#this got long so it’s under a cut

[deathbycoldopen]

I finished the first season of the live action ATLA, and I have to say my reaction is… mixed.

I went into it determined to have an open mind, and there was definitely a good chunk that I enjoyed! For one thing, I love what they did with both Suki and Yue, taking advantage of the longer episode lengths to give them both lives and motivations beyond just “pretty girl that Sokka crushes on” (Suki obviously gets more depth in the og show during seasons 2 & 3, but Yue has always struck me as a rather one-dimensional character).

The best (if traumatizing) choice was to actually show the Fire Nation attack on the airbenders. Doing so gave a real emotional heft to Aang being displaced a hundred years with the weight of failing to prevent a past genocide, and the pressure of having to stop another without any idea how. Not only that, but it did a great job of indicating, right at the start of the show, that this was an adaptation indenting to transform what was fundamentally a kids’ show with complex themes into an adult series with the ability to really expand on that depth and complexity.

…and then it didn’t.

Oh, the show pokes at the repercussions of Iroh having waged a long and deadly siege agains Ba Sing Se, and it does a decent job at deepening the fuckery that is Zuko’s backstory. But so much of the more ambiguous or complex parts of the original have been flattened in this adaptation—and not in ways that can be explained by the compressed narrative. Instead, it feels like the sanitized story and characters are a direct result of a purity culture that demands all things black and white, never shades of gray.

Let’s look at Zuko, the villain-turned-hero with an iconic but bumpy redemption arc in the original series. Part of what makes Zuko’s story so goddamn compelling in the original is that he begins as a true villain, who does some horrible things and is led astray more often than not by his explosive temper; and yet his horrifying backstory and desperation for a loving family that never actually existed compel us to view him with some sympathy, even as he acts against our protagonists.

Yet in the adaptation, Zuko is consistently painted in a softer, kinder light than he was in the original. He has no hand in burning down the village on Kyoshi Island; he hears Aang out and even seems to consider Aang’s offer of friendship rather than immediately lashing out after the Blue Spirit reveal; he is notably more respectful to Iroh and loses his temper much less frequently and violently.

Even the change of Zuko fighting back against Ozai in the agni kai can be construed as him recognizing that Ozai is the bad guy, especially when it means that in order for his exile to make sense he has to defy his father again after he’s already been burned.

This is a pattern that is repeated with nearly all of the characters with any degree of ambiguity. Pakku is depicted as kind of a decent person who’s just being held back by his deference to tradition, rather than being pretty much an asshole regardless of whether he’s following tradition or not. Hahn is a nice guy who is in love with Yue but accepts her decision not to marry him, instead of a dick that sees her as a trophy and is more than happy to marry her despite her disinterest.

Sokka is a huge victim of this flattening of flaws. His early-show misogyny is entirely absent, making his stumbling with Suki a little odd and ungrounded, and his dismissal of Katara’s skills even more so. The narrative doesn’t allow him to be anywhere close to as boneheaded and stubborn as he is in the original—this version of Sokka would never angrily slash through the swamp despite the warning signs, or blatantly lie to Won Shi Ton and then even more blatantly steal from him.

Sokka isn’t even allowed the most understandable tactical mistake from the original show: using the air ship in the fight at the Northern Air Temple, and inadvertently delivering the Fire Nation’s greatest asset. That honor is given to a generalized “spies” that are distanced even from Sai himself.

If the heroes aren’t allowed to have flaws, the villains are even worse off, without anything that might make them sympathetic. Jet, who in the original sits in a similar in-between place as Zuko, is pushed firmly on the side of villain over the course of his two-episode arc. Instead of Jet fighting dirty against Fire Nation colonists who are nevertheless civilians, he bombs buildings in Omashu; it’s easier to denounce him when he’s hurting Earth Kingdom civilians with his tactics, rather than people who may or may not be complicit in the war. He’s even labeled a terrorist, an easy buzzword for a largely usamerican audience to point to and say “ah yes, that’s a bad guy.”

The main villains— Ozai, Zhao, and even the brief scene of Sozin— are ironically even more cartoonishly evil than in the animated show. Ozai and Sozin both declare their evil plans— out loud, with villainous aplomb— to use one major military movement as a distraction for another, even bigger movement. (Sozin’s plan at least made sense, in that the distraction was “leaked” intelligence rather than an actual deployment of troops. How the hell did Ozai have enough troops and a decent supply line to attack both the Northern Water Tribe and Omashu at the same time? And it’s not like the distraction actually served any purpose, since it’s explicitly stated several times that the separate nations don’t send aid to each other anymore.)

