. It’s quite rare for a hybrid like y/n to be exploring the dangerous city streets at night.

“Please, fuck me, and I’ll let you drink however-“

“Shh.” The vampire places a finger over her mouth. Another shock wave radiates through her body. “You know how loud you’re being?” He scolds her.

Now that her cat eyes have adjusted to the darkness, she can fully process that this vampire- is gorgeous. A young man with long black hair, silver at the ends, wearing a long black trench coat. And his body, his hands- she can’t help but writhe against him, her hips jutting into him on their own.

“I need~” She whines, quieter this time, pathetically pleading with him to at least consider her proposition.

“Come with me.” He turns around, completely releasing contact, much to y/n’s dismay. And he starts walking away, his hands behind his back.

She stands, confused.

“I said, follow me.” He says again, more sternly this time.

“O-okay.” She obeys, shakily walking behind him like a prisoner, her legs trodding through the mud even though at this point it’s hard for her to walk at all.

She follows him to a mansion, her entire body trembling and shaking the entire walk there. All the while, she missed his touch. The only thing she could think about was how beautiful he is, how badly she wants him to touch her again.

“You are in heat so bad I’m surprised I couldn’t smell it over the rain. No wonder I subconsciously ended up in that very spot.” He speaks, leading her into a large bedroom. But he sounds like he’s just talking to himself.

“Thank you for not killing me, um, sir-“

“It’s Akutagawa.”

“Akutagawa.” She repeats, her soaking wet clothes still sloshing as she rocks back and forth. It’s enough for her tired body to even stand at this point.

“Now, you needed something from me?” He asks stepping toward her again.

His voice sounds angry, perhaps he brought her here to kill her after all.

“Um…”

“Something about me taking your blood as long as I- hm what was it?”

Y/n swears she can see the beginnings of a smirk on his lips.

“Fuck me.” She says.

“Oh, right, that was it.” He lunges forward, using his speed to push her into the bed before she even realizes. And in seconds, her wet clothes are discarded off to the side. “You’re actually a pretty kitty.” He says, sliding her panties down her thighs.

“Please~” She whines again. She can feel the juices coating her thighs, the cool air of the room making it even more obvious to her how badly she needs him.

“Needy kitty.” He slides a pale finger between her thighs, swiping through the wetness.

“Ah~!” She yelps, her body writhing from only a touch.

He stands back up, leaving her whining and pleading with a flush across her cheeks.

“Win-win for me. I’ll accept your proposition.” He sounds like he’s annoyed about it, like it’s such a hassle for him. But he undresses anyway, peeling his wet clothes off his body to reveal his gorgeous figure- and his hard, thick cock.

No wonder y/n could feel his soft bulge so prominently against that wall. She gulps.

Before she can process it, Akutagawa lurches forward, easily handling her weak body like she’s just a doll. She may as well be- she would be for him.

“That’s it, you’ll sit right here.” He coaxes her onto his needy cock, her back pressed against his pale chest.

She can’t help but moan aloud, nearly screaming from the relief washing over her.

“Quiet, cat.” He wraps his arm around her, covering her mouth with his hand, forcing her to mumble to herself as she slides down onto his thick shaft.

Her eyes roll back into her head, her breaths choppy as she chokes on her own moans. It’s like her body was created for this vampire, the way she molds her walls to the shape of his cock.

He uses his forceful hand over her mouth to tilt her head to the side, unapologetically plunging his fangs deep into her neck.

She whines, it hurts. But it hurts good.

Blood trickles down her shoulder and chest as he drinks his fill, letting her rock her hips into his twitching cock. Her ears remain limp against her hair, her soft tail resting against his chest as if she can trust him. But it’s too good, he’s filling her and taking from her at the same time.

Her mind goes blank as her vision gets blurry, light spots cascading through her sight as she holds onto consciousness. She can hear him sucking her neck, the gory sounds of her blood squishing, the beautiful noises of him swallowing gulp after gulp, his hot breath tickling her open wounds.

“Ah, mmmh~ !” She’s suddenly overcome with a different kind of pleasure the aphrodisiac of his teeth plunged through her skin finally overwhelming her senses. Her soaking pussy squeezes around him, flooding his shaft with her fluids as she cums, hard.

Her writhing causes him to cut her deeper, his teeth sliding through her skin, her blood splattering onto the sheets.

She shakes, her body unable to stay upright as the blood continues to spill, almost too much for her to remain conscious.

He finally releases his teeth, removing his hand from her mouth to place both on her hips. Blood covers his face and chin, but he peppers light kisses on her back anyway, leaving bloody little lip marks all over her.

“Gonna~” He grunts, sliding her barely conscious body up and down his twitching shaft. “Feel so much better…” He moans, her blood in his system making him even more powerful.

He can fuck her even harder now that he’s had his fill, bouncing her with a speed that may split her body in two.

She lets out repeated gasps, her eyes blurred with tears as she continues to fight for consciousness. She can only mewl and whine incoherent cat noises while he relentlessly pounds into her.

“Fuck-“ He spits, suddenly filling her tight little hole with a thick load of his white hot cum.

She feels instant relief, the feeling of being so full sending her hurdling toward a second orgasm herself, the feeling taking over her entire body.

And everything goes dark.

+++++

“Cat. You’re awake.” Akutagawa finally rips her out of her unconscious state. “Good. Thought I killed you.”

She blinks a few times, noticing she’s still on that same bed, lying comfortably on her back with a clean blanket over her still naked body.

“I cleaned you up. But you lost a lot of blood, so we’ll have to work on that.” He hovers over her, a few specs of blood still seen decorating the corners of his lips.

She grumbles. She feels so much better. “I can stay?” She rasps.

He nods. “Don’t get upset if I accidentally kill you.”

That statement should terrify her, but instead, her heart lurches with excitement.

[goshdangronpa]

Where to begin in sharing my thoughts on Class of '09: The Flip Side ...

Well, how about the positives? Everything I've seen is so negative, and trust me, I have thoughts. But I enjoyed quite a lot of it, and I wanna do my part to balance out the discourse. So, here's a list.

Jecka makes for an interesting protagonist compared to Nicole. She's far more emotional - I swear, she breaks down crying in every route, which is genuinely disconcerting. She's also way less savvy. I'm not fond of how overwhelmingly negative these endings are (more on that in another post), but it at least makes sense. Nicole gets the upper hand in several endings from the previous two games because she's usually cunning enough to avoid potential problems, manipulate her way out of them, and/or get people in serious trouble. Jecka may be a bit of a bitch (and I love her for it!), but as she says in one ending, she kinda needs Nicole. Putting her in the protag role isn't just subbing her in for Nicole. Flip Side explores how things would go for someone with slightly more conscience and way less guile.

Jecka's so goddamn gay, oh my god. Wanting to look for a "goth work girlfriend" at Hot Topic. "I can afford holes, Imma buy me some hoes!" Kissing Ari! She says she only did the latter for attention, but girl ... girl. Someday she'll ask someone "Doesn't every girl think about sleeping with their gal pals?" and be shocked when that someone says no. (Tbh when I heard that one route would explore a previous game's route from Jecka's perspective, and when I saw the CG of the jeckari kiss on Tumblr, I created an entire plotline in my head that didn't come to fruition. Pity - it'd at least make for a good fanfic.)

"It's been seven seconds." The scenes based on this bit are some of the funniest in the whole series ("Why don't you magically gather some friends?"). Like something straight out of South Park. If the Co09 anime Kickstarter had reached the stretch goal of a full 25-minute episode, would this have been the script? I've heard people say that Flip Side doesn't feel like Class of '09, or that the dialogue isn't as good in this one, but this part, among others, works for me. "Can anyone do the math?" "... I thought this was health."

I'm a lifelong FYE patron who will drive 40-odd minutes to visit the only remaining store in my entire region. So for me especially, the entire FYE storyline was a ride. It reminded me of American Dad, where every episode turns something mundane into an elaborate conspiracy or wild adventure into its secret underbelly. It's awesome from beginning to ... well, not the end, but it's mostly awesome. And we get to hang out with Kelly! That's neat!

