#they're such dorks i can't get over their dynamic

[golden--doodler]

"Easy, come here."

"MILHOUSE, HOLD MEEEEEEE!!"

"There, there. There he is."

I just knew I had to draw Bart and Milhouse today, and I have @numberonetinabelcherdefender to thank for it, because they introduced me to this wonderful pairing in the first place. I also knew I wanted to draw a piece of them inspired by one of my favorite Boblin moments that I think about all the time:

[ID]: Digital fanart of Bart Simpson and Milhouse Van Houten from The Simpsons. Bart is wearing a red shirt and is seen from a side view, his mouth wide open. He looks distressed and it looks as if he's shouting. Bart also has spikes for hair with no visible hairline. Milhouse is seen from a regular view, with his arm outstretched and hand touching Bart's cheek. He's wearing a pink shirt and has round, dark red glasses. He also has a rather large nose and dark blue hair. He has a concerned expression on his face. An intricate kitchen background can be seen behind them.

[lady-of-the-puddle]

Hello hello, it is time once again for, you guessed it!

Rating Clu's

Homoerotically tense

Relationships

I thought long and hard about this because I only had about 2 in my head when I mistakenly threw it out there in another post but like, here you go 😎

Have a picture in case you forgot what cgi Jeff Bridges looks like:

Behold, a guy. Anyway

1. Kevin

He is the most obvious so I'll get this one out of the way

You are me and I am you but you are the darkest parts of me but I love you anyway

This begs the question:

Would you fuck your darker self/clone

Idk about u but my heart tells me that Kevin sure would

7/10 it's about the man vs self of it all

2. Jarvis (why is this photo so fuckin big??)

I know I said Kevin is the most obvious

But this guy has the biggest crush on Clu

He is simp supreme

Like the way he turns to Clu for approval after everything he says makes me feel like I should leave the room

He loses a point for being a dork coward but Sam's mascara is very pretty and he's also a Flynn so I can't blame him too much

9/10 go henchboy go

3. Rinzler

Fellas, is it gay to brainwash god's most specialest boyfriend and make him loyal to only you all while knowing god is still out there and can see what you've done to everything he loves? All while knowing he's nothing more than a pet and will never love you and wouldn't even if he could

Like talk about the ultimate rebound

No notes honestly, I don't even need to go on with this one

11/10 not even one girl(Quorra) could make this all seem a little less gay

4. Dyson

Another case of yoinking your exes boy but this time it was consensual

He literally just agrees with Clu and helped him take over

If that's not a basis for a strong relationship then idk what is

He really seems so desperate to stay in Clu's favor like he must know that tron is the real prize here, his bitter ex. Has there ever been so much dating drama between programs?

5/10 replaceable.

5. Sammy

It occurs to me now that he hasn't made it on these lists yet so everyone clap for him

I feel brave for even acknowledging this one

Is Clu his dad? Is he an entity separate but still containing qualities of his father at a certain point in time that forever diverged from the moment of conception? Idk he's a computer man

So like the part where he's just kinda circling Sam looking him up and down like he's a prized pig? Yeah.

CAUTION THIS IS A JOKE please for the love of Kevin don't cancel me over this

2/10 why the 2? Cause there's fics out there man I know it

6. Zuse

He's so babygirl

Clu even mixed him a drink before he blew him up

I love their dynamic I get the feeling if Clu had to spend more than 5 minutes around him he'd strangle him much sooner

Stoic asshole with the silly asshole

Honestly they're perfect for each other

10/10 what can I say? I'm a simple program I see two men interact and I rate them

Special mention:

7. Quorra

Now some of you might say, hey Puddle Girl, this isn't homoerotic at all she's a girl

Well they're programs so gender isn't real and also they're bi so it counts

Anyway I thought about this one cause there was this weird tense moment towards the end of the movie where Quorra is captured and Clu's just like, talking to her and touches her hair and it was uncomfortable but it also made me feel some type of way

Like I understand that it's 100% a power play BUT

😏

3/10 he was gonna add her to the boyfriend collection cause all he does is steal from Kevin

Hi in honor of my Tron themed birthday I finally finished this. I was really reaching for some of these as you can see but I can't take it too seriously anyway. I'm always here for the gay of it all but is it homoerotic or do they just need to put more people who aren't men in this franchise? We'll literally never know! 🙃

Hey @soihadthisdreamonce I'm sorry 5-10 business days turned into 5-10 business weeks I was moving and time got away from me but I didn't forget you

[isa-ghost]

Would go crazy over any q!phil hc's, but may I request some about phil's harem I mean qsmp server polycule?

OHOHOHOHO YOU'RE INDULGING MY STUPID SILLY HAREM. YESSS.

Previous qPhil Headcanons

SO ANYWAY. QPHIL AND HIS INNATE TALENT FOR PULLING BAD BITCHES ON ACCIDENT.

Reiterating initial mentions of this for context:

--He's married to the Goddess of Death (Kristin) and Missa (a reaper). He's also fuckbuddies with Fit (no one can look at their interactions & tell me there's no homo there) and Etoiles. Strictly fuckbuddies; Fit has something blooming with Pac, and Etoiles is aromantic. --Everyone who Knows(tm) about the polycule has turned calling it a harem into an inside joke they only reference when Phil either isn't around or isn't paying attention enough to be like WHAT. --In fact, it's unfolded into a sort of joke folklore around Phil made up by the islanders closest to him that he has this inexplicable charm to him that makes any man-attracted person weak in the knees. (Baghera totally started it. Cellbit, Foolish, & Fit perpetuated it & it spread from there) --All this fruity silliness in mind, I have no fucking clue what queer label I'd slap on Phil, if one at all. Part of me wants to claim him as pansexual bc I'm Pansexual So Therefore So Is My Cubito + the way he'd explain how he experiences romantic & sexual attraction is exactly what I described *my* exp as in high school and my friend was like "yeah that's pansexual." But I also feel like Phil's the kind of guy to purposely not define his sexuality & remain an enigma both as a "mind your business" & a "It's Funny To Not Elaborate" thing. (As of rn I'm rolling with "he's pansexual but in a font you've never seen before")

S O

Obv Mrs. Goddess of Death Kristin came first, she's been with him since long before Quesadilla Island. Strangely enough, she can't recall too much prior to the island just like Phil, but there's no way the Feds know she exists let alone know how to fuck up the memory of a deity. But yeah, she was his first & is his ONLY romantic dynamic within his weird polycule

She's an avid fan of Phil being his best unintentional whore self with them nice ass shoulders on display all the time and that accidental man magnet charm. Loves watching him pull bitches nonstop without even realizing. And loves watching him be a total fruity dork with his besties. She knows if Phil was forced to choose ONE person out of the polycule to be monogamous with forever, he'd pick her. She's not worried at all about his yaoi island adventures

Next came Fit. Hough, what a man. They WERE, until recently, strictly fwb. They fucked nasty behind that gym and I'll die on that hill. The way they talk to each other sometimes? Big boy?? FitMC people are watching?? They fucked behind that gym. Their fwb was called off as soon as Fit got serious with Pac though. Phil was totally chill with it & actively encouraged it. He loves seeing Fit so invested in the romance he's got blooming. They're still more than friends, not lovers, but a secret third thing, the sexual aspect was just removed from the equation. Truly the most QPR of the polycule

Then came Missa. Oh Missa. Their dynamic IS platonic like Phil has stated & restated countless times, but Missa has a (not yet brought to Phil's attention) massive romantic crush on him. He hasn't spoken up yet to keep their relationship from getting rocky at all. But tbh that prob won't happen. They're platonic in the Kiss The Homies way. So what if they make out sometimes and are husbands? So what if they go on adventures that could be considered dates by some? They aren't a romantic relationship, even if Missa secretly kinda wants to be.

And finally, aromantic king Etoiles joined the fray. He and Phil started out as friends and that has Barely changed if at all, but sparring matches get a little too homoerotic sometimes and neither of them can resist the other when they're popping off extra hard. Things have. Escalated a few times. If yknow what I mean. Of all Phil's harem members polycule partners, he & Etoiles have absolutely ZERO emotional investment in the Spicy(tm) things they do together. It's simply a very intimate way of showing each other their respect & admiration for the other. What they have going on is a "*spanks you* good game, let's hit the showers team" kinda deal. They're the type of mfs to finish in bed then shake hands like "gg." Casual sex is >>>> to these two, but it happens waaay less between them than it did Phil & Fit, Fitza was habitual. Codebreakers is a once in a while thing

Btw once Fitpac gets more stable together and whatnot, Fitza could potentially reignite with Pac's consent. That's the key to healthy poly, all parties are informed & consenting. Pac would be like. An honorary harem member. He & Phil would have absolutely 0 intimate relations, they're strictly friends in the most basic sense of the word. They just also fuck the same guy (& would totally talk about it together if alone)

Phil sometimes tries to gauge if Missa only likes men or if he likes women too. If he does, he's going to ask if he'd like to hear about his lord & savior, Big Woman(tm).

Etoiles has 100% asked Phil who fucks the best out of the polycule bc like everything else, it's a competition & he Must win, he Must have the best dick game. This amuses Phil very much

*incoherent but clearly passionate noises about how Phil hasn't done anything spicy with any of the polycule in a hot second because of Ender King Situation stress*

GOD he wants to open up to them about it so bad. Like yeah he did w Fit that one time but he didn't go into detail and hasn't said anything since and bc Phil is an idiot that feels guilty easily, he doesn't want to tell Fit more atm bc he doesn't want to dampen Fit's high spirits or take away his time with Pac

OK BUT CONSIDER: POLYCULE GROUP EFFORT TO GET THROUGH TO ENDER KING POSSESSED PHIL AND HELP HIM FIGHT OFF EK'S INFLUENCE. OUGH.