Ozai’s treatment of Zuko is even more abusive than in the original, especially with the aforementioned change where Zuko actually does fight back as ordered. His choice to burn Zuko and then later banish him then must be explained by Zuko showing compassion, a much more typically “evil” motivation than the more complex (though no less abusive) notion of Zuko dishonoring himself.

Zhao gets an even worse character lobotomy, which is impressive given that his original character is pretty unabashedly villainous. But rather than a devious, powerful, and ambitious commander looming over everything Zuko or Team Avatar does, this version of Zhao is cartoonishly incompetent. (It doesn’t help that the only thing I’ve seen Ken Leung in is Person of Interest, where he plays a similarly buffoonish character constantly in need of rescue. When held up against Jason Isaacs’ mesmerizing but intimidating voice in the original, there’s no comparison.)

Zhao is no longer a respected military leader but a backwoods commander who barely passed the exam to become an officer; his rise through the ranks isn’t due to military successes or a commanding presence but because Azula finds him easy to manipulate; cutting Jeong Jeong means that we don’t see Aang get the better of Zhao by playing on his temper and lack of control; even discovering the secret of the moon and ocean spirits seems more like blundering luck than actual determination and intelligence. You can’t take Zhao seriously as a threat in this adaptation, even when he’s killing the moon spirit and destroying the balance of the world— he’s a nuisance at best, with Azula as the real looming danger.

Disliking Zhao’s character changes might just come down to a matter of taste, of course. I’m always going to be more interested in intelligent, competent characters, whether they are heroes or villains. But it forms part of this pattern of flattening characters and plots and arcs, and brings me back to the fundamental question that kept hitting me over the head while watching the series.

Why?

Why make an adaptation? This is a question that comes up whenever an adaptation of anything is made: what does the adaptation bring to the table that the original did not? Often the answer to this question is money, but there’s usually an attempt to point to a different answer, if only to distract from the greed.

Sometimes the answer is simple— a translation, for example, is an adaptation made to reach a wider audience. Sometimes the answer is more complicated— changing Lord of the Rings from books to movies, as another example, took advantage of the music, acting, and visuals to pack more emotional punch than the books did.

I would argue, as I began to at the start of this post, that the benefit of adapting ATLA from an animated kids show to a live action series is the bucking of those “kids show” limitations. ATLA deals with a lot of serious, heavy topics that don’t get fully explored because they are too complicated and intense to be greenlit in a network show aimed at 10 year olds. In addition, ATLA (and particularly Legend of Korra after it) faced an uphill battle to portray some more sticky topics such as queerness, in part due to the time period when they were produced.

A live action show produced by Netflix seems to bypass all those hurdles, allowing for a darker and more socially progressive show than what the original was able to accomplish. But despite showing onscreen the destruction of the Air Nomads, the adaptation of ATLA seems more sanitized than the original, playing to the lowest common denominator in a way that the original never did, despite the latter being a kids show and the former ostensibly being for adults.

I came away from the new series with a bad taste in my mouth, even with some things that I really enjoyed, and I think this is the crux of why. The adaptation didn’t update the original; it stripped it of anything that might be deemed problematic and replaced it with a black and white worldview that is, in fact, antithetical to the themes of the original show.

After all, the creators seem to have reasoned, who would root for Zuko’s redemption if he actually needed redemption in the first place?

[ink-the-artist]

I love your artwork so much! Your colors are so vibrant and none of the white speckles in the paper ever shows, its so impressive and I really dig it! I was wondering if you use any sort of blending medium? Like baby oil or anything? Either way, I really enjoy looking at your artwork and I'm always excited to see whatever you'll make next

I use a colorless blender (prismacolor, which is wax-based so baby oil probably wouldnt work) but my scanner is also rly bad about picking up white specks in a way photographing the art with my phone isnt, so I usually have to do some digital editing to get rid of them as well.