This is apparently my hottest take: the "foot whore" routes are not that bad. For starters, they're not presented in a way that fetishizes Jecka herself. You never see her feet, or see what she does with them. Yall can still find the suggestion of it gross if you want, but comparisons to Quentin Tarantino seem unwarranted! More importantly, the foot services enable the writers to explore topics of sex work while keeping the game light on actual sexual activity. It's rare to see such subject matter broached in a thing like this, yet we get to see how circumstances can pull desperate people into selling their bodies, and how swiftly and easily they can have their boundaries violated and their safety compromised by the customers they depend on. The increasing disruption of normal conversations by the text notifications of Jeffery's donations is a genuinely despairing plot device. Both endings are troubling for different reasons (again, that's for another post), but the game's got something to say in a way that, to me, is fairly mature yet distinctly Class of '09. (Credit to my partner for this observation, I'm so grateful I could play this with them.)

... Uh ... the music sting from the opening monologue bumps ... It sounds more Class of '17 than Class of '09, but it's still cool ...

Okay so I can't think of more, at least not right now. (EDIT: How did I forget the Hatman? That was cute!) Flip Side may be the most flawed game in the series, but it's still pretty good. At the very least, I don't think it's the shitshow other people are making it out to be ... though there is a smell. I'll go deeper on the negatives in other posts.

[friendofcars]

Hello! Here is data on point of view distribution across characters in The Dreamer Trilogy (which I will abbreviate as TD3) as a follow up to my TRC data from last year (viewable here). A rather long-winded discussion of the data, methods notes, and some supplemental figures and tables are under the cut. As it was not possible to include all values and stats in this post (nor in the alt text for image IDs), my spreadsheet can be viewed by clicking here,

This project quantifies and visualizes the distribution of chapters and pages in the books of TD3 across characters from whose POVs the story is told. I didn’t have much of a hypothesis going into data collection/analysis, especially not like I did for the TRC data, but I did expect to see Ronan’s POV having the most chapters and pages for the entire series, given the fact that he is the most central of the protagonists. I don’t think page time is the be-all-end-all for a character’s importance, of course, but it is still interesting to consider how spending more time from certain perspectives affects the perceived narrative. I won’t get much into that aspect of analysis in this post, but if anybody would actually like to discuss that, I’d love to!

Results (and Interpretation):

TD3 consists of 173 chapters and 1184 pages (using the U.S. hardcover editions), making the average chapter 6.84 pages. The longest chapter is 16 pages, and the shortest is 1 page.

Figure 1A: The average chapter in Mister Impossible (MI) is considerably longer (9.26 pages) than the average chapter in Call Down the Hawk (CDTH) (6.00 pages) and in Greywaren (GW) (6.40 pages), which makes sense as MI has just 38 chapters while CDTH has 80 and GW has 55 (see Fig. 2). To me, the effect of the longer chapters (and therefore extended time with the current POV character) makes the various POVs feel more temporally distant from one another- not in a narratively incoherent way, but in a way that echoes the sense of isolation experienced by dreamers and weaponized by Bryde as he tries to convince Ronan and Hennessy to abandon their loved ones.

Figure 1B: Chapter length is fairly consistent amongst POVs across the series. Matthew has the longest average chapter length (8.40 page) over a small set of chapters (5 total)- his character development (as told from his own POV) is limited to a small number of instances, which may have stretched his chapters a bit longer. The 'Other' category has the shortest average chapter length (5.13 pages) (Fig. 1B); it includes the typically short chapters from witnesses of Visionary explosions/aftermath (Mags, Dabney) as well as Nathan's manifesto excerpts. (As a side note, I've described the chapters depicting memories from the Barns as 'Mór and Niall.' These chapters do not collectively portray an equal balance of their POVs, but this was the simplest way to categorize them.)

Figure 2A-B: These graphs are representations of chapter distribution across POVs in TD3 in terms of chapter count (2A) and proportion of total chapters (2B). Some observed trends include Declan's proportion of total chapters remaining quite constant throughout the series, Ronan's decreasing, Hennessy's proportion of chapters nearly doubling from CDTH to MI (and staying at a similar proportion to MI in GW), and Jordan's proportion following an opposite trend (consistent proportion in CDTH and MI, followed by a more than 50% drop in GW). Carmen's proportion of chapters also declines after CDTH.

Figure 2C: This graph compares total chapters per character POV over the entire series. We can see that the largest proportion of the series is told from Ronan's POV (53 chapters, or 0.306 of all chapters). To put that in perspective, Hennessy has the next highest number of chapters (26, or 0.150 of all chapters), which is just under half the number of Ronan's. If all characters had an equal number of chapters from their POV (including the miscellaneous POVs as one category labeled Other), they would each have 21.6 chapters, represented by the horizontal dashed line; Declan, Jordan, Carmen, and Hennessy all have chapter counts relatively close to this number.

Figure 2D-E: These are representations of page distribution across POVs in TD3 in terms of page count (2D) and proportion of total pages (2E). Trends are similar to those depicted in 2A-B, but 2E does make Declan's increased proportion of page time in GW salient.

Figure 2F: This graph compares total pages per character POV over the entire series. The dashed line shows that if each character (plus the Other category) had equal page time in the series, readers would spend 148 pages with each POV. Again, page data is similar to chapter data, but comparing graphs 2C and 2F gives a clear visual indicator that Jordan's chapters (on average, 8.11 pages) are longer than Carmen's (on average, 6.08 pages), since Carmen has visibly more chapters in 2C yet nearly the same number of pages as Jordan in 2F.

Figure 3: Figure 3 shows distribution of chapters (3A-B) and pages (3C-D) in CDTH, as well as average chapter length for each character POV (3E). An equal distribution of chapters would have been 13.3 per character, and an equal distribution of pages would have been 80.0 per character. The 'Other' category included chapters from the perspectives of Lock, Breck Myrtle, Shawna Wells, Jason Morgenthaler (and Lin Draper, briefly, in the same chapter), Mags Harmonhouse, and Dabney Pitts. Carmen's average chapter length in CDTH (4.67 pages) is the lowest single-book average for character POVs appearing throughout the entire series. (Nathan's average chapter length is just 1.00 [Supplemental Figure 2], yet his POV only appears in GW via his manifesto excerpts, and while I have attributed these chapters to his POV, I interpret the POV as actually ambiguous. As with Kavinsky's text in TDT, it's not absolutely certain if we are reading from the writer or the reader's perspective [although in TDT, due to the lack of Kavinsky POV elsewhere, it's probably the latter]).

Figure 4: Figure 4 shows distribution of chapters (4A-B) and pages (4C-D) in MI, as well as average chapter length for each character POV (4E). An equal distribution of chapters would have been 5.43 per character, and an equal distribution of pages would have been 50.3 per character. The 'Other' category included two chapters, both with what I deemed omniscient narration. Declan had the shortest chapters in MI (8.20 pages), and Jordan had the longest (11.4 pages, the longest average for a character for a single book in this series).

Figure 5: Figure 5 shows distribution of chapters (4A-B) and pages (4C-D) in GW, as well as average chapter length for each character POV (4E). An equal distribution of chapters would have been 6.88 per character, and an equal distribution of pages would have been 44.0 per character. The 'Other' category included Nathan's manifesto excerpts (3 chapters), 1 chapter from Liliana's POV, and 3 other chapters with omniscient narration. While Ronan never has the longest chapters, his chapters are shorter relative to other POVs in Greywaren, perhaps as a result of the way his chapters are written during his time asleep/in the sweetmetal sea. I have not yet investigated whether chapters tend to be longer while characters are awake vs asleep or dreaming, but that's something that could be measured from the existing data in the spreadsheet! There is also a dramatic drop in Jordan's POV time in GW compared to the previous two books, perhaps because of her increased divergence from Hennessy and desire to establish a life that follows her own narrative.