Phil attracted all four partners with his raw skill and talent btw. If you even care. Literally was just going about his business being himself and it bagged him three dudes in addition to the literal goddess he already had

Although his feelings are platonic, Phil is attracted to Missa because Missa is a) the other father of his children and b) such a genuine and sweet person. And funny, even if a lot of the times the reason he's funny is bc he's like 2 seconds from having a stroke over whatever shit he missed hitting the fan this time

Phil is attracted to Fit bc. Well. That's FitMC of 2b2t, baby. Raw skill and talent sees raw skill and talent. Fellow anarchist. Also muscles. And that razor sharp stare. Fit's just dreamy as hell ok, let a man drool a little

Phil is attracted to Etoiles the same way he's attracted to Fit, HOWEVER, the reasoning is different. Etoiles has raw skill and talent, but it's the way he wields it and demonstrates it that makes Phil wanna act up. Also Etoiles is fucking hilarious. Who can resist a good sense of humor? Those dramatics make Phil swoon

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 45 – FAKE RELATIONSHIP

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: 27dragons

27dragons writes some of my favorite Winteriron dynamics, period. Both Bucky's and Tony's voices are perfect, and they're such dorks in love that it makes my heart melt every time. Since I especially love their fake relationship fics, I decided to rec them here, but honestly, you should just check out their entire AO3 catalogue, everything on there is fantastic.

Here's some of their work that I think you should check out:

Freedom in These Bonds

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 18,314 Tags: A/B/O, Arranged Marriage, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting

Summary: Tony’s been accepted to M.I.T., which only admits a small percentage of omegas each year. He can’t wait to get there, to stretch his intellect and broaden his horizons. There’s only one small wrinkle: omega students have to be married.

Reasons why I love it: Aaaah, this one is so good! Bucky is such a green flag all around, and I was constantly awwwing throughout the whole bonding ceremony and everything that comes after. Plus, the smut is hot as hell. This fic is amazing, and you should definitely read it!

Brideprice

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 31,974 Tags: Post-Apocalyptic, Arranged Marriage, Canon-typical Violence

Summary: An event known only as the Sundering destroyed civilization as it had been known. Now, several hundred years later, humans have banded together in tribes that war over resources and scramble for ways to deal with the occasionally-deadly mutations that the Sundering left in its wake. The Avengers thought they would be the next victims of the Hydra tribe’s steady expansion and subjugation, but instead, Hydra approached them with an offer of alliance, including a bride for Tony, the Avengers’ second-in-command, to symbolize the union of the two tribes. But neither Tony’s bride nor the alliance turn out to be what the Avengers were hoping for.

Reasons why I love it: Aside from the fake marriage – which is superb in and of itself – I really love the worldbuilding in this one. All of the lore surrounding the Sundering is super intriguing, and the way that 27dragons plays with Marvel canon here is so much fun. It's really well-paced, and the characterizations are on point. I love this one, and I really hope you check it out for yourself!

Don't Be a Disaster (Be Mine)

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: T Words: 5,318 Tags: No Powers AU, Coming Out, Getting Together

Summary: Unexpectedly, Tony is alone for the holidays. He hates being alone, but surely his genius brain will come up with something. Bucky can deal with the stress of having lost his arm, or the stress of remaining in the closet with his family, but not both. And only one of those things is in his control. But coming out to them when he doesn't even have a boyfriend is nervewracking, to say the least. A chance meeting on the subway may solve both of their problems... and give them both a gift they weren't even looking for.

Reasons why I love it: Christmas with the Barnes' sounds so cozy! I love Tony's characterization here, Bucky absolutely stood no chance against his charms. And the way they meet is hilarious, I enjoyed every second of it. This fic is wonderful, and you should definitely read it!

Can't Talk (Like Real Adults)

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 30,264 Tags: Marriage Pact, No Powers AU, Idiots in Love

Summary: Bucky and Steve made a pact when they were young, that if they were both still single when they were thirty, they’d marry each other. Bucky could think of a lot of worse things than being married to his best friend. They already live together, the tax benefits would be pretty awesome, and he could stop worrying about growing old alone. That is, until he met Tony Stark. Yes, that Tony Stark. Rich, gorgeous, smart, fun, great in bed, and... actually interested in Bucky? Tony didn’t really do dating. It was too depressing to waste his time with borderline stalkers, fortune hunters, people just crossing off their bucket lists, and worse. He’d pretty much resigned himself to a lifetime of one-night stands. And then he met Bucky. Hot, nerdy, relaxed, and utterly nonchalant about the whole “Tony Stark” package in an extremely appealing way. There was just one problem: Bucky was engaged to someone else.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, this fic gave me everything I could ever want in a fic. They're both such fucking dumbasses – Bucky more so than Tony, but still – and I love every second of the drama. Also, the intimate scenes are just incredible, 27dragons and tisfan write these two idiots so well. Definitely check this one out, I bet you'll love it just as much as I do!

If Only in My Dreams

Pairing: Bucky/Tony Rating: E Words: 16,954 Tags: A/B/O, Mutual Pining, Christmas

Summary: Despite presenting late, Tony's father never had any doubt that Tony would follow in his footsteps and be an Alpha. So it is with more than mild dismay that Tony finally presents shortly before exams... as an Omega. Now he's got to go home for the holidays to fend off his parents' outdated notions, including his father's attempts to arrange a Bond for him. Bucky's had a crush on Tony since they first met, more than a year ago, but he keeps finding excuses not to express his interest. When Tony admits that he's looking for an Alpha to bring home to pretend to be courting him, Bucky volunteers before he can really think about what he's doing. But it's only for a few days. Everything will be fine.

Reasons why I love it: Oh man, I really feel Bucky in this one. If I saw anyone living in the kind of family dynamic Tony is living here, I'd want to take them far away too. Thank god for Ana and Jarvis! I love how Tony's relationship with Howard especially is explored here, and Bucky's reaction to everything is fantastic. Plus, the Winteriron Christmas fluff is so sweet, it makes up for all of the family angst. I love this one, and I bet you will too, so I hope you give it a shot!

[whoswels]

ive never considered welsdoc before id love to hear more

try considering and maybe join us , (( and by us I mean probably me. . . And maybe some other accounts that post about them . . ? but I doubt it LOL xd ))

Like any other ships, you'll have to spice it up by your own headcanons and such, but I just see them as two dorks who balance out each other. Wels, a calm and maybe collected guy— then we have Doc who's well, Doc. Xddd

///////

a lot of people paint Doc as this oh so evil scientist who pushes the world to its limits just to see what he could achieve, but deep down? he's just like any other player, and Wels can see that - see through the facade Doc made for others, which Doc in the end appriceates.

Of course, Wels is a bit sceptical about Docs shenanigans but eventually just grows into it. Heck! He'd even give a helping hand.

"wth" to "oh hellyeah"

///

Their dynamic can be so stretchy in the best ways, like they could be portrayed as oblivious loved struck bastards who are scared of confessing to each other due to the fact that they barely interact- or just the fear of rejection in general and itd be so SO painful for the other hermits to watch because its SOOO obvious that they're in love with each other and yet can't bring themselves to admit— AND ITD WORK FOR THEM ! (I mean, to other ships too but like just stay with me here) or they can be portrayed as just two men in love but jokingly refuses in front of others, kissing? nah, that's totally bromance!! giving each other over the top presents? idk bro still sounds like bromance. COUGHS you get it hehe,,

Basically, it can be the most tooth rotting fluff of a ship or maybe can be turned to the most angsty ship, Doc finds out Wels isn't as strong as him due to not being a hybrid of some sort, an accident happened while Doc was making something for Wels during their anniversary and Wels flying to his base expecting a lovely night; just to see his partner barely alive, Wels on the battlefield taking his last breath as memories of Doc flashes infront of him, Doc breaks down infront of Wels who doesn't know what to do which made things worse, Wels igniting Docs anger, yeah c: hehe

[crystalelemental]

Full tierlist is here, breakdown of the S-tier. As the youth say, these are my blorbos. The kids still say blorbo, right?

In all seriousness, this is going to be the longest part by far.  The major difference between A-tiers, who are largely some of my favorites you may have seen me talk about a lot, and the S-tiers here, is that S-tiers are so personally compelling they define my attachment to the series. I am going to talk A Lot.  So, reverse order, let's talk about S-tier.

Clair Crystal Lore: I am a younger cousin of a particularly talented older cousin.  I'm sure this immediately sets the stage for why I like Clair so much.  Having her try so hard to be stronger than the talented older cousin, and being Very Angry that she can't seem to be no matter what she does, resonated with me profoundly.  The very first fanfiction I wrote was as a roughly ten year old child, giving her the victory over Lance I felt she deserved, and nearly two decades later I recreated it in one of my personal favorite fics.  Clair just got me.

In terms of what she is within the series, Clair, like Whitney, exudes personality in a short window of time.  Uniquely, Clair refuses to give you a badge after you beat her, demanding you go through an additional trial.  Notably, this mimics modern games giving their pre-match trials that feel completely pointless, but instead of a time waster, Clair's actions define who she is.  She's a sore loser who cannot stand when others are recognized as being more capable than her.  She hates that Lance seems to be the favorite, she hates that the Elder doesn't recognize her, she hates that this random challenger can waltz in and beat her.  She's set to refuse accepting you passed the trial, until threatened with consequences of...telling Lance.  Which she considers a big enough deal to relent.  She hates that he's the favorite...but she does respect him.  It's an absolutely divine presentation of this kind of dynamic, for a hot-headed character seeking recognition, feeling like they're overshadowed.