I do this by duplicating the layer, setting the one on top to "darken," and using the mixer brush to blend out the white spots + just use the eyedropper tool to select the color of that area (needs to be a slightly lighter shade of it) and color over the white spots with the brush tool

i edited a small bit of the original scan to show what i mean

original:

with the edited layer:

heres how it looks set to normal instead of darken, I used both the mixing brush and regular brush just to demo it

[acrobattack]

bliss redesign based off one I made in my teens

thought process + various other bits and bobs under the cut

I was 15 and annoyed by everything that moved when this character first came out, so in my own head I was very much making a Point with this redesign. Hence, I made very minimal changes. I wanted to work with what was already there and basically just make the existing design more thought-through. Little breakdown ahead (keeping in mind i myself am very much An Amateur who doesn’t know shit and am just ranting about my opinions and i also haven’t seen a single second of the 2016 reboot so i don’t know much about Bliss to begin with)

1. one of my Biggest pet peeves with Bliss is that the powerpuff girls each have bangs that are simple, memorable, and iconic while also being unique from each other and being reminiscent of irl little girls hairstyles. It’s very neat and clever and I like it a lot

and then Bliss has this confusing jumble of shapes that looks like it changes in style halfway across her forehead

i have absolutely no idea what the intent is here. My only guess is maybe it’s meant to look weird on purpose like she was trying to cut it herself or something (I suspect it’s something like that since she seems to have normal looking bangs as a little kid from what I can see) but it doesn’t really come off that way if that’s the case. It just looks like baby’s first PPG OC where you Understand that it’s meant to be hair and that it is made out of shapes but have 0 understanding of hairstyle or character design in general. Heck I might have put this exact hairline on a character in the past at the age of like 8

So in my redesign she’s got 5 even notches across her bangs, not thee most exciting change but it does the job I think. It is pretty reminiscent of Blossom but they look different enough from each other that I wasn’t too worried about it

2. low-hanging fruit time, Bliss’s hair color is horrible on the eyes. I’m bewildered at the decision to do this, especially since there is just so much of it, I struggle to think of how she could exist in any scene without hogging all the viewer’s attention constantly. That said, I understand they wanted her to have an unnatural hair color to really signal that she is a Fresh new Teen character from the late 2010’s, which is. Whatever, that’s fine, so she gets purple hair now. I kept the streak for the same reason, especially since she’s got a lot of hair, so no harm in a little extra interest in there.

I also learned recently that her hair glows sometimes? which i did Not know when first drawing her but well i think the darker color helps anyway. It adds some contrast for when she’s normal vs when she’s glowing and makes the latter appear more,, idk threatening or powerful or whatever the mood generally is when she’s doing that.

I did re-add that toothpaste blue to her eyelids though. I like to think it’s also the color of her lasers. It’s a cute color, just not as like 70% of this character’s palette

3. real talk I was drawing this from memory and didn’t mean to change the way her hair flares out from her head. realistically I think the original is fine, maybe just a little boring but fine, so that part of the redesign was an accident. Only thing is, it’s in the exact same position in every screenshot I’ve seen? It doesn’t seem to whip around when she’s flying or anything which looks weird and probably looks weirder in motion, especially since it takes up so much space onscreen. Idk it’s a strange decision, esp since the original show liked to use the ppg’s hair to emphasize their movement, so I’d just bring more movement into her hair. I mean if nothing else it’d make her look cooler.

very very rough little visual of what I mean

I also ended up making it shorter in my redesign—again, not really intentional, but I think it’s better that it eats up a little less of her silhouette

4. Her headband is largely the same, I didn’t hate the idea of her having an accessory, so I just toned down the colors. I’m not personally a fan of the powder blue and that pink heart is very bright and just doesn’t go with the rest of her (once again the color of her hair is doing it no favors). I also moved the heart over. Not necessarily needed I think, but I feel like it reads quicker as a headband and not a weird crown that way+introduces some asymmetry into her design that I think is nice.

5. my biggest gripe other than her bangs are her hips. I’m not against adding anatomy to this character design to make her read visually as older than the girls, but it’s so awkwardly done and distracting. I feel like it even interferes with her line of action more often than not (which is not helped by her unmoving hair).

Part of the issue is she still has the teeny tiny torso, just… with those square-ish hips slapped on, which makes her legs look all gangly and stretched out. I tried to balance out the proportions more in my redesign, as well as change the hips to a flared skirt. I think it helps differentiate her from the girls and still implies hips underneath, it just also functions as a less clunky transition from her torso to her legs.