Other findings: A major difference I noted between TRC and TD3 was the lack of split chapters in TD3. In TRC, the data analysis was made slightly complicated by having to account for the fact that a non-negligible number of chapters would make a distinct and discrete switch between POVs partway through. While I did not observe this in TD3, I did encounter more ambiguous/nebulous POVs as I previously mentioned. The increased presence of omniscience in the trilogy, for me, contributed to the increased sense of scale and stakes compared to TRC. This increased continuity amongst POV (not amongst core/recurring POV characters, but amongst groups of characters/communities depicted in the omnisciently narrated chapters) also contributed to a sense of dissolution of barriers and identities, perhaps thematically in line with Ronan's character development and increasingly holistic perspective of both his humanity and otherworldliness (although Ronan is not necessarily featured in these 'boundary-breaking' chapters). I also briefly looked at occurrences of back-to-back chapters from the same POV; this happens most frequently for Ronan in all three books, mainly in CDTH, and sometimes featuring a dreaming chapter directly before an awake chapter (or vice versa) in immediate succession. Declan (MI), Carmen (CDTH), and Jordan (CDTH) all have a pair of back-to-back chapters at some point in the series; Hennessy has 2 (MI, GW).

Conclusions: In all honesty, despite this project being quite fun and fulfilling and of course, worth doing, I do not think I have any particularly insightful conclusions about the data beyond what I've already discussed. Ronan took up the largest share of the chapters and pages as expected, although I am not sure I expected this to be true by such a large margin. I also was surprised that Declan did not have more chapter/page time, but it is possible that his notable inclusion in chapters from other characters' POVs increases his prominence in the series (and I suppose this is probably true for all characters who frequently appear in chapters outside their perspective). As with TRC, the number of POVs expands as the series develops, often with the effect of increasing the scope of the story's implications, and perhaps, more importantly, showing the story from additional angles that contextualize and/or distort narrative established by other characters' perspectives. I hope you've enjoyed exploring the data as I have, and those interested in my methodology may continue reading below!

Methods:

Data collection was straightforward in the sense that I simply counted the pages in each chapter and then assigned each chapter to a character based on the POV represented. The POV character assignment was more difficult than it was for TRC, as TD3 has more omnisciently narrated chapters, which in itself is easy to categorize, but they often zoom in on or are 'biased' towards the experience of a particular character, so I had to make some decisions as to what, for me, constituted sufficient focus on a character’s internal narration and expression vs. omniscience. In the spreadsheet, I took notes on these more subjectively driven decisions. Again, you can view it here! It also contains data on whether the chapter is from an awake or dreaming POV, and has the first lines of each chapter, among which are some fun repeating patterns. 

For bar graphs with dots, each dot represents a single chapter. You may also notice that the graphs are missing p-values from statistical tests this time around! This is because, since completing the TRC data, I’ve realized that such measures of uncertainty re: significant differences are not appropriate for my dataset, which is not a sample representing a population, but rather a complete group of chapters (so parametric tests are not necessarily helpful or valid). However, I still like to run the tests for my own amusement and to see what the results would be if this were a dataset for which ANOVA and contingency tests were appropriate, so I have standard deviation bars on the graphs where calculable (but no standard deviations in the text of the results section for legibility) as well as the p-values in tables at the end of this post for anyone also curious. I did still calculate the numbers of chapters and pages that would represent an equal distribution across POV characters, which are represented by the dashed lines on the relevant figures. I think this is helpful to visually gauge 'over-representation' and 'under-representation' of character POVs.

Below are the supplemental figures showing all character POVs rather than lumping some together in an 'other' category. The MI data in figure 4 is not expanded below because the chapters designated as 'other' were omniscient and thus would have remained in the same category.

And finally, here are the omitted p-values, if you'd like to pretend along with me that all the chapters in TD3 are not a complete set but rather a representative sample of a greater population of chapters that's out there in the universe. :) When I give a p-value below the 0.05 threshold but still write 'no significant differences amongst any combination of characters, I mean that the p-values generated for the comparisons between each possible pair of characters were all above 0.05, which are distinct from the overall p-value generated from the ANOVA.

[orfisheus]

An elaborate thoughtpiece on the recent state of EW

With the recent Youtooz announcement, I've been having a lot of thoughts regarding Eddsworld and the rumors about them returning Tord back to EW canon, so consider this a dump?? (For clarity's sake, the IRL people will be referred with their name and last initial. :])

I'd like to preface this by stating that I wouldn't mind the character coming back, as long as there's consent with Tord L. I'd assume that they would do this with the full intent of respecting his boundaries, so I'll give that the benefit of the doubt.

My issue, however, comes with HOW they're doing it. We are all aware that they've been teasing the episode, first with their post teasing their scriptwriting, and then Matt H. on Twitter confirming something big is coming with whatever they're working on next. Along with the YouTooz release and the removal of the Tord FAQ, it's very likely that this is what they're teasing. And yeah, that's fairly big news. The return of a fan favorite character who had a major impact on the plot? That would shift the current trajectory of their presentation and of the fandom. But, in regards to the fandom, they're aware he's a fan favorite. Want a quick buck? Be it for a charity or for themselves, he's the perfect tool to weaponize. Especially with a prevalent neurodivergent population in the fandom, he's especially easy to use. These fans will be dedicated, and they will buy it. I've seen multiple people say that they would for this sole reason. In no way is this a jab at any neurodivergent folks. I hope y'all enjoy your figurine. I would too. However, it ties into my next point. The dedicated fanbase that Eddsworld has isn't all too dedicated to the actual episodes. Look at content creators on tumblr. A majority have created their own elaborate AUs or headcanons so estranged from the own canon that the real canon holds little value. As each episode comes out, it will gain minute traction, only to swiftly be buried in the sea of fan-derivative content. I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't aware of this. In their comment sections on Instagram, oftentimes people will post GIFS of older episodes. Nothing to say about current content. Just GIFs. There's no drive for people to consume this media outside of their already preestablished footholds. So, how can people say something? How to bring in the quiet masses? Give them what they want. Give them Tord.

I made a theory a few days back with my friends. If a piece of media's lore has people begging for more, you'll likely see more AUs, more explorations of the characters outside of canon. I've seen this frequently when shows were coming out. The Owl House, for example, had budding fan theories and prevalent fan works and creators, such as moringmark, who played with fan theories as the show came out, exploring the potential the narrative had. However, by the time it ended, and the story was satisfactorily brought to its conclusion, this content diminished. Audience members felt fulfilled. When people aren't fulfilled, they ask for more. They make more. In this vein lies Miraculous Ladybug, a show known for egregious writing, to the point where content creators have basically transformed the entire show, disregarding a lot of the lore and establishing their own. Unfortuantely, with Eddsworld's current trajectory, the trend of AUs and headcanons feels more aligned with the latter rather than the former.

Another issue that's been plaguing my mind is narratively how his return would work. From the fandom, I've seen a few conflicting perspectives. Some people enjoy him as a villain/antagonist, whilst others prefer him as a member of the main crew. It would be impossible to satisfy both sides. Do they regard The End or not? And if so, how would they treat his facial scars and potential amputation? Ableism has been a plaguing issue in this fandom, and it makes me weary to see it potentially play out in the biggest form of media that Eddsworld uses. And I don't think people would be 100% okay if it was ignored, either. It's an extremely strange gray area where, no matter what, the consequence will be that someone will end up disappointed. To pull it off, they'd need a much more stable foundation and reputation. By the way the last few episodes have gone, I'm not too confident that they do.

After all, they've used this big episode so far to address a few criticisms I've seen for previous episodes. Aside from Tord's presence, they've teased the episode, which many had previously criticized Matt H. for his lack of transparency with the fandom upon production. The same goes with making it a sort of big episode. Beyond's episodes so far have been tamer and less narratively focused in comparison to later Classic and Legacy. That isn't a bad thing, but it's a major tonal shift that has felt awkward. Going back suddenly to the old formulas of narrative also feels a bit strange. The new narrative hasn't had success, sure, but every new creator will always have things to improve upon. Using what made Classic and Legacy successful in an era more focused on simpler narratives makes it seem like the showrunners don't know how to run in their own shoes, so they need to use someone else's to be successful. Here's the thing, you don't gain merit from being derivative, you gain it from making your own stuff work. Beyond wants to focus more on comedy than storytelling? That's great! That's what I've felt like those episodes were focusing on. Improving in that department will help overall. But changing something entirely because it wasn't working feels less confident, less focused on growth, and more on personal achievement. Especially when they have to use a fan-favorite character to get there. They couldn't make it on their own, so use what they know the people love.