The fun is that Clair, at least visually and in team composition, is highly distinct from Lance despite both being dragon tamers.  This is something HGSS loses a bit given evolutions and team expansions, but Clair is defined as someone aligned to the sea, while Lance is defined as someone aligned to the skies.  It's a common joke that Lance is secretly a Flying trainer, but that's by design.  He is master of the skies, high above the rest of the world.  And in contrast, Clair belongs to the seas, with an ace defined by its presence deep below the waves, and a typing that leaves its sole vulnerability as other Dragons.  Symbolically, this is an excellent presentation of how she perceives her relationship to Lance.  That sense of inferiority in comparison to him is, quite literally, her core weakness.

When I write Clair, I like to think a lot about what she'd be with age.  As the cools off, I imagine her to be more introspective and reflective, moving from the external comparison to the people she respects but feels she cannot measure up to, to comparison to her past self and where she's going in her own life.  This is undoubtedly projection, but Clair has always been a profoundly important character to me because of that personal connection.

Cynthia Perhaps my most normie opinion of the entire tier list: Cynthia is really cool actually.  I feel like there are not many people willing to argue this, save to be contrarian.  Which, mood, I'll get to that, but call it what it is.  Cynthia's an excellent design, and a notoriously difficult challenge that keeps her ranked as a favorite for most.  Yet at the same time, I am also part of the group that gets really frustrated with the general fan perception of Cynthia.  Part of that is...too much waifu-ing of a character who Does Not Look LIke That, but in equal measure, people tend to over-emphasize the coolness of Cynthia and ignore that she's kind of a massive dork.

What's presented in-game is honestly fascinating in comparison to her predecessors.  Consider previous champions.  Blue is the son of Professor Oak, the most esteemed researcher in the series.  Lance is the prodigy son of a prestigious line of dragon tamers.  Steven is the son of a powerful CEO of the foremost company in Hoenn.  By comparison, Cynthia is the granddaughter of the chief of a podunk village in the middle of bumfuck nowhere mountain.  Cynthia's rise is from relative obscurity, and what she does with this fame is...kinda wander around pursuing her personal interests.  She takes after Steven in this way, being a recurring presence in the player's adventure, but never really taking over the spotlight.

Much like Dawn, her personality is solidified by her contrast to Cyrus, who exists in opposition to human spirit, and more thematically, to emotion.  Like Volo and Cogita, her namesake can align to the "I think/wish/feel, therefore I am," with Cynthia being the "feel."  She is wholly emotional, driven by her internal whims and what captures her interest.  She's open and earnest, almost to a fault, being willing to address Cyrus' philosophical inquiries with "If you hate people so much, just go live by yourself, I don't care about your tantrum."  

Following her feelings is what leads to her arrival in Unova.  She literally spends half a year, every year given she's in both games, just hanging out at the beach with her girlfriend/wife Caitlin, and exploring ruins.  At no point is the question of whether whether she should spend so long away from her job important to her.  Cynthia travels when and where she wants, and more importantly, crashes at a "friend's" place while doing it.  Masters expands on this a bit, confirming that part of her reason is that Darach tidies up for her.  She's bad at housekeeping, tends to make a mess of everything, and she likes having someone help take care of it for her.  The illustrious Champion of Sinnoh cannot clean her room.  That's endearing to me.

Cynthia, for all her perceived polish, is a massive nerd and a domestic disaster, and that's fantastic.  I love a character that can present as effortlessly cool and a complete dweeb depending on circumstance.  The level of excitement and whimsy she expresses about legends and myths and her research, before she goes into Serious Battle Mode and stomps your shit in, is the sauce that makes her so appealing.  I don't think you can have a truly engaging Cynthia without both sides in play.

Geeta In very provable terms, Geeta is the least popular champion in the series.  People, broadly, Do Not Like Her.  Part of this is comparative.  In a game that introduced a ton of strong and present personalities, Geeta does fail to stand out, being more downplayed and seemingly all business polish.  When you're surrounded by lunatics, being the "normal" one is less appealing (see my stance on Larry).  Part of this is fan response to the concept of having a boss, actively vilifying her for incredibly benign actions, and making absolutely wild assumptions about her leadership style and capabilities based on incomplete information.  I'm not beating around the bush on this one, I think people are overtly hostile to Geeta for no reason, and it's become a self-reinforcing stance in fandom as people flock to the general consensus.  And me?  I am many things.  A massive hater, deeply biased by aesthetics, possibly too old to write this many words about a children's series for children.  But the very core of my being, is being contrarian.  And damn if her spot here isn't everyone else's fault.

Let's address the former issue.  Geeta, in presentation, comes off very down-played, being the polished and calm business woman who, by appearance, exudes too little to stand out.  This is facade.  Just like Larry, Geeta self-identifies as fairly normal, but is possibly the least hinged of any particular group.  When Penny hacks into the League system and embezzles tens of thousands of dollars in funds, her response is "That's awesome.  Buff up our security system and we won't tell the feds."  I have seen people spin this to "Geeta is blackmailing Penny," in case we want to keep counting of meaningless vilification attempts. Geeta is lackadaisical about rules and, apparently, legality.  When you go into Area Zero without permission, it's Rika that snaps at you about breaking rules.  Geeta thinks it's fine, and is giving special permission to people outside her institution to explore.

Her battle also highlights a lot of how she is as a person.  Like okay, I'm assuming everyone landed critical hits, or had her get a lucky shot in, right?  If you didn't, the short is that Geeta comments on everything, but it comes across as wildly condescending.  "Surely this isn't enough to deter you," "Yes, that's the correct move in this situation."  She seems really smug, but the thing is...she's being genuine.  She's clapping for you, smiling the same way she always does.  She does think you're doing a good job and is trying to be encouraging, and is so so bad at it.  I think there's a reason she considers Nemona her sort of successor; she likely sees a lot of herself in Nemona's complete lack of social grace.  She is singularly driven to make Paldea's league exceptional, and despite her efforts to be encouraging and enthusiastic, comes across as condescending or insincere, and I don't read that as intentional from her at all.  Despite claims that they were obviously setting up Villain Geeta, she's been on the level the whole time.  She's just awkward, guys.

When I write her, this is what I like to lean into.  She is deeply awkward, and has no idea what she's supposed to be doing outside of her job.  She runs two organizations, and has zero known personal hobbies.  In many ways, she's a foil to Larry.  Larry doesn't like his position, but as a means to an end, has thrown his entire life into work in hopes of an early escape, with nothing to fall back on.  Geeta knows nothing but her work, and is likely to die at her desk.  She knows what she likes, but doesn't know how to act outside of that, and it rubs people wildly the wrong way.

Which leads to the second issue.  Fan perception of her is starkly negative, and this personal friction leads to assessments of her abilities that are wildly critical given that we don't know what she stepped into.  Consider Paldea as a whole.  This is the only region where we have a legitimate, fully funded Academy for research.  Trainer Schools in other regions are exclusively for battling, but Paldea, uniquely, has Pokemon Biology, Home Ec, Mathematics, as if any ten year old needs to know that shit when you have dinosaurs that are your friend.  No other region provides such a robust set of studies for future career paths.  Paldea's League, then, is in direct competition with all of these other fields of study, in a way other regions are not.  Of course there's not as much money behind it, it has significant competition.

Despite this, people will assert that it is Geeta's poor management that results in Gym Leaders taking a second job, when...Unova.  Unova also has Gym Leaders take on secondary, more lucrative positions, and no one criticizes Alder's management skills.  If anything, Geeta is keenly aware of the fact the League doesn't pay well, but still expects her Leaders to at least care about their job.  Notably, no one gets fired.  The Leaders remain despite the performance review, and despite many showing outright apathy about the position.  Moreover, while it's not necessarily her doing (though I assume it is), the LP system subsidizes pay.  This one gets her a lot of flak too, calling LP a form of company scrip (Vilification Count: 2), but last I checked, company scrip cannot be used at your local independent hot dog stand, with a 1:1 ratio for actual cash.  If anything it's the polar opposite; lacking in direct funding to pay better, a system was implemented in which League members, in addition to their actual wages, receive LP that operates, somehow, at a 1:1 value with proper currency.  This is both a brilliant move to incentivize people to take the positions, and an outright miracle of bureaucracy that she got nearly every organization in the country to agree to it.

I can go on about her battle being badmouthed as poor design, and how that's really just game design failing an otherwise competent team, but I've done that before and I don't want to spend forever one one character.  My point is, Geeta is the closest I come to "Everyone else is interpreting this character wrong."  Geeta is absolutely fascinating to me.  She wants so badly to make the League as grand as any other, and in the face of massive competition that puts them in a less favorable position, has largely risen to the occasion.  She's not perfect.  She makes Katy hold back so challengers experience early success, which is behaviorally sound for competitors, but unsatisfying to her employee.  She's not infallible.

But she cares deeply for her people, and wants the best for them.  That's why she doesn't just ignore Penny's actions, she offers her a job putting her known skills to positive use and guiding a career.  That's why she "forces" Larry to use Flying types; she's aware he's in a rut and doesn't love what he does, and is nudging him to expand his interests and horizons.  That's why she has Nemona sit out of the Academy Ace Tournament; difficult as it is for her, Nemona is gearing up to take her place as Top Champion, and needs practice organizing the event rather than being its top competitor.  People don't really like her for it.  Again, social graces are nonexistent, and her sense of what's right to do isn't always what people want.  But there's a reason those performance reviews end with everyone showing renewed interest and investment in their positions.  Contrary to popular belief, Geeta knows what she's doing, and is damned good at it.