Lengthening her torso also allows the stripe to look more like a belt above the skirt, which I think helps to sell her as “similar, but not the same” from the ppg

6. Her leggings(? Idk Im not a fashion person) aren’t a bad idea I think. like a more mature version of the girls’ stockings, but I think the white makes them look really distracting. It would help to make them a darker color I think, but since I wanted to keep them reminiscent of the girls’ socks I kept them white and just shortened them.

7. Not really sure what Bliss is wearing on her feet. I think they’re Mary Janes, but they’re drawn a bit different from the girls’ and I honestly think it’s too babyish a shoe for her to wear. I’m not sure what she’s actually wearing in my redesign either honestly, but the goal was just to make them look like the girls’ Mary Janes while clearly being something different.

8. Uh her signature color is something I’ve contemplated changing a lot but to be real I think it’s fine. I feel it was a very bad idea from a marketing standpoint because people were hype about Bunny and would obviously be mad they didn’t get her once the character actually dropped (and in the long-run she would just end up being overshadowed by the character everyone has already assigned that color to) but I’m personally not bugged by her being purple beyond that. If I were to draw them together though I think Bunny would have a more pinky shade of purple and Bliss leans more blue.

Loosely on the same topic, because of Bliss I’ve had a running headcanon that “only child” types of powerpuffs tend to come out purple. Kind of like how trios tend to have a red, blue, and green. It’s a fun little piece of fake lore to rotate around in my brain

Anyway with all that out of the way, here’s some redesigns I decided to have some fun with. Wasn’t being too precious about recognizability or simplicity or anything like that, but I did run out of steam partway through. There’s also one based off Whoopass Bell bc idk, why not

Finally, here’s some OCs I only ever drew once before out of a desire to give Bliss her own teen girl archetypes to form a team with. This is Bee and Beetle, who I’ll probably definitely forget about again immediately after posting this

[tcfactory]

Please consider: Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu role-swap

[LiuJiu, 2300 words]

After the fire, Shen Jiu doesn't sit around, he's aiming straight for Cang Qiong. Wu Yanzi tempts him, but if he is to ever find out what happened to Qi-ge then he can't play around with rogue cultivators, so he ditches the man before Wu Yanzi could take him as a disciple.

He arrives to the sect at a year when they are not doing the disciple selection - the women at the Warm Red Pavilion say it's because the Sect Leader is busy monitoring his cursed head disciple and if the Sect Leader doesn't take part then the rest of the sect has to wait too - but he's tipped off that Bai Zhan is always open to those who are determined enough to climb the mountain and demand admittance.

So that's exactly what he does. The Peak Lord sets him against one of his junior disciples and tells him there are no rules, if he can beat them he's in. It's a test he's not supposed to win, to see his determination and his reaction to failure, as a malnourished slave boy should be no match to someone in good health who has two years of training under his belt. But Shen Jiu doesn't know this, he has come too far to give up now and unlike the scrappy, but well-fed farmer's son he's set up against, he fights dirty.

He sets the basis of his future nickname - The Rabid Wolf of Bai Zhan - that day when he claws the boy's eye out and forces him to yield. His rise among the disciples is almost as meteoric as Yue Qi's and people are on the lookout for when the upstart slave boy will plummet back to the earth, but he never does. When the year is up and the sect is abuzz that Lingxi caves are finally opening again because they are letting the cursed disciple out, he's there in the front row among the curious onlookers and throws himself in his Qi-ge's arms as soon as the other boy steps foot into the light again.

Shen Qingqiu grows up tall and willowy and unpredictable, an unconventional physical cultivator that bends with the wind, but never breaks. With Yue Qingyuan's support as an unshakeable mountain behind his back, he is untouchable. He never bothers to hide what he is, not his scars or his sharp edges or the slave brand burned into the meat of his shoulder, often bared to the world by his choice of outfit; he stands as testament that even the lowest wretches can claw their way up to stand among giants.

Liu Mingqu yields to his rich family and allows himself to be enrolled into Qing Jing. He is not as suited for spiritual cultivation and he has no head for arts, but he is still a prodigy and a really hard working one at that. He learns all there is to learn for a scholar and doesn't rest until he perfects them all - music, calligraphy, painting, poetry - and even if he's ever uninspired about pursuing them, the Peerless Beauty of Qing Jing is a competent teacher who stands head and shoulders over his peers. He masters his temper and his manners and takes to hiding his face behind a fan or sometimes a veil like his sister to discourage people from staring at him.