I was discussing a book in one of my classes earlier, White Noise, when my teacher brought up how he wants us to constantly be aware of our society after reading this book, and how consumer culture greatly impacts our day to day lives. That's what the author wanted his readers to get out of it. Awareness. Every good work comes with a goal. What is Eddsworld Beyond's goal? What do they get out of bringing Tord back?

To me, it's the epitome of the current state of the entertainment industry. In Hollywood, where the animation corporations don't trust risk or exploration, they remake the old movies or produce soulless sequels. Kung Fu Panda 4, Megamind's sequel, every single live action Disney remake. And yet movies that take risks, like Strange World, no matter the quality, are shoved aside with little marketing. Cash grabs are easy ways to garner attention. They ensure profit. But they never garner the same soul as the original. To me, at least, the showrunners feel less confident in their own works because they've garnered little success from the 3 major episodes they've released so far, not including the shorts. Compared to Legacy and Classic, current Eddsworld has had nothing to say and very little gains from it. Legacy is a bit of a stretch for a standard, but it is a standard previously set by the show. This inflation is something so hard to achieve when a majority of fans have moved on, so I can't entirely blame them for potentially wanting to achieve this same success. It's just an empty way to do it.

I want to see this show succeed. I have a lot of love for it. I know there's a lot of love being put into it by the crew, and in no way do I want this to discredit their work. I see it as a current work in progress that's working out its kinks to reach its true potential. I just don't believe using the character of Tord is the right way to improve and garner traction. This is more of a critique on the writing and overall direction. Please understand this. I hope that, in the future, stuff starts going right for Beyond. Someday it'll succeed. But potentially using, for the lack of a better word, cheap tricks in order to obtain this is not the way to go as a creator.

Feel free to share your own thoughts. I'd love to hear what y'all have to say. And feel free to give helpful critiques as well! I'd love to make more elaborate writing pieces like this, so anything helps! Thank you, and farewell.

[clumsiestgiantess]

The size swap episode is here! While it does canonically happen in the main story, it’s only ever vaguely alluded to because it has zero plot relevance and never happens again (I just wanted them to experience how the other feels being tiny/giant)

Why isn’t this just an AU, you ask? Because I want the true characters to experience it >:)

(there’s a bit of spice in here as well; you know how the girlies are rn… they’ll be like that for a bit lol) [One day after the end of chapter 27, in Alexis’ living site near the mountains, both a normal-world inhabitant and an other-worldian wake up to begin their travels, only to find a strange new perspective…]

“Alexis!?”  I woke with a start, groaning in annoyance.  What was so important Erica had to wake me by yelling into my ear?  I was about to say something in protest, but I was startled into silence by my unfamiliar surroundings.  Cloth stretched on and on around me in every direction.  The only source of light filtered in beyond the strange material.  It was disorienting and almost frightening.  Where am I?  “Erica?” I called nervously into the empty air.  Now I could see why she’d woken me, but where was she?  I looked to the floor for her, and gasped in shock.  My clothes were gone.  Before I could even begin to puzzle out what happened, the entire room tilted to the side.  I cried out in fear as I slid down the surface of the cloth floor.  A moment later, light blinded me and I hit the ground unexpectedly hard.  The air was thrust from my lungs, and I sat up dizzily.

Daylight scorched my eyes.  I shut them quickly, but forced them back open at the sound of faraway rumbling.  What caused the rumbling was so awe-inspiring and frightening that I forgot to breathe.  Erica was standing what seemed like miles away from me; she stood almost as tall as a mountain, and she was putting on my clothes.  

That’s where I woke up, I realized, recognizing the color of the fabric I’d been lost in moments ago.  No wonder I was naked; my clothes were far too big for me now.  “I shrunk!” I whispered in wonder.  Judging by Erica’s new size and the fact that she had to steal my clothes, I could only assume Erica had grown.  We’ve switched heights!  How is this possible?  I spent so much time trying to shrink to her size, and now that I have, suddenly she’s the tall one?

“Alexis, where are-?” Erica stopped short as she noticed the height of the trees for the first time.  “What the hell?”  Even her confused whisper was loud to me.  As I took in her new height, I had a terrifying thought.  If Erica and I swapped sizes, she can finally get revenge on me for controlling her!  Seconds later, I forcefully shook my head.  No, she wouldn’t; she loves me; she wouldn’t hurt me for that anymore.  However, I tested if I still had the ability to control another person.  I did.

I flinched as Erica shifted to kneel down, carefully picking something up off the ground.  Though she was fairly far away, her movements still took up one half of my vision.  Am I really that terrifying when I’m that size?  I had to be.  

Staring in numb shock, I watched as Erica flinched backwards, immediately scanning the ground and the bottoms of her feet.  She let out a relieved sigh when she found nothing.  “Alexis, did we switch sizes?” Erica asked, sounding almost frightened.  Wow, her voice was so much louder than I’d heard before.  

“Please, say something!  Are you standing somewhere trying to get my attention?  I-  How am I so big?  This feels.. what’s the opposite of claustrophobic?”  She scanned the ground around her carefully before standing back up.  “This is awful!  Now I know why you panic so much when you can’t find me.”  Despite my slight fear of Erica’s new size, I called out to her.  Though it was still unnerving to see her this way, I didn’t want her to be worried about me.  

“Erica!  I’m over here!”  She froze mid-search.  “I’m over here!  Behind you, to the left of the trees!”  Her movements were so large and so fast that I instinctively gasped in fear.  My thoughts spiraled in a panic.  Why am I calling her over!?  I don’t even have clothes on!

The moment Erica spotted me, she sat up and raced over.  Each of her steps covered about thirty or so of mine.  “Alexis!” she cried out in relief, “Thank god!  I was so scared, I thought I’d crushed you!”  I yelped in terror as she swiftly snatched me off the ground.  Vertigo churned in my stomach as I was lifted a horrifying distance into the air.  Her fingers, each of which were longer than half my height, pressed painfully into my sides as she held me dangling in the open air.  

No!  She is going to hurt you! my mind screamed.  She can easily hurt you for everything you’ve done, and you.  Can’t.  Stop her.  “Ow! Ow!  You need to let me go, or else you’re going to break something!” I cried, “Erica please, don’t hurt me!  I’m sorry!  Please!”  Tears welled in my eyes as I was placed back down.  I wasn’t even sure if it was my abilities reacting to my fear that made her do that, or if she really intended to.  I fell to the ground as my knees gave out beneath me, trying my best to shield my completely exposed body from the rest of the world.

“Alexis?”  I glanced up to see giant fingers closing in on me.  A sob escaped my throat, and Erica’s grasp fell short.  She watched from somewhere above my vision as I curled up tighter.  “Alexis, it’s just me.  I-  I’m not going to hurt you...”  “You just did!” I cried out.  Erica was silent for a long moment.  “Hey,” she whispered comfortingly, “Look at me.”  I shook my head, buried between my arms.  “Please?  Just for a moment?”  I reluctantly gazed up at her, vision partially hindered by tears.  Erica had backed off slightly, looking me over with a pained expression.  It faded into a soft smile as my gaze connected with hers — eyes widening in wonder.

“I’m really sorry about grabbing you like that,” she admitted, “I guess I didn’t realize how easily I could hurt you.  It all makes a lot more sense why you’re always so hesitant to get close to me.”  I slowly unfurled myself, coming to stand as my nerves subsided.  “I know how it feels.  I’m probably terrifying to you right now.  But..  Alexis, you know I would never intentionally hurt you, right?”