Valerie Aesthetically perfect, I adore Valerie's design.  What pushed her over the edge is a particular bit of dialogue from someone in the hotels who talks about various characters.  He tells you that "Miss Valerie"  is actually from Johto.  Her fashion is largely centered on Johto fashion, but she came to Kalos for reasons we don't really know.  Which should get the brain juices flowing.  For me, the connection was obvious: from Johto, kimono-based attire, mains an Eeveelution.  That is a Kimono Girl.  Formerly, at least, but that is a Kimono Girl, you cannot convince me otherwise.

So then Masters jumps in, produces the Silver and Ho-oh event where she knows all about Ho-oh...only for them to have her say "Sorry, I'm not, I just know a lot about it."  Which...okay.  I'm choosing to interpret that as strictly literal.  She is not, in this iteration, a Kimono Girl.  But either she was and is no longer, or wanted to be.  This is fan speculation in spades at this point, but that's half the fun, right?

In the former case, it's...kind of whatever.  It implies that she got bored or something, but the conclusion is she left of her own accord.  Perhaps to pursue fashion, who knows.  But I find these conclusions relatively boring.  They don't really lead you anywhere.  The latter case, however, has implications.  Did she want to become one but couldn't?  Why couldn't she?  Did she fail out?  That seems unlikely, given her knowledge of relevant Johto mythology and working understanding of Johto fashion.  Was she not allowed to become one?  Why not?  Is the position something you're born into, and despite how much she admired them, she just couldn't follow those footsteps?  Or was something else in play?  I have an answer, but I'm literally in process writing a fic with my answer and don't want to spoil that, so look forward to it, shameless plug.

My point is that, very succinctly, Valerie is the kind of character who is sprinkled with just enough connected dots that you can really run wild with speculation about what her deal is.  And her deal becomes exponentially more fascinating when she talks about wanting to literally become a Pokemon, Mystery Dungeon style.  Valerie, what in god's name does that mean?  Like you want to look like one?  Your clothes do weight thirty-three pounds, apparently, so dedication to the need for fairy wings.  Or do you want to physically metamorphose into a fairy?  Do you assume that's possible based on the forbidden Sinnoh deeplore we're all now privy to?  How do you expect to...actually, talk to Opal, she may know a thing or two.

Valerie just winds up being a favorite off of aesthetic preference, and finding her really interesting to speculate about. I can safely say she's probably the "shallow" favorite of the seven, but there's a reason she's #4. I think there's a lot of enjoyment to be had with speculation about a character, where canon doesn't answer too much for you but gives just enough to really get you thinking about it. Also I think all gym leaders should be completely unhinged, my biggest criticism of Galar is that everyone's kinda downplayed, and Valerie is one of the least hinged characters we get in the series. I love her dearly.

Roxanne I have a strong affinity for the straight-laced, serious, studious types.  Needless to say, Roxanne is so in this category that, when I first played Sapphire, Roxanne was my favorite instantly.  There is a cute bookworm girl who is really into cool rocks?  I like cool rocks!  Attachment established.

The core of "cute nerd who is deeply fixated on her interest" is the appeal.  Roxanne is an absolute treasure, being deeply invested in rocks because she is a lover of history, and rocks (specifically, fossils and such) tell a story about the ancient past.  She'd get along well with Cynthia, is all I'm saying.  But within her own region, she has the closest connection to Steven, her Rock Pal, who she talks with endlessly about different rocks and stones.  What's fun is the contrast.  Steven's appeal to rocks seems to be that he finds them pretty and likes the rare ones.  He's the equivalent of a card collector who likes showing off the shiny reverse holo foil he pulled.  Roxanne, however, is about story.  She actually knows how to play the game and maybe this common isn't flashy and impressive, but she loves the tricks it can pull and thinks the art really captures the story they're telling through the flavor text.

There's also her teacher/tutor angle, depending on perceived age (recently leaked documents state 14, though your stance on unreleased internal documents that have very evidently changed is up to you).  Roxanne knows a lot, but is also someone who wants to share that knowledge with others.  She seems to like working with kids, doing so voluntarily and, presumably, does a good job.  Her younger gym trainers all seem to look up to her, anyway.  She is admired for her skills and knowledge, if nothing else.

Fan perception, but it's her social relationships I think bear examination.  She has Steven, who...we never see directly interact with her in the series proper.  And she allegedly has Brawly, who she interacted with in the demo of ORAS but again, never in series.  She just mentions getting your number from him, so we know they're in communication, but nothing else.  And the thing is, while she is admired for being the top of the class student, that tends to come with some social distance, as she may seem more unapproachable.  Add in a tendency to start monologuing in really technical detail about her specific area of interest that not many others are going to reciprocate, and you have a good recipe for a character who is, at some level, rather isolated.  There's a reason that, even within Masters, her only close associations seem to be other Rock-type trainers, who share her fervor for rocks.

Masters added dialogue about how she always wanted to train a Golem specifically.  This feels like a minor detail, but (1) Geodude is fairly common, so this isn't particularly unreasonable for most people, except that (2) it's a trade evolution.  To make that, specifically, your distant goal that you're hoping to one day achieve implies that...you don't have someone to trade with.  You're easily talented enough to train up to a Graveller.  But Golem?  That requires something that goes a step outside of your knowledge. Which is the premise of another fic I wrote, are you sensing a pattern?

Despite this, Roxanne never really seems lonely or sad, or even all that concerned about it.  She's the type to be perfectly fine with a small, close circle of friends she gets along with.  And it's not that she can't adapt to other areas of interest, she teaches for god's sake.  But she knows what she likes and stays true to that, pulling just enough competence to interface well with anyone she needs to.

Roxanne, similar to Clair, hits at a very personal level, even if some of that is due to strictly personal interpretation. While I will often bemoan fandom tendency to big up random characters that are canonically blank slates, I do at least understand the personal connection to a character based on what you've perceptually built of them. Roxanne is, in many ways, that kind of character to me.

Jasmine I am a slut for Johto.  By region, it is my favorite, it's a nostalgia thing, it is part of my soul, it will never leave me.  In particular, I attached very strongly to Olivine, a city near the sea.  While not quite the same thing, I spent a lot of my younger days near the water, and feel a profound connection to it.  Olivine felt deeply like home to me because of that.  If I were going to have my own Pokesona, which is definitely not a thing I did as a child, they'd live in Olivine.  And naturally, this meant there was connection with Jasmine.

Aesthetically, Jasmine is another that just clicks with me.  Incredibly cute design, backed by an ace that is a giant metallic snake monster.  You have no idea how much I love that Masters kept this going by giving her Celesteela.  Jasmine's just a fun and eye-catching look, especially with the HGSS redesign.

Her personality is best encapsulated in her intro.  "I use the - Clang! - Steel type!  ...do you know about Steel type?  They are very cold, sharp, and really strong.  Um...I'm not lying."  First note: Jasmine describes her type in very tactile terms.  She is someone who thrives on the sensory, and appreciates the qualities of cold, sharp, and the noise they make, with her "Clang!" in Masters' sync moves being interpretable as a vocal stim at this point.  Second note: she introduces herself and her type, and then the script falls apart, so she just starts talking about her favorite type. There's even a delay before she starts talking again, implying a bit of silence as nothing happens.  Third: following that, there's another pause, where she tries to fill the silence and what she comes up with is an incredibly awkward "I'm not lying" before giving up and just starting the fight.  Our girl is incredibly awkward, and I adore her.  Because despite this, she tries to break out of that mold.

Jasmine is very mild-mannered and soft-spoken, often apologetic and uncertain, but she tries.  Jasmine is constantly pushing herself to move out of her comfort zone.  She's one of few characters who actively travels to another region.  We find her in Sinnoh, where she's taken up Contests as well, which I always interpreted her as being particularly invested in personal experiences.  Yet where we find her is Sunyshore.  By the sea.  It's comforting to her.  It reminds her of home.  What the game shows us is a young girl who is deeply socially anxious, trying her best to push herself to get out there. She's doing it scared, but by god, she is doing it.

We also get more of her general life, given the little mini events in HGSS.  We get to know that Jasmine is a huge eater despite her slender frame (girl, same), and we get to see her talk to Erika, who she cannot socially keep up with.  Erika has her flustered in like fifteen seconds flat.  And god bless Masters, because when Jasmine talks about Erika, it is in absolutely gushing praise with literal hearts bursting over her, transitioning immediately into blushes and insistence you never tell Erika because that's really embarrassing.  Girl is down bad for the girl who...kinda teases her for giggles.  That's her best friend/girl crush.  I'm not even theorizing, Masters has basically canonized that.

Jasmine is just an entire mood, being socially withdrawn but trying to branch out, awkward but trying so hard to engage with people, pushes herself to do all the things she desperately wants to experience, and finds comfort in the ocean and her preferred sensory input.  She feels like one of the most fleshed out characters in very little time on screen, and unlike many who get development, hers is less about grand sweeping character arcs, and more about her day to day.  It's about knowing the kind of person she is. I find her deeply relatable, and delightfully charming.

Caitlin Among the many archetypes that capture my interest immediately, there is no more powerful category than "Has very strong emotions, does not understand them at all."  When you combine this with a wealthy lady who barks orders, I stand literally no chance.  Getting to know about EVs and competitive stuff was the worst thing to ever happen to me, but it did mean I challenged the Platinum Frontier, and I cannot begin to tell you what Caitlin did to me at that age.  Seeing her come back in BW1, now a member of the Elite Four using my favorite type in Psychic, was an instant kill.  No one did it like Caitlin.