I nodded, realizing that I’d very quickly jumped to conclusions earlier.  Erica wouldn’t use her newfound strength to get back at me for something I did four.. five years ago now.  Tentatively, Erica pulled herself closer, fingers carefully caressing my arm.  Shuddering at her warmth, I drew myself closer.  “I can’t believe it’s really you,” Erica whispered, “You’re so small.. and.. naked!” she she gasped, fingers quickly retracting from my side.  “Oh, sorry; I should’ve given these to you sooner!”  Erica shifted to take her own small clothes out of her pocket.  “I found these on the ground beneath me when I grew.  They’re kind of torn up, though.  I must’ve grown right out of them.”  Her clothes were split down one side; the only way I could wear them was wrapped around me like a towel, but it was better than being stark naked.

“Thanks,” I nodded to Erica, tying the slightly shredded items around myself.  “Oh, and sorry for taking your clothes,” she apologized.  “Yeah, you literally stole them right off of me.”  Erica looked me over intently, “What?  I did?”  “Yeah, I mean, you grew out of your clothes because they were too small, but I was trapped inside of mine!  I fell out when you picked them up.”  Erica looked slightly stricken after I told her this.  

“I didn’t even see you..”  She gasped, “What if I’d dropped you from all the way up here?  You could’ve been seriously hurt!  I could’ve killed you without even realizing it!"  Erica sat up a ways, looking down at herself in dismay.  "Alexis, how do you stand being like this all the time?”  I chuckled, “It certainly takes some getting used to.  And I’m sorry I accused you of trying to hurt me.  It’s just a little overwhelming, seeing you like this.”  She nodded, “That’s alright, I completely get it.  I’ve pretty much been in your exact situation. With you, actually.”  I sighed, collecting my thoughts.  

“Erica?”  "Yeah?"  "What if this is permanent?  What happens if we don't swap back?  Our whole plan…"  That was the extent of my thought — the rest frightened me too much to say aloud.

Erica stared out over me in thought.  "We'll just have to continue doing what we always do, I guess.  I can probably take out a hell of a lot more bad guys like this, that's for sure."  "Yeah, but.." I trailed off uneasily, "I-  I can't go home like this.  I'll never get to see my world or my family ever again."  I watched the subtle shift of Erica's hands reach slightly forwards, then pull back.  She wanted to comfort me, but had no idea how to do so without scaring or hurting me.  

"This can't be permanent," Erica stated, "At least I don't think so..  But even if it is, I'll always be here to take care of you.  Ivan's in the town too; he could help you get settled in if you end up staying here."  I nodded solemnly, eyes drifting downcast to the suddenly tall blades of grass at my feet.  Finally, Erica couldn't keep herself away any longer.  She slid me delicately into the palm of her hand and lifted me up to her eye level.  This time she made sure to go much slower.

Being lifted was such a strange sensation.  I could feel every little movement Erica made, even her pulse, bobbing just underneath her skin beneath me.  "I don't like this any more than you do," she assured me, “It’s...  Just thinking about anyone besides you seeing me like this makes my skin crawl.  I’m so big anyone can see me do anything, and everyone will be watching me!”

I blinked, never having given that much thought myself.  "How about we do something to get our minds off this, hmm?” Erica offered suddenly, “We'll take the day off; we won't even go into town.  If this keeps up tomorrow, then you and I can start worrying about long term stuff, alright?"  "Ok," I nodded a bit more enthusiastically.  "I was thinking of going for a walk, so I could see what the other-world looks like from your height.  The way it normally looks."  Erica nodded, "Sounds like a plan, then.  Should I put you down?"  "Yeah, I want to see things from a 'normal' height."  I used the term normal rather lightly.  Neither my giant height nor this one seemed very accurate.  I was so used to being big in the other-world that my smaller height just felt weird.  Slowly, I was brought back down to the ground.

I walked through the woods by myself first; taking everything in was strange enough without my used-to-be-tiny, now giant girlfriend pacing around.  After a while I began to get bored, however.  The woods were nice to see at a normal scale, but it really wasn't all that different from taking a walk in the woods at home.  

Home.  Would I ever really return there?  When Erica came to my world, she constantly had to hide from everyone, and she wasn’t able to do very much on her own.  I shook away my gloomy thoughts and headed back the direction I'd come.  Just listen to Erica.  Take a break today, figure it out tomorrow.  Hopefully this is some sort of weird fluke that'll fix itself soon.  

I'd been walking back for almost twenty minutes before I realized that I might have been walking in the wrong direction.  There was definitely not a stream on my way in.  I panicked for a moment, realizing that I was definitely lost, before I remembered who was with me.  "Erica!" I called, "If you can hear me, can you come over and get me?  I think I'm lost!"  There was silence, then I heard the slight tremor of Erica coming closer.  "Alexis, are you calling me?  God, your voice is so small.  Hold on, let me see if I can find you."  Oh boy, maybe I will have to find my way back on my own.  

Thankfully, a few minutes later I saw her form appear through the trees.  I didn't bother calling out to her for directions.  All I had to do was follow her.  Soon, I'd made it to the edge of the woods and flagged her down.  Erica was so excited to see me, she very nearly snatched me up, but she held back at the last second when she saw me flinch.  "Sorry, sorry.  I didn't mean to scare you."  "It's alright," I reassured her, "I was thinking we could finish my walk together?  After lunch though, because I'm starving."  "Good idea."

Thanks to Erica's 'ignore your problems until later' plan, I actually forgot to worry about things for a while.  We talked over lunch just like any other day, then we continued on my walk — not that I was doing any of the walking anymore.  I'd tried to trek alongside Erica, but her strides were just way too big for me to catch up with.  Walking next to her was like walking next to a moving skyscraper; the scale of having to crane my neck vertically up to see her made my stomach churn uncomfortably, so I ended up sitting on her hand the whole time.  Erica had offered me a place on her shoulder, but I quickly declined.  Shoulder rides are her thing.  I would only be more anxious if she placed me there.  Unlike Erica, I actually fear the prospect of falling to my death.

I clung to her pointer finger, wanting to watch the view but also terrified I’d slip off her hand.  There was an almost alarmingly fast pulse beating through it, and when I glanced up I saw Erica quickly look away from me with a flushed face.  Even when I pretended to ignore her obvious fascination with my new size, I nearly got scared straight off the edge of her hand as two fingers fell over me from behind.  Erica pet me with what she must’ve thought were gentle strokes, but really felt like she was squishing me down.  I knew she meant well, though, so I let her.

Our walk was longer than I expected thanks to Erica getting lost.  She confessed she hadn’t really been watching where she was going, and I confessed I knew she’d been watching me instead.  I didn’t mind the length of it.  In fact, it gave me a chance to get more used to the height I was held at.  It also gave me more time to chat with the love of my life.  She was just as nervous as I was, but we were together, so panicking took second place priority over calming eachother down.

Between a dinner lit by bonfire, and all the otherwise normal activities that took place, my day off had been very successful — since we started heading back, I hadn’t worried about my new height once.  

Erica lay in my field, watching the sunset while I sat by the fire.  It died soon after, leaving me with no source of heat while the night grew ever colder.  Erica must've seen me shivering on my own, because she sat up and leaned over me.  "You look cold," she stated.  "My fire died," I responded in a deadpan voice.  "Doesn't mean you have to be cold."  Tilting my head back, I gazed up at Erica.  She had that excited look in her eyes she always gets when an idea sticks in her head.  

"Ok," I sighed, "Pick me up.  I know you want to."  Her digits suddenly laced around me, lifting me upwards as she settled herself back down.  Once she was laying comfortably with my pillows, she placed me on her chest in the same spot I've always placed her.

It was mesmerizing, taking in Erica's larger than life form.  She was everywhere on every side of me — even the very ground beneath me.  Normally, that would be enough to easily frighten anyone.  But not me, not with her.  I carefully made my way to her face as she sat up just slightly so her eye level was even with mine.  She was so big to me that I could see her actual pupils grow a bit wider with each step I took.

"I've never been able to see you like this,” I realized, “You're always so small."  Erica shuddered, jostling me slightly, but I kept my balance.  Everything about her was so intricate and gigantic.  It was almost impossible for me to believe her and the tiny woman I could barely tell the eye color of were one and the same.  

Tentatively, I reached out and brushed a few fingers over her scar.  I'd only done this once before at my normal height.  I was always too scared I might hurt her further, being so big.  Now I could get close and not have to worry about anything.  It was amazing.  I kept going, brushing my hand further along her chin and down to her lips, watching as her eyes widened in awe.  

"It's so weird, tracing your features as big as this," I admitted, "I'm almost convinced this is a dream."  "Same here," Erica whispered.  "If you'll let me, I.. I'd like to trace you too."

A part of me wanted to say no, to deny her simply because one false move could lead to my injury, or worse.  However, I couldn't resist.  "You can," I answered.  Erica tediously edged her hands closer to me, fingers brushing up against my skin.  She softly pinched one of my arms between them, staring in amazement at how miniscule the limb seemed in her grasp.  Her touch gilded delicately up to my jaw, then, with the pad of a single finger, my cheek.  It was all so overwhelming, but in a good way.  This seemed to have a similar effect on Erica, who was stunned speechless.

"You're beautiful," she finally whispered in adoration.  "So are you."  Stepping closer, I leaned in and kissed her lip.  I could only kiss one of them, that's how big she was.  Erica pulled me in, both her lips sliding over my whole face as she returned my tiny piece of affection.  The feeling was indescribable and immensely overwhelming.  Now I understand why she keeps insisting she enjoys this despite how big I am.

Finally, I had to pull away to catch my breath, and the moment I did, Erica went back for more.  After a few strong kisses, her lips brushed up against the ties on my torn clothing.  They slid off me in one flourish.  I lay blissfully in Erica's hands as she kissed my bare body.  Her tongue slid over my torso and I groaned with pleasure, only prompting her to kiss me harder.  As with so many of my experiences that day, I could finally see Erica's side of things.  No wonder she pleaded with me to keep going after I'd nervously called off our first makeout session.  

At some point her tongue slid into my mouth.  I whined softly, opening my jaw to let her kiss me and fill it.  It was nirvana until I heard a crack and felt a spark of pain in my jaw.  I tried moving away, but Erica held me from behind, and again her tongue pressed into my mouth — nearly forcing its way down my throat.  Gagging and choking, I was finally released with a jolt.  “Alexis!  Are you ok?”  I took a few deep breaths and felt my jaw as I opened and closed it a few times.  “Y- Yeah, I think my jaw just cracked and I got scared.”  “I’ll just stick to your body, then?” Erica asked, tentatively giving my stomach a soft kiss. I exhaled in bliss, “Yeah.”

After the ecstasy of the moment died off at last, I curled up under Erica's chin, warmly tucked between it and her throat.  I barely noticed my lack of clothing with how warm she was.  We lay together like that for a long time — both tired, but neither of us ready to sleep.  Finally, I wiggled my way back onto her chest and put back on the torn clothes.  Erica grumbled sleepily, some of her warmth stolen.  "Where are you going?" she asked me quietly.  "I can't sleep on you.  What if our sizes come back?  I would crush you."  "Oh."  I knew she'd be more than a little disappointed, but I didn't want to risk it.  Erica gave me her blanket to sleep on, which was really mine to begin with.  "Goodnight Alexis."  "Goodnight," I answered sleepily.

In the morning I was rudely awoken by the freezing cold winds that swept across the field.  My clothes were gone again, but that didn't bother me in the slightest.  I grew back!  Whatever weirdness that happened yesterday is gone now.  I wrapped my blanket around me and turned to where Erica had been sleeping.  Sure enough, my clothes lay splayed out in the field once more.  A small bump in the middle of my shirt shifted slightly in sleep.  I decided to wait until Erica woke up to reclaim my clothes, and sat with my blanket, gazing off to nowhere in particular, when I was startled by a tinny gasp.  

"Alexis!  Alexis, I shrunk back!  I'm my own height!"  I smiled warmly, gently pulling away the top part of my shirt to reveal her normal-sized form.  "You grew back too!" she exclaimed happily.  "I did!  Now I can finally have my clothes back."

Erica looked down at herself then back up at me.  "Damn, now I'm the one who's stuck with the rags."  I laughed and handed her clothes to her before slipping into mine.  Unfortunately, Erica's clothes were far beyond wearable now.  They'd been through not one, but two giant growth spurts, and were basically just shreds of cloth.  "N- Now what?" Erica asked, shivering in the morning cold.  "I c- can't wear this!"  "What was it you told me last night?" I asked wryly, "Oh yeah.  That doesn't mean you have to be cold."  I held out my hands and Erica braced the wind for a few freezing steps before snuggling into my palms.  

Back to the wind, protected by both my clothes and my blanket, I cupped Erica gently between my hands.  Every once and a while, I'd blow on them to keep them warm.  Inside, Erica dragged a few of my fingers closer.  I instinctively flinched as I touched her, remembering how it felt to me when she was the one doing the holding.  Yet, she persisted on pulling me in until she was pressed on all sides by warm skin.

One of my fingers just so happened to be in the right spot for a bit of flustering.  Normally I would ignore this, maybe even move myself away.  However, I was in a rather good mood thanks to my newly restored height, so I took the bait.  Nudging my finger a bit deeper into the small space where Erica sat, I smiled at the small, almost inaudible gasp that came from within my hands.  "Wh- What are you doing?" she asked, voice all high-pitched in embarrassment.  "Oh, just warming you up," I replied innocently, pressing a little further.  "Alexis," she giggled, "I'm the only one who does the flustering around here, missy.  Just you wai-"  

Her taunts were cut off by a gasp as I rubbed her breasts beneath the pad of my finger.  I felt her squirm in my hands again as I laughed.  "I'm sorry?  What was that last part?"  "You-  mmnn..  Alexis-  nnngg..  it's too early!" Erica complained between little moans of ecstasy as I continued along down her stomach.  I let my finger trail off just above her hips, before slowly opening my hands back up.

Fixing her tousled hair, Erica flipped me the bird while I chuckled in delight.  "I hate you," she said lovingly as I brought the blanket to the front of me and placed her down inside.  "I should've done more with you last night.  I had the perfect opportunity to show you the euphoria I feel when you do that to me, and I missed it."  "Not entirely," I replied, softly tracing her form the way she had last night.  Erica smiled, "Yeah, I guess it wasn't a total waste after all."

[classic-maya]

I really loved your view on when did Brian fall in love with Justin and I saw how happy you were about a qaf ask, so here I am:

when do you think britin reunited after the finale, specifically how long do you think they lived apart for AND how do you they reunited? (I couldn't bring myself to watch that episode because this is gonna break my heart) OR do you think they are not together?

I love this fandom and I love you. I’ve been wanting to write some more fic for them for a while and haven’t had the motivation, but this might spur me along.

In the meantime…I’ll start with the last episode and why I have an unpopular opinion about how it ended and then get into how I envision their reunion. 

Finale

I know there is a lot of hate for S5 finale, but I honestly love the “It’s only time” speech that Brian gives and it’s so so special to me. I feel like it is one of the most romantic lines in the show because in Brian Kinney-speak “It’s only time” is "I will always love you. I will love you just as much tomorrow as I love you today and the next day and the next and the next. I will die loving you. I will love you if you come back to me and I will love you if you never come back to me because time doesn't matter, you are the person I love and that will never change.” 

Not joking, QaF fundamentally altered my view on romantic love. I previously only thought that familial love could be unconditional, but it was such a believable representation of unconditional romantic love that it shifted my perspective. They both truly just want what is best for the other, even if that means they cannot physically be together or at times are not in a relationship. It took my breath away.