Of course, this is the initial hook that would eventually drag me directly into gacha hell once again.  Seriously, I picked up Masters specifically because I wanted to play as Caitlin.  What drew me to her was the background they go in to.

See, Psychic, as a type, is often associated not with thought, but with feeling.  With empathy.  Sabrina initially asserts that everyone has some Psychic power, they just don't realize it, with the implicit lesson being that your ability to connect with others and to feel things out is a form of psychic power.  Tate and Liza show similar given their coordination tactics.  Caitlin is the next evolution of that, taking the concept of "Psychic powers as emotional strength" to a different conclusion.  Specifically, what happens when you can't control it?

In Platinum, Caitlin is forbidden from battling.  They don't really go in depth about why, just that she can't, so Darach does it for her.  When we meet in Unova, the answer is explained: "the force of my emotions shook me greatly.  When my power awoke, I came close to destroying everything around me."  She's even clear about what the emotion was, talking about how she's never beaten Cynthia, and would explode with rage.  She doesn't handle losing well, and has eruptive psychic power that make it actively dangerous for her to get mad.

Caitlin is someone with anger issues, whose understanding of elegance and poise is to just not do that at all.  Just don't get mad.  She even refers to that time as her "weak self," as if trying to distance from that part of her.  But while battling, when you get to her last Pokemon, she says she needs to stay cool and collected no matter what, as if talking herself through it.  And in her villa, she'll talk about how she thinks it's better to just have no psychic power at all, than power you can't control.  Using the "Psychic powers as channeling feeling," she's someone who thinks it's better to feel nothing than to feel out of control. There's a reason I think she and Cyrus would have stuff to talk about.

By BW2, Caitlin has dropped the "weak self" and no longer talks herself through things while on the verge of losing, instead presenting as much calmer and even enjoying the match. But that personal philosophy stays.  She pursues this notion of an ideal, elegant self, but that self is one completely divorced from the things she is feeling. And it's only through experience confronting those emotions and working through them that she actually starts to properly adapt.

Specifically, losing to Cynthia got her used to it, and helped her learn to calm down.  In her position as Elite Four, losing to the protagonists (and likely Iris) further built familiarity.  She keeps it in check now.  It's delightfully powerful, and resonates very strongly on a personal level.  As someone who has also had difficulty controlling frustration and anger, and also internalized shame over it to the point you think the only thing to expect is Never Get Mad, Caitlin lands extremely hard.

Coincidentally, this is also part of why Caitlin/Cynthia is my big pairing.  Cynthia, canonically, is part of what got Caitlin to where she is.  Their battles taught Caitlin to accept loss, and Cynthia's continued presence with her through explosive outbursts shows a level of trust and care that is, frankly, rare in the series.  Friendship is a huge thematic point of Pokemon, but in many cases it's interest in similar things, or that sort of kid friendship where you both are playing in the same sandbox and therefore are friends right now.  Caitlin and Cynthia have this incredibly fascinating backstory of a girl who could not control her power, and a girl who stuck with her until she could.  Even if you're weirded out about age gap or just don't like the ship, there's something uniquely powerful to their dynamic I don't think you can get anywhere else in the series.

Caitlin is just the most personal connection I have ever gotten out of a Pokemon character.  She is the ideal aesthetic, she mains the best type, she's a powerful temper doing her best to be composed, grappling with internalized shame and a desire to be rid of those feeling entirely, but makes her way through to better control it without suppressing who she is.  It's like I said, absolutely no one did it like Caitlin.

Shameless Self-Promotion If you read through all 39 of those paragraphs, maybe you would like to read 39 other paragraphs of fanfiction?  If so inclined, here's the link to my AO3 account, where I have written:

Several Caitlin/Cynthia fics, and some Caitlin-specific fics

Geeta-positive propaganda

General-rated Volo fic, which one comment tells me is super rare

WataOshi fic, but not a pairing anyone cares about

That one Little Goody Two Shoes fic

Among others. I also cross-post each fic under this tag on Tumblr, with some commentary if you're into that sort of thing. I've been working on new projects that should hopefully start going live by the end of the week too. I'm hoping to have one or two up tonight, we'll see.

[self-indulgent-paw-patrol]

Ask game for Skye?

Aw yes our beloved tiny Cockapoo XD

My first impression - Why is there only one female pup and why is she so much smaller than the boys-- Is she a Cocker Spaniel?? Could've been a bit bigger...

My impression now - "Thank you Mighty Movie for giving her some lore and anything at all other than what little the show gives us"

Favorite thing about that character - She's one of the only three characters who are girls in PINK that I think the color actually fits them really well, instead of just color coding girls with pink just because. She DOES look good in it, it fits with her actions and general behavior, just as well as all pink/violet shades she wears with other colors for highlights. It may sound of not much importance, but pink is a strong color, not a "feminine" color. It shouldn't ever be "lowly/lazily coded" for girls just because girls, it can and should be used by anyone, as long as they get it. Don't see pink as "feminine/gay" color, see it as "lighter red, passion, fire, love, care, nurturing, protecting". Someone who takes others under their wings and care for them, protect them, fight for them. Skye is persistent, she cares, she's passionate, she's always giving it her all and some more. She deserves the pink color.

Least favorite thing - Being the only girl in the main team when there's a demand for female rep makes it so she's exhaustively OVERUSED to the extent of shading out other pups who would be more suited for certain kinds of rescues, kicking them out of the scene only for being males and their need for showing more girl power. I've been missing Everest showing up more times, heck she lives just close to them, it's closer than Liberty, at least they wouldn't need to overuse Skye so ridiculously much...

Favorite line/scene - This scene lives rent free in my mind

Favorite interaction that character has with another - That moment in the first movie when she went to pick Chase from the rooftop and bring him back down to ground level. I think she could understand he was panicking and made sure he would hear her voice, state her intention and next moves "I'm coming to get you" so he wouldn't be caught by surprise, she asked what happened, made sure he would know people were safe now and he could let go and go with her, she was a total darling there. 10/10 emotional support pup.

A character that I wish that character would interact with more - Chase and Liberty. First I miss Skye and Chase being absolute dorks together, second I loved Skye's dynamic with Liberty in the Mighty Movie, with the two often talking and throwing shade at others or being generally sarcastic to make each other laugh

Another character from another fandom that reminds me of that character - Uran, from Tetsuwan Atom, specifically the 2003 anime version - you might know her as Zoran, Astro Boy. But the American dub for that anime literally changed EVERYTHING to the point if you watch the anime dubbed and subbed, you feel it's two entirely different stories. "Zoran" was nothing like "Uran", they managed to change and reshape her personality in such a way they're literally two completely different characters, so I'll be precise and say I'm talking specifically about the Japanese Uran character, not the dubbed Zoran character.

A headcanon about that character - The show gave me nothing to develop ideas about her, sadly. So I don't have any interesting headcanons to go about- just that I believe she loves strawberry bubblegum scented shampoo lol

A song that reminds of that character - "Defying Gravity"

An unpopular opinion about that character - I prefer her movie verse over the show verse. I can't feel a "personality" in the show... She's cool, but if it wasn't for the movie, I feel like we wouldn't ever have anything to work about her at all?? She's just-- always happy, likes to play Pup Pup Boogie, flies her 'copter, is afraid of eagles. Isn't it weird that I just listed four things about her and still feel like I don't have much to work with her at all??? The only friend I know who has her as his favorite pup told me it's because she's the flight rescue pup - he's hyperfixated on aircrafts. It's not for who she is, only for her being the one to fly 'copters/jets. It could be ANY pup instead of her. That's just freaking SAD. The Mighty Movie wasn't perfect but at least it gave her SOMETHING ELSE if you get what I mean now.

Favorite picture - I didn't get there in the show yet but this is my favorite outfit of hers already, hands down. She looks hella cool.

[pempeeeperem]

Wow Finn is so down bad he wants to be Sylvia’s side chick he really has it that bad

He does!

I know we talked about this before, but man he's fallen hard. Fast and hard. It just proves to me again that there was curiosity from his side even during their rival phase. Sylvia was busy dealing with his crap, but he was busy checking her out. "Try to scare her into backing out" yeah sure! Sure!

He's so nervous when he's confessing. Have you seen the dev's wip of his gestures? He's all over the place, doesn't know what to do with his big hands except that he wants to hold hers. And that pointing at himself? Priceless. What a dork.

And more so when Sylvia reciprocates. Suddenly he goes still and speechless. He grabs his chest - did his heart skip a beat? Did it go into overdrive? He's so surprised.

Also this here?

His "deepest unconscious desires"? Funny that you mention that, it almost sounds like Sylvia was one of those. Someone who uplifts him, challenges him and ultimately compliments him. It took me many days to realise their hair colours are opposites of another just like their living environments are opposites just like their general characters are opposites just like-

He gets so serious when it comes to Sylvia, must be those predator instincts. He sees something he likes? He's gotta get his teeth in.

I love their dynamic, you can spin in into so many directions. They could have a fast and intense romance, that may or may not last. They could have a tragedy with Finn's feelings remaining unrequited but him being unable to let go or Finn scaring Sylvia with his intensity. They could have a hot and cold rivalry that turns into a love-hate relationship. They're so flirty with each other, I can't see them not having steamy moments (especially Finn gosh! His remarks!), but Finn's very cute too in his hangout scenes.

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/5/2024: INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)

I'm sorry, but this movie fucking sucks. I hadn't seen it in decades and I thought it was probably "OK"; I devoured the books as a kid and I didn't remember hating the film, but I should have realized that it was a red flag that I didn't love it. I have now discovered that it's bad enough that it failed to thrill me when I was a morose little horror dork who was really the target audience, and as an adult I can hardly stand it.

Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater, dressed up as Art Spiegelman for some reason) interviews for-realsies vampire Louis (Brad Pitt, still looking like he spends a lot of time in the sun) about life with his master Lestat (Tom Cruise, who knows why) and their eternally-childlike daughter Claudia (poor li'l Kirsten Dunst). Suddenly I feel like I don't know what to say about this, as I'm writing, even though I enjoyed the book and also the superior-in-every-single-way TV show. You know. Louis is really sad about being a monster. Lestat is really happy about being a monster. Claudia is really mad about being a monster. They have interpersonal problems. Later they meet some other vampires, and have interpersonal problems with them. At the end Louis is angry with Daniel for not getting the point, but maybe neither did I.

To some degree the problems of the movie are the problems of the book, but on the page they're basically forgivable for various reasons. I'm probably not going to refresh my memory, but as I recall Anne Rise has a way of really drawing you into her world, which is so literally-sensational that it makes up for her boy-crazy humorlessness. Everybody basically has one characteristic, outlined above, but the visceral pleasure of the prose takes over--and to be totally fair, it was novel at the time. It was the vampire story we had all been waiting to hear. (Ok, so the book is from 1978 but it still felt fresh in 1994) But when you port all that to the screen and leave the telling to these actors who are almost universally miscast, it all just lies there, dead.

I thought my hesitation about rewatching this was related to my petty aversion to Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise specifically. I really don't enjoy either of them in general, and I also felt like they were profoundly wrong for the roles; neither of them could be less goth, less tortured, less otherworldly. It feels criminal to fill these classic queer outsider roles with alpha males who seem like they would have beaten up your weird gay friends in high school, and their performances are not remotely good enough to make up for this impression. Kirsten Dunst is perfectly awful but like...you just can't have a 12 year old playing a person who is any older than 12. It cannot work. It's not her fault, it's just a bad idea.

The only guy who is any good at all in this is Stephen Rea, a staple of director Neil Jordan's films, who I almost didn't even recognize because his Santiago is so uncanny and dynamic and fun despite having very little to do. I love the way his look references LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, it made me wonder how much more could have been done by subtly comparing Rice's vampires with their cultural predecessors. Rea lights up every scene he's in because he's so mischievous and unpredictable, and he's also almost the only person with any standout stunts--which helps me segue into the other main gripe I had with this movie, that it is incredibly stiff and static. It's like a prison. Everyone is totally weighed down by their giant ridiculous wigs and seven layer costumes, so even though the movie is supposed to be all sensual and shit, it's like nobody can even move.

Dealing with INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE is making me realize that I'm not quite sure what I think about Neil Jordan. I have this kneejerk reaction that he is Great because THE CRYING GAME is such an institution, and MONA LISA is real good too, but I might have found all of his other movies kind of humorless and stiff and like, beautiful but not altogether meaningful. I really struggle with THE COMPANY OF WOLVES because of its terrific FX and handful of fun scenes, but there is something about it that fails to connect with me. Sometimes it's overly pretentious, I mean paralleling a maiden's coming of age with the blood on the white roses is like...pretty gross, dude. But overall there is something about it that just lacks substance, despite its relentless and oppressive Symbolism. It seems like this problem should have been smoothed out for INTERVIEW since it was shot from Anne Rice's own script, but according to me, it really does not work out.

[just-jae]

Hazbin Hoetl 5-6

Spoiler warning!

Not gonna lie, at first I was cringing a bit at Lucifer. I was expecting him the have, like, grace and baddie energy. but he's talking to himself pretending to show off rubber ducks to a crowd.

And of all the potential dynamics he and Al could have had, competing father figures was NOT on my mind at all dude. Al? Dad?

But, I watched these last two episodes a couple (okay maybe several) times over and, it's really growing on me. It was definitely the predeveloped impressions getting in the way of really enjoying these characters. Even the irks I had about Alastor aren't really irks anymore, especially with "Dad beat Dad having much better animation and a banger number for Al (seriously wtf he's horrific in this episode)--

"Could you butt out of my song?"

"Your song? I started this!"

"I'm singing it, I'll finish it!"

Before, I was seeing it as how well they pull off my (and arguably the long simmering fandom's) idea of these characters instead of how well the characters as they actually are are told. So many people thought this show would be a super serious deep dive on Christianity and commentary on religion itself. But at this point, it really feels like Heavan and Hell are metaphores. They focus a lot more on personal issues like relationships, coping mechanisms, flaws like nievety, displaced senses of self worth, etc.

Charlie's idea of what "gets people into heaven" is naive and brochure-like. Adam gave a literal list of three items that seemed overly simplistic (and turned out to be wrong).

But at least they had some idea about it. The higher angels themselves had no clue whatsoever, their only concern was preserving the status quo. And even when things are called to question they fall back to old ways just bc they're scared to change anything. Sera didn't have any malice toward Hell, she just doesn't want to make things worse, having Angels fall, have Hell attack Earth or Heaven, have more evil spread, by changing things.

Getting a better idea of what all of this is about makes it so much easier to appreciate things I initially was put off by. It just has a context that it fits into now.

Lucifer being this disillusioned depressed dork with "yeaaaah, No." energy fits into what we've seen of heavenly culture (uncanny innocence, annoying teen pop-culture energy, being perfectionist yet blind to their own flaws)

And The "Hell's Great Dad" song really broke the ice, especially when Mimzy busted in singing ITS MEEEEEEE-- like

Love her. I wasn't expecting to see Mimzy AT ALL since she was removed from the main cast. And after seeing people talk about her and how they were wondering about her, it definitely felt like popping in the way she did was a response to that. Even I was wondering bc you don't just drop a former love interest for a character like Alastor, but still have them show up in the pilot-- I wanted to see Mimzy lol.

like literally:

"It's MEEE, It's MEEE,

I know you were all waiting for MEEEE!

I'm Here, what a GAAAS,

Took a while but I'm here at LAAST"

Like, im sorry but I felt like she was pointing at me personally, not the other characters, and that was hilarious.

It's so random but doesn't feel out of place at all somehow. The tensions were already super high, so a random screaming woman busting in with even higher energy is like-- wtf?? :'D??

She was a blast the entire time tho, and actually tied into the reoccurring theme of only reaching out to someone so they can do something for you.

It also definitely pinched a side of Alastor, irritating that he does apparently NEED to be there, there's some obligation he actually has to the hotel, or at the very least some stakes to not holding things together, not bc he defended the hotel but bc he specifically says "I can't have that here" , he also doesn't refute the claims Mimzy makes about him. Al clearly adores her and isn't surprised by her antics at all yet still tells her to leave. With the mention of Alastor's "leash" in the same episode BC of Mimzy was just such a great way to use her character. A fun entrance, thematic relevance, and a great plot device to reveal more about Alastor's situation and motives.

Like I said, at first the food tasted cold. I was thinking to myself "Eh, nothing really that crazy ig" but the more I watch the episodes and get over whatever my expectations were, the more I enjoy what's there.

Like, at first I was thinking, "Oh no Lucy's another akward dork, a normie, a loooooserr" (not that being an akward dork or a normie is bad but those were the vibes I was giving off, I'm sorry)

But I keep watching "Hell's Greatest Dad" and NOW it's like

LOOK AT HIM< LOOK AT HIM GO

Like, he's fugghing adorable with the "WAP BAP BOOM"

the puppets and the circus imagery, and just the innocent unmalicious enthusiasm. He's stumbling around over barely knowing his daughter and is now sprinting to make up for being so absent-- and even that absence is implied to be due to chronic depression and pining, missing heaven and having to live in hell forever, not only being the one who supposedly created it by accident, but tried and failed to fix it, even having his own theme park ripped off by a deadly Sin. The show calls it out bluntly, but despite his cheery tone and, yeaaah, no, yeaaah, no" attitude, they did a great job showing that his depression manifested in detachment and disinterest. It sucks for the people it effects but it also sucks to be the one who dropped the ropes in your relationships.

So seeing him brjghtenup and glow over just helping his Charlie put her hotel together was great. He feels useful and wanted again. And imo it's a double edge sword as well if Lucy feels like he has to be useful to be a decent dad.

So, idk. I guess I do want to see how he handles trying to be in Charlie's life again, especially since, at this point Alastor knows and has supported her more than he ever has-- despite the rough beginning and the mockery. (Also Lilith's face being faded out was sus af)

I'm convinced that in Al's case it's definitely not from a genuine place, at least, we still have no reason to believe it is. He was glaring at Lucy as soon as he walked in, and the nearly every comment on how great his relationship with Charlie is was also a jab to piss off Lucy instead of a genuine expression.

A performance, in short.

Still, the fact that someone who's only just met Charlie has a better relationship with her than her father has got to suck to realize if you're the father.

Also-- the scene at the club-- I was pretty mixed about it, like, doing drugs, itself isn't bad-- it can be unhealthy and it can put others at risk if you're resigning your cognizance and self control for the sake of coping with stress-- so it can very easily enable bad things, especially if you become addicted, so,imo is pretty wreckless and definitely a vice. But it doesn't make you a bad person.

But then again angels also seem to think premarital sex and promiscuity is bad too. (Promiscuity puts you at risk for disease, and like drugs can be driven by vices, but, again, the thing itself isn't bad and can still be a healthy practice when it comes from a healthy place)

I'm genuinely proud of Angel for actually growing though, seeing him take care of Nifty and protect her from Val got me on the "Fuck em up" energy. It's always great to see a group of friends watching out for eachother when they know there's a danger to what they're doing-- ESPECIALLY when one of them is new to it all. That's why if you ARE going to do drugs or drink or whatever, definitely don't do it alone or without someone you trust with your safety.