All that being said, I definitely do not think of their last scenes together in S5 as a break-up, maybe just a break. They needed to exist separately and apart from each other for a little bit. I think Brian is fairly conscious of their age gap and he never wants to hold Justin back from anything because of their relationship. We see him struggle with this throughout the series, remember him encouraging Justin to make some friends his own age, “Enjoy your youth…I sure have ;)” as well as his many attempts to get Justin to go to and finish college. Even when Justin was with Ethan, of course Brian was hurt because of the cheating, but he also didn’t hold it against Justin because he ultimately wants him to have everything he wants and desires and Brian recognized that he couldn’t give Justin that at the time (let’s Brian’s struggles with low self-esteem aside for the purpose of this conversation). On the other side, Justin loves Brian exactly how he is, and I think Brian’s sudden change of heart (i.e. declaring his love, proposing marriage, turning down opportunities to hook up with tricks etc.) scared Justin.

The two of them went through yet another extraordinary trauma with the attack on Babylon and I think the rush to get married was an extension of that, but I don’t know if either of them were actually ready for marriage. In the same way Brian is afraid Justin will wind up resenting him and their relationship if it were to keep Justin from reaching his full potential as an artist, I think Justin is afraid that if they do get married, Brian will later resent it because he was only caught up in the fear of once again losing the love of his life. But no matter what, something big did shift in a very real way for both of them and made Brian feel freer to express his love for Justin. Reunion

I think Justin moves to New York and has the exact experience he was looking for. He struggles for a bit and he hides it from Brian and his family because he wants to prove to himself that he can do it, that he can take care of himself and Brian lets him. He supports and loves his independence. I think they see each other frequently and are madly, passionately, exuberantly in love even though they live in different cities. I think Brian flies to New York every few weeks and Justin takes the bus to the Pitts every chance he gets.

The first time Brian visits, Justin picks him up from the airport and they can’t stand another moment not touching each other, so they don’t even make it home and end up having a quickie in the airport bathroom. Then Brian takes them to a hotel because he is not sleeping on Justin’s ratty second-hand mattress and letting his roommate hear them fuck their brains out for the next 48 hours.

Eventually, Justin’s art starts selling and he stops struggling. He makes a name for himself and is being flown across the country for different shows and speaking engagements. Meanwhile, Kinnetic becomes the top ad agency in Pennsylvania and begins to gain clients throughout the northeast and in New York to the extent that developing a satellite office in the city only makes sense. Brian moves to New York, not because he is following Justin, but because it has always been his dream. He sells Britin and swaps it for a penthouse in Manhattan that he puts in both their names. Justin moves in without either of them talking about it.

I see them getting married about 7 or 8 years after we last see them in the show, and this time it feels right. They go back to Pittsburgh and their chosen family, the gang and some new friends, are all there to celebrate them. I do not think they will ever choose to have a monogamous relationship. It is not what either of them want nor do they see it as a way to show their devotion to each other. Their non-monogamy looks a lot different than it did when they were younger though. They are both more intentional about the partners they choose and it’s more like the trick of the month vs the trick of the night (or even hour if you’re Brian Kinney). More often than not they wind up in threesomes or moresomes together rather than seeing someone separately. They allow the exchange of names and numbers because they feel more secure in their relationship with each other. The prohibition on kissing anyone else remains.

They don’t have kids together, but they both are in and out of Toronto with enough regularity that Gus sees them as de facto parents who helped his moms raise him. Gus often goes to New York to spend long weekends with them and in high school and college he will spend entire summers in New York with Brian and Justin.

They are the consummate New York power couple; they help each other’s business and are always attending each other’s events. They travel separately for work but always make time to leave the country and vacation together a few times a year. Eventually, they move from the penthouse to a beautiful Brooklyn brownstone and at some point, they (cover Brian’s ears) grow old together.

[kisilinramblings]

My top 5 of things I hope next ML seasons will explore

(In no particular order)

The Guardian Staff

Remember Furious Fu episode? I know people don't like Su Han but he did brought up a detail : Ladybug never received her Guardian Staff when she was made Guardian by Fu. It might not have been a necessary element for S4 and S5 thus why it wasn't on the burner, but that doesn't mean it has been forgotten. Just reserved for later.

(And yes, I am still hopeful that the Guardian Staff is destined to Chat Noir one way or another).

The New Permanent Holders

As we know, at the end of the S5 finale, Marinette distributed all the Miraculous among her peers who are now in charge of protecting their respective Miraculous and Kwami. However, while Ladybug has the most experience as an Holder alongside Chat Noir and has the knowledge of the Guardian, she is still fairly "new" in leading such a large group of people at the same time.

It was one thing when it was just her and Chat or when it was necessary for her to distribute the Miraculous herself for one mission at the time.

Now, we still have 15+ permanent Holders whose job isn't necessary well defined and who can potentially intervene all the time. (That includes Chat Noir but I will talk more in details in a separate point).

And Ladybug might have learned a lesson during Penalteam, but mastering being a leader to an entire team of several people is a whole other league.

For some, their role is already pretty clear. Argos will probably only involved himself if the conflict concerns Sentis matters. Bunnyx will be called upon only as a last resort. Rena Rouge has experience of being a permanent Holder and with Carapace, they are the most experienced Holders after LB and CN, I could see them take over some patrols or being delegated tasks or even a small team for side-missions. But even for them as well as all the other classmates Holders, this bring up the question will they be always there and if not, when and why they wouldn't show up?

I don't expect everyone to appear for every Akuma Battle, and I don't expect the show to do that either unless for the season finale, yet I still want to know the reasons why those new permanent Holders aren't helping. That is the challenge with suddenly getting such a large team.

So, I'm guessing a part of S6-S7 and S8 will have the Miraculous Holders figure who they want to be as individual and superheroes, further exploring what are their respective cause and value. To them, and to us. They did bring something like that with the new school model that will take place with the start of S6. So, I can see those two elements align narratively. Even with our main characters.

And just like Alya's values clashed with Marinette's during Rocketear, I am expecting that all those new heroes to each bring their own spice in challenging Ladybug in her perspective, opinions and bias.

Chat Noir's Fears

For real, Plagg, what if I ended up destroying everything around me? Without even meaning to. -- Adrien, in the Paris Special

Simple question, but how do you make a very powerful character not overpowered? One way is by adding a limitation in using their power. Be it physical... or psychological.

Superman restrains himself because he doesn't want to hurt people, including villains. Batman and his bat family don't kill. Same could applied to our heroes.

It is great that Ladybug and Chat Noir can use their power without having to transform back now. But unlocking the ability to use consecutively their superpower doesn't mean that the job becomes easier. In a way, it becomes harder. Especially for Adrien.

Due to the nature of his power, Adrien as Chat Noir has to have self-control, but during S5, his arc involved him starting to fear to lose control over his power.

Of course, I am not expecting the tone to become angsty. As a civilian, Adrien has now a more stable life. He will find new hobbies. He will explore and learn more about who he is and who he wants to be. Find out what he likes.

But Adrien also has the tendency to put a mask on and conceal things up in order to not bother others with his problems. But if he is ignoring or even repressing his fear of his own power and not getting help, that might bite him in the rear later on. The message from the broadcast in the last scene of S5 is very telling on what will be carried on next seasons: "If we don't listen to what our fears, sadness or anger are trying to tell us--". And that message was cut short. (More on that in the next point).

But more importantly, Chat Noir's absence during the battle against Monarch imo will affect him. It might turn him into overcompensating either out of guilt or because he was angry at his own powerlessness or both.

If he had been there, maybe Monarch wouldn't have been able to make the Wish.

If he had been there, maybe the Butterfly wouldn't have been lost.

If he had been there, maybe his father would still be alive (btw I'm expecting a lot of conflicting emotions about that last one).

If he hadn't been that powerlessness against his father, maybe the whole ordeal could've been avoided.

Basically, I expect Chat Noir to involve himself a lot more, finding distractions and outlets, while limiting how he uses his Cataclysm, unless triggered.

The Ladynoir Conflict

Let's be clear, Ladybug did take accountability for the way she treated Chat Noir during S4 and recognized it was a mistake to have rejected his help over and over before finally accepting his helping hand and rely on him for the course of S5.

And Chat Noir stayed and stood by her side against adversity (and also because he feels part responsible for what had happened to the Miraculous as well).

Until the S5 last battle against Monarch due to outside circumstances, that is.

Still, S5 ended where it started : on top of the Trocadero.

Visually, the parenthesis on the Monarch chapter is closed. It is now daylight instead of nighttime. The dark days are over. The Miraculous are back with the heroes instead of being in possession of the villain. Yet some things that has been put on hold for the greater good might resurface again.

As stated in the previous part, Maribug will continue to develop and refined her skills as a leader as well as what kind of leader she wants to be. She may now rely on Chat to second her (at least, I hope she does), but because she is the Guardian, she may again take again too much on her shoulders that what she could bear or have her mind too wrap-up in her own problems and duties, that she may forget to pay attention to her partner.

Judging how Adrien talked when he is forced to go to London, how he is blaming himself or underserving of Marinette's love (which is a parallel with how his father's blame himself for Émilie), his self-esteem is still not at the best level (thanks Gabriel). So there is still a lot of work to do and now, he technically has the safe space to do so.

However, add the fact he wasn't there to fight Monarch and that he believed his father died during that fight and you have some ingredients to cook with him next seasons.

I don't know if I'll ever manage to be like him.

The more I hear the line, the more I cannot help chase away this ominous feeling : what if he is saying "I don't know if I'll ever manage to be a hero like him".

As Chat Noir, over the 5 seasons, he had a bit to much the tendency to sacrifice himself for Ladybug. For him, this is a selfless and heroic act.

Even if Marinette tells to Adrien to focus on who he is instead, I'm theorizing that Adrichat thinks that being himself is not enough.

Adrien might be physically free from his father, but that doesn't mean that he is yet free from his father's ghost haunting him (in the narrative sense).

Adrichat did grow, both as a civilian and as superhero during S4 and S5, but Adrien still has to find out who is he and who he wants to be. Him questioning his purpose in a team has been brought during episodes such as Gamer (S1) and Kuro Neko (S4).

And when he stopped modeling, just look at the state of his room during this brief Jubilation scene :

(Side note, but they sure love depicting Adrien playing video games when his sense of self and worth is low).

And Adrien will probably holds to what bring him joy (Marinette) and might focus on that for a while. But he cannot avoid the underlying negative emotions he has nor hide them forever.

So how is that having anything to do with the LadyNoir conflict?

Well, I bring you back to the last scene S5 in Marinette's room again. Like I have mentionned in the previous point, the broadcast about what our emotions are telling us has been cut short. But another detail was that Marinette wasn't watching it. She was doing something else instead, not paying any attention to it, making it more a background noise.

Meaning that next seasons, Maribug will again be too focused on the problem she has to deal with (the new Butterfly Holder), that she will probably not notice again what is actually going on with her partner until it is too late. Like Kuro Neko. Or like with Kagami during Perfection.

Basically, the Ladynoir conflict is continuing and is evolving. On the surface level, things have been patched and new cracks and hiccups will also gets fixed, but the core of the issue remain and will continue to grow. That is my feeling.

The Secret™

S4 also involved a lot of secrets impacting Ladybug and Chat Noir's team which put their team at risk and got exposed one way or another. And now, for S6, Ladybug is still covering another secret. A bigger one. This time to a whole lot of people. She is keeping a secret to the whole city, to most of the team which I think might also include Chat Noir (London Special, I beg of you, GIMME ANSWERS), but also, more importantly, to Adrien, covering the truth to him out of all people.

We know that Alya, Su-Han and maybe Alix (we'll have more clear answer with the upcoming Special London) know that a Wish was made, but when I look at the ending scene of S5, in Marinette's room, I cannot help but think she wasn't telling the whole story. This is why I have my eyes on the Special.

Notice the pause she took after Su-Han asked her the question about the Butterfly Miraculous whereabouts? Notice how we cannot see her face nor that she is not looking at either Alya or Su-Han.

Did she really told them everything that has happened during that last battle to them or is she covering something to them too?

And the secret was one element of miscommunication and divide between Ladybug and Chat Noir during S4 (though the main factor was Ladybug refusing Chat Noir's help nor letting him assist her).

But with this new secret (or should I say secrets?), what will be the consequences this time? Will the new Butterfly Holder manage to use it to her advantage? What will be the impacts on Ladybug, Chat Noir and their team? How will the world react if the truth comes to light to them?

Honestly, I am not expecting anything out of S6. The upcoming special might explain some decisions before the season slowly sets the table with the ingredients simmering in the background (that is what the show writers love doing).

But I will bide my time. This secret is too huge. Something is bound to happen with it. And whether Ladybug knows it or not, she isn't the one in control and cannot protect Adrien forever.

[adobe-outdesign]

could you review some of the neopets as animals outfits, like the fennec kacheek, red panda vandagyre, and cockatiel pteri? (those are examples, choose whichever you like!) thank you <3

(Note: I included a random selection of outfits in this post, but feel free to send in asks if anyone wants to see a specific outfit I didn't cover.)

I'll be honest, I'm personally not super big on the "outfit that resembles a real-world animal" trend. First, I play Neopets for the cool fantasy creatures; even the most true-to-life Neopets species have some pretty fantastical colors. I feel like making pets just look exactly like actual animals kind of defeats the purpose of them being Neopets. I get why people would like it and I'm not saying it's bad; it's just not my thing.

Also, the other reason I'm not always big on these outfits is that a lot of Neopets have colours that already resemble real animal patterns. Not only do the outfits blur the colour/customization line quite a bit, but usually I like the colour ones much more, as they keep the actual design of the Neopets in place and just change the patterns and colors, rather than covering up the fun fantasy elements. This also helps them avoid the uncanny valley effect, which I talk about more below.

Also I might be over thinking this but who is making these outfits. None of these animals seem to exist in-universe as far as we're aware. what are the shopkeepers basing these off of. the colours at least have a magic as an excuse

Examples that I think are okay:

Feathery Pteri Outfit: This one's nice! I like the layered patterning on the wings and the high-contrast colors. Most, though, I like that this sticks fairly close to the actual pet, mostly just changing up the tail shape. This almost could've been a paintbrush colour, but then again what colour is up in the air.

(Side note: the eye clipping over the beak is a rendering issue? I think?)

Bouncing Zafara: This one definitely strays farther from the actual pet than the Pteri, but it's a fitting animal choice and it doesn't fall into the uncanny valley, which is all I care about. The body is still somewhat recognizable as a Zafara in terms of shape, and the Miamouse as the joey is super cute.

Freshwater Lenny: Kind of the same case as the Zafara; not super one-to-one with the actual pet, but it's still recognizable as a Lenny and isn't too uncanny. The legs are a particularly nice touch, actually changing the pose to look more heron-like (though they are also the part that strays dangerously into being too detailed).

Please don't:

Adorable Kacheek: Sorry to the fans of this one, but this outfit just resides deep within the uncanny valley to me—like it's a mascot suit instead of just a normal pet. The artstyle is way off from Neopets, looking much more Subeta-ish (except Subeta's art usually isn't so off putting). It's not a bad artstyle, mind you, it's just not very Neopets-ish. I also feel like a fennec fox was also a bad pick for this one, as it's basically unrecognizable as a Kacheek at all.

Feathered Eyrie: Speaking of the uncanny valley, this is another pet that lands squarely there due to having entirely too much detail in the shading and weirdly realistic fur textures. It also just doesn't look very good aesthetically—the beak doesn't fit the face, and the wings are an absolute trainwreck (not only is the perspective wrong, but the left wing is coming from the middle of its back!). On the plus side, you'd be hard pressed to not recognize this as an Eyrie, and it's a fantasy creature instead of a regular animal, so I guess that's something?

Furry Meerca: Hmm... no. This one also suffers from an overly-detailed artstyle and way too much realism, which is especially jarring when placed on top of the Meerca's heavily stylized body shape, resulting in a perfectly round animal with hyper-realistic animal eyes. It's also particularly bothersome because we already had a chipmunk Meerca design in the form of the striped Meerca colour, which is just this but less soul-haunting:

Which is what I meant at the beginning when I was talking about colours vs outfits. The colour is a Meerca that looks like a chipmunk; the outfit is a chipmunk that looks like a Meerca. Big difference.