And also never feel like you have to do those things to maintain relationships, some people feel like it would be an insult to imply they dont trust someone or just for being disinterested in their offer. And, frankly there are people who will prey on that.

That was just a great scene. It had some flaws, but was still great.

Also--

PENTIOUS

I HATE

BROTHERMAN MADE ALL THE MISTAKES.

"Bc I'M HAVING SEX WITH EVERY--"

THATS NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY YOU FUCK

Also, not gonna lie but Sera's got me like

Its been a while since I've been down bad for a femenine character.

She is beauty, she is grace~

[boopshoops]

Idk if this has been asked before but what’s Yuu Shi’s relationship like with Diasomnia?

AAAA HELLO HONEYDEW!!! Hru? I hope you're well 🥺💕

ooooOOO it hasn't been asked before! I do plan on going more in depth with their relationship dynamics eventua l l y- so I suppose I'll mainly go into initial relationships/first impressions- ofc things will change and develop with time!! Ty for the question :>

She gets along rather well with Lilia and Malleus, more so Lilia given they're in the same club.

She honestly finds Lilia to be hilarious- though she often finds herself dodging any fatherly advice he may have to offer. They love the same type of music, share a sense of humor, and honestly can just chat for hours. Though- Lilia is a bit... concerned? For her wellbeing? He has to eventually acknowledge that, most of the time, she's not gonna listen to him unless whatever he has to say aligns with her stubborn ass. He hopes that can change. She, however, with uneasy feelings about parental and authority figures, just wants to continue their pleasant chats. Fatherless behavior

Malleus and her actually share a class! So- ig their relationship isn't entirely canon compliant, but the initial relationship is very similar. Though of course she's fuckin scared of him, she's on edge around every single damn magic user until she realizes theyre- also just people, yaknow. She sees no issues with talking with him regardless, there were plenty of fae in her homeland before, she doesn't get why some students are uneasy around them simply because theyre from briar valley- So I suppose Malleus would see her simply as being brave and entertaining at first similarly to canon, where she is just vibing, having a bit of fun with teasing him for being a dork. (She has memorized all the gargoyle terminology)

Silver and Sebek however...

She is uneasy around Silver. She can't read him as easily as she can everyone else. She doesn't always know what the best thing to say is in order to gain favor- because half the time his facial expression remains the same. She doesn't know how he's feeling. It's like she's gambling, rolling a dice trying different things- she doesn't like it, she's uncomfortable, but she remains civil. Silver is- oblivious to this at first until Lilia informs him otherwise, though ofc if he confronts Yuu about it, she would outright deny any and all of it regardless. At first, at least.

Sebek...

Oh Sebek.

Yuu, simply wanting to be seen, garner favor, be HEARD. Be someone who is important and matters, constantly being yelled over and disregarded... just for being human? For, what? Treating Malleus like a damn person? Oh, she's mad. She's mad mad. And now HE'S mad too- because how DARE she call Malleus a nerd???? Who would do such a thing???

They don't get along well, period. Even as they begin to see more of each other than simply what is on the surface- both being hardworking, stubborn, determined people when it comes down to it, it would still take a LONG time, and probably some intervention, in order to finally shake hands and call a truce to shouting matches. Until then, cover your ears <3

[mxnster-soul]

TMC OC DUMP TIME BABEYYYY

This is technically just them post-reincarnation (reawakening). They have memory loss lol. (They're originally from a TMC AU thing but can be seen as a standalone)

Nicknames: Don/Dawn

[MORE INFO/A LOT OF RAMBLING UNDER CUT. ALSO TW: one ref hardly has clothes on but it's just because there's scars. Sorta 17+ zone]

Heavily inspired off of Stanzi's 'heaven and hell' comedy series (also the case of sona turned to just an OC)

Abaddon (or in this case, reinarnated Abaddon) is an absolute goofball. A bit snarky at times,

Lore stuff:

Pre-'reincarnation', They worked part-time shifts.

Part-time as a guard at heaven's gates, part-time in hell as clean up (usually just purging whenever it's starting to get overcrowded) not meant to be a hazbin reference

While at the gates, Gabriel also worked the same shift as Abaddon.

(TMC AU related. Abaddon had no clue that Gabe was plotting)

The two are just work friends, dynamic being 'The strong silent type that's usually hard for others to read, and the one that's good at talking and somehow just knows what the silent one is saying'./'Don's a gentle giant when it comes to co-workers' (also can't understand jokes/comedy)

Don uses to ALWAYS wear full armour, to the point noone could recall what they look like.

The two were actually friends, buuut as the plans for overruling were finished. Don was seen as 'in the way'.

So when they least suspected it, they were slain with one of their own swords. (Backstabbed through the heart, in a literal sense) I HC that higher rank angels can be killed only with their own weapons

They died confused since they had no time to see who betrayed them.

REINCARNATION (sorta. They kinda just come back from the dead since seraphim probably don't stay dead for eternity)

Don woke up sore as heck in some lake on the mortal realm, still in armor but stuck like they one of those underwater statues which are actually just metal things that rusted/the covered by plants over time.

Their wings decayed a bit cuz it's been thousands of years of being dormant. (And they were able to get the sword out cuz the angelic power that was in it down).

They're a bit more physical (so certain mortal things can now harm them)

Their memory is gone, so they ends up just observing the humans around them and adapting as the years pass by.

Ends up being a very chatty/rowdy dork that likes social media and thinks punk/alt fashion/etc is cool.

TLDR: very serious worker got betrayed, died, and can't remember it when they came back to life so they embrace modernity and probably go to spencers and hottopic/thrifting for clothes.

Also their new fave weapon is a street stopsign

More info:

-7 to 8ft tall (either works)

-Agender/Enby (They/He/She/it) <they really don't care

-Loves overdressing

-Has no clue wtf alternates are but probably annoys them if they happen to meet.

-'ooh, those are alternates? Damn, they look like they've been hit by a truck'

-listens to hyperpop/phonk/loud stuff

-usually guised as a human (bascially just wingless/halo-less cuz it makes it hard to use doors)

-Has no clue that Gabriel is alive

-deadass would not remember a thing, even if reminded.

Current outfit ^^^^

Alt wing color^^^^

OLD/V1 outfit (can be used)

FACE CLOSEUP^^^

Might redo the ref at some point cuz i'm not happy with the post

V1 ref^^^^

HEY, WARNING BELOW INCOMING

[TW: LACK OF CLOTHING REF]

(my anatomy sucks but i tried)

[itonashi]

Hello!!! May I request Mikage Reo with a troublemaker reader- like- they're breaking school rules that they think is useless(like eating in class) and they always talk back and call out people(with sarcastic comments) but they just can't get expelled bc they have the highest grades- but they're soft for children??

I like the dynamic bc reo is like- Mr. Perfect student type HAHAHAHA🫶🫶🫶🫶

OI! ARE YOU OKAY?

pairing: reo mikage x fem!reader

warnings: short fic, fluff, doing trouble all that stuff yeah.

note: im not a troublemaker myself so i don't really know how to capture reader personality but i will try for you! i ask ppl on what's the weirdest school rule they have and doesn't think it's necessary so that i could have ideas for this.

day by day, you would be sent to the teacher's office because of your 'obnoxious' behavior. well clearly, they're the one who doesn't know how to make rules. the teachers are warning you to stop the behavior but what can they do?

you're one of the best students in hakuho academy. you're one of the reason why hakuho have a good reputation after all. the top3, the obvious top 1 is obvi reo mikage. you never had any intention to dethrone him though.

plus, the academy will do anything to close up any of your obnoxious behavior to the whole school. they won't let the best student ruin their reputation — but.. the top 1 student always 'tried' to stop you from breaking the rules. he's such a dork honestly. reo mikage, your rich boyfriend. yes, he is your boyfriend. unexpected, right?

rules 47 : you can't wear blue jackets to school even if it's the cold weather or raining.

"what kind of rules is this?" you grumbled. you were bored so you read through all the list of rules of hakuho academy while being in the comfort home of nagi. nagi and your boyfriend is playing on the PS5 while you sit back. you yawn and lazily blink your eyes at some of the stupid rules.

'blue jacket...' you glance at reo and a grin crawl up your face. "reooo, do you have a blue jacket?" you got closer to reo and lean your head on his shoulder. he glance at you while clicking on the console "yeah i do but it will definitely not fit you. it's too big for you." he stated while you pout "that's the point." he pauses his game and nagi groan.

"what are you thinking of doing with it?" he frown and lightly pat your head. you smirk at him; "why are you smirking.." he raise his brow and sigh "tomorrow i will give it to you." your eyes light up and hug his side "thank you!" he lightly blush at your gesture.

'maybe once in a while.. it's not that bad.'

as expected, reo's blue jacket it's too big for you. he had a tall figure, of course it will be big on you. you twirl around with blue jacket on you and laugh at size difference. reo smile at you trying out his blue jacket.

the moment you step past the school gate, you already got teachers coming onto you but oh! they were afraid to approach you because of reo and nagi being beside you. you wink at the teacher and wave. oh, so furious. reo lean to you "be careful going to class." he whisper. you raised a brow " i was aiming for the teacher to see me wearing it." you shrug with an amused tone.

reo chuckle at your carefree state 'this is what i like about you...' he so dreamingly gaze at you when suddenly plop! you fell. reo rush over you while nagi peek over reo's shoulder. "oi! are you okay?" he worried over you — your voice was muffling because you fell face planted to the floor. embarrassed to say so, you stand up to your feet without saying anything looking at other places rather than reo's face.

reo raise a brow and you put your hand behind your head and let out a little 'hehe' sound — hiding your embarassment.

[coffeelovesdramasalatte]

LITA Ep 1 rewatch thoughts

Taking it from the top! Why is Phayu literally the nicest person ever? Like he just saw someone's car stalling near the road in the rain and he just stopped to help? I love that this is their official intro to each other bc it gives us viewers a clear impression of their dynamic from the very beginning. The music selection in this scene is so funny though bc it's intense and dangerous and Phayu is literally just telling Rain to turn his hazard lights on lmao.

I also love that every time Phayu helps Rain, he does so with encouragement for Rain to be more self-sufficient. The tire-changing is example one.

"You're so handsome" RAIN pls control yourself... I mean we all agree and Phayu's already looking interested but danggg

Ah Sky, the long-suffering (affectionate) BFF. Did we ever find out when they met? Was it just in college or before, bc it looks like Sky's Rain-related-nonsense-tolerance meter is constantly maxed out and that usually comes from long-term friendships.

I LOVE HIM there is not a single thought behind these eyes

Yassss department god Phayu for the win!! Love how this montage makes Phayu seem like a highly elegant and smart guy (which he is) but then we just watch him be a dork over Rain the rest of the series.

Fast forward a bit to the restaurant scene bc I forgot to keep typing...

Ok yeah sure you don't remember Rain, Phayu. Please, you made a beeline directly to him as soon as you walked in. Also, this scene makes my heart beat faster even though they do a lot more later on (where are those eyes looking, eh Phayu?).

The next scene where Phayu wipes Rain's hair gives me mixed feelings bc on the one hand, I don't like how Rain literally had to hit Phayu with a pillow before he'd let go, but on the other I didn't actually get a sense of danger from Phayu. I also did like that Phayu threw out "actually I'm bisexual" so casually - love that for us. I also think it's hilarious how fast Rain falls into the "I'm so into Phayu" headspace. I've heard some people call it subspace and from what I know I'm inclined to agree but I don't know enough to comment on that further. Also here begins the saga of Rain having a death-grip on Phayu's neck during intimate moments. We stan <3

Somehow I didn't notice the thermostat being set so low during every rewatch of this episode until now - I was always confused as to why Rain had to go under the covers but I get it.

When they wake up and Rain calls Phayu a bunch of names I couldn't stop laughing - it's even funnier when you know what's coming in the next few eps. Also my son really went "no thoughts head empty" after a single cheek kiss from Phayu. What a cutie

Rain cursing at the storm is so cute!!! Also we love our logical bestie Sky as always.

I LOVE P'Aon!! Also he's the first person to call Rain Phayu's boy and for some reason I think that's v v cute

I accidentally paused and can't stop laughing at Phayu's face here PLSSSS

And we've made it to the ending scene!! Ahhhh this makes me SO SOFT! I love it when characters tuck their face into their partner's neck when they're sleeping - there's something about the trust and comfort needed to do that which makes me so happy to see it play out. And Phayu's little "I'm really starting to like you, Rain" with the SOFTEST little smile on his face URGH I'M EXPERIENCING EMOTIONS

This is one of my favorite opening episodes of a series! We got introduced to all the main players as well as the key side-characters, and we got a good understanding of who Rain and Phayu are as individuals (less so on Phayu's side for now) and their dynamic together. I was so hyped to finish the rest of the series as soon as I finished this episode the first time

[wings-of-ink]

Hi! (this got a bit long, sorry for that,,)

I just finished reading the update and wanted to let you know I absolutely loved it! It was such a pleasant read, even if it wasn't packed with drama and action to the brim—I feel like a palate cleanser like this was appropriate after such an eventful start to the story.

I loved all the interactions between the characters, the dynamic between Oswin and Nathanael is especially fun. Actually, Nathanael by himself is fun. The oats sowing euphemism made me laugh more than it should have because, yes, I'm childish like that. What a dork; I love him. (I'm imagining now a scene in an alternate universe where MC stumbles up to Oswin dazed out of their mind after they shared a pipe with Nathanael, which is immediately followed by Oswin grabbing the merchant and shaking him until he spills out what it is he smokes—because we all know it ain't just plain ol' tobacco—and how could he let MC of all the three other people gathered take a drag, all while MC and Zahn sit by the fire, watching a looney tunes cartoon unfold before them.)

Oh, and Zahn! Oh man. Can I just say if they asked, I would give them anything? (the world, the universe, the stars; you name it.) Actually, no, scratch that—they don't even have to ask; I would just bring them all the yummy food and warm blankets and pamper them until they accept they are worth it, because they! are! not! a bad! person! Also, I don't know why, but before they were introduced, I had this image of them being a character that would only appear here and there (you know, like every story has a character that just doesn't get enough screen time), but knowing they'll be tagging along for a while longer makes me really happy! Right now it feels like a circus lol we have a horse (maybe also a mule), an elk, a cat and a golden retriever✨.

I also found it particularly interesting how you implemented the hobbies! To be honest, I haven't read the flavor text for all of them yet, but I picked sewing as soon as I saw it as an option (no reason, I just liked the idea). My MC chose to be a healer, so learning that they were the most trusted with stitching up wounds was a really nice touch. (Not to mention they can—and will—make/mend clothing for Zahn in secret and then surprise them while they least expect it… >:P) Once their journey is over and the MC comes back to Stonebrook, they're going to wait for Nathanael to pass by with his cart and give Shadow a little kitty sweater💖.

This is already too long, sorryy; I just get very excited when I find a story that pulls me in and refuses to let go. Seriously, I keep thinking about it way too much lol. I'm usually a simple lurker and nothing but, however, I do believe there's never enough praise and encouragement! You've done amazing so far, and I know it's only going to get better. (Can't wait to meet the rest of the cast; I keep daydreaming about Rune.. it's getting serious)

Thank you for your hard work, and I hope you have a nice and cozy rest of the weekend! <33

No worries, Anon, sometimes you just have a lot to say! ^_^

I am so glad you enjoyed the chapter! I am hoping to update it soon. I'm adding a few extra optional moments to spend with all three of your camping companions. Fingers crossed for more shenanigans.

Nathanael cracks me up too. I find fun in writing for all of them, but I feel like he gives me more liberties. I wrote the oats line and made myself crack up, but thought most wouldn't find it quite as funny so I'm glad you did! Also, your imagination is pretty much spot on with that scenario!

The hobby section was fun, but also a little bit of a slog for me to write since it was huge, so you won't find a ton of differences. The exception is the singing hobby. I really want to incorporate original music in some way, but I have zero - absolute zero - skills in it, including writing lyrics. I went a little extra, and I found a small artist to help me out, though the type of song I asked for was like waaay out of their normal wheelhouse, lol. I think they did a wonderful job. They are listed in the credits too.

I can't wait to give you a chance to spoil Zahn a bit! They need it and will adore you for it! Well, they will adore you pretty well regardless, lol. Shadow does not like clothing, but he's also getting attached to MC - best bed he's tried probably ever - so he'll make an exception to wear the little sweater.

I am so glad that you are living a bit in my little world. I can't wait for you to experience more! Thank you so much for the wonderful message, it lit up my day! As someone who usually just lurks as well, your reaching out warms my heart. ^_^

[charmixpower]

Issue Twenty-Three: Return of the Trix Girls

I love how everyone is obviously weirded out by the Trix and they have like no clue why and are just assuming everyone thinks their hot shit

That memory spell did not fucking work, stop lying to me

And none of you have a memory return spell or potion???? No????

These are the best outfits in the comics, everyone go home

You may not like it but this is what peek male fashion looks like

>Implying Icy is straight

Oh my god he's such a dork

Plus Timmy needing a bunch of hair stuff, vs Riven's hair just being like that is hilarious

I love how Helia just didn't come, no parties for me thank you, I am not showing up

I can't tell if this is so Aisha isn't alone or if they just didn't want to add Helia to the band

Interviewer: And what would you say is your greatest weakness?

Brandon: Being too likeable

Comics Lucy is such a terrible person, YOU COULD GET PEOPLE KILLED BY DOING THIS!!

She does this because she wants to be one of the Trix, who are social pariahs, something show Lucy wanted to no longer be, so I'm assuming comics Lucy wants their power

Fucked up babe

I love how they don't believe her despite everyone treating them weird because it's such an outrageous story, that's hilarious

I wish they actually committed to the Trix not remembering anything and had their memories be returned by a spell or something instead of this, but c'est la vie, not my choice

You remember the weird stares and avoidance hun, I wouldn't call that forgiveness

NEITHER DO YOU?????

Look at Riven and Helia hanging out

Barely any dialogue background boyfriends club

Stormy attempts fucking murder

See, the spell sent them back to their first year at CT, but at their first year at CT they probably were already evil and wanting to take over the world

You do not go from normal person to aspiring dictator that quickly

Helia and Riven dont speak during this entire comic until they are rescuing the Winx in the bus

On top of that they're both extremely quiet and usually quite serious in the comics adding a very interesting dynamic!!!

They're both very mission focused and pretty often keep their thoughts to themselves, Helia obviously much more than Riven bc Riven makes comments here and there but he doesn't have sustained conversations with really anyone in the comics

(also this being after the Shab stone is so weird, comic Riven is acting more like his show counterpart and being a loose canon who hates authority, wait, now he's back to normal and hanging out in the background again)

It also really looks like they're making silent eye contact here, which I know is just me reading into things, but I enjoy it

Ooooo!!!! Witch transformations!!!!! I love love love this!!!! Look at them!!!! 😍😍😍😍

THE FUCKIN TRIX MOBILE, CRYING