Their roles may be different, but their nature remains the same. Shen Jiu has always been more clever than he was strong and nothing changed about that now that he's essentially a spiritual cultivator playing at star athlete. He plants a bamboo forest on his mountain - for meditation and ambush practice, he says, but everyone knows he just needed a bubble of calm for himself in the endless war zone of Bai Zhan - and mercilessly beats any disciple who dares to damage the forest. In the serene calm of his little house he hoards books and maps and all the culture he can get his calloused hands on, always thirsty to know more, an endless pit his Qi-ge happily pours obscure knowledge into. He uses the standing feud between Bai Zhan and Qing Jing to spy on them, learn their cultivation methods by sight and listen to the senior disciples do ad hoc concerts, so he can practice music in the brothel or under a silencing array just behind his house.

It's during one of these trips when he discovers Liu Qingge behind the Qing Jing Peak Lord's manor, restlessly shuffling through the steps of a formal dance. Liu Qingge yearns to move, he yearns for the exertion of his wild youth, but there are only so many acceptable options for a scholar and as a cultivator he can't channel his restlessness into hunting or horse riding. That leaves dancing, but Liu Qingge is not a creative person. He sticks to the dances he half-remembers learning as a rich young master and maybe asks his sister for some more, but that's where his resourcefulness runs out on this venture.

Shen Qingqiu watches him go through the steps of the same dozen dances, swap to a few rounds of sword forms - perfectly executed and ethereal, an immortal beauty that earthbound Shen Qingqiu will never be able to replicate - and then swap back to the dances, increasingly frustrated and restless.

"If Peak Lord Qingge wants to learn some better dances, this shidi can introduce you to someone." Liu Qingge startles and almost turns him into a pincushion with a barrage of bamboo leaves.

"What do you want?!" They are secure in their respective positions, but they still don't like each other.

"Peace, shixiong. I'm just looking out for the sect. How would it reflect on me if I let my fellow Peak Lord work himself into a qi deviation and didn't step in?" Shen Qingqiu shrugs and smiles with an easy, predatory grace that makes Liu Qingge wish he had fangs to match the Wolf of Bai Zhan, but there's no malice in the offer. "Come now, shixiong. There's nobody else here. We don't need to do this stupid game of social posturing. Tell you what, as a sign of my goodwill I'm going to teach you a meditation technique to calm your qi after exercise, free of charge."

Almost everything with Shen Qingqiu is a transaction, so Liu Qingge knows better than to pass up the chance to get something from his shidi for free - and the meditation does help settle his roiling qi.

"What do you want in return, then?" It's almost terrifying how intensely Shen Qingqiu's eyes light up.

"That trick with the leaves - teach me how to do it."

Liu Qingge doesn't bother to point out that it's a spiritual technique. It's an unspoken secret that they would be better suited to each other's cultivation styles than that of their own peaks. Shen Qingqiu has a storm of razor sharp leaves dancing in the air before Liu Qingge is even done explaining.

He almost regrets agreeing when Shen Qingqiu takes him down to the brothel, but the women his shidi introduces him to are truly masters of dance - they were stars of an imperial dance troupe before their owner was executed for offending the Emperor and they were sold to the brothel. They take him to the back and teach him dances he could never have imagined, dances that make his heart soar and his blood rush hot in his veins, while Shen Qingqiu lightly dozes among the women in the main reception area, his very presence frightening all but the most unruly patrons into behaving.

Liu Qingge is an honest man and he knows, deep down, that he got much more out of this exchange than his shidi. He’s on the lookout to see how he could repay him, but Shen Qingqiu seems to want for nothing. What he can’t get on his own Yue Qingyuan gifts to him, doting relentlessly on his sharp-edged little brother. So when he hears that Shen Qingqiu is to set out to assist in a night hunt against a particularly dangerous demonic beast that made its way over the to the far shore of the sea, he hops to the opportunity to compile a scroll of all the unspoken rules and etiquette of the island, as well as a short history on the ninja clan that asked for their aid. It’s all information that Shen Qingqiu has no way of learning otherwise, but should ease his time on the hunt.

When he can’t find Shen Qingqiu at the bamboo house he goes looking for him and that’s when he finds the silencing array, that’s when he sees his shidi sitting with his guqin in a clearing, composing music. Liu Qingge’s mouth goes dry, his heart skips a beat - his shidi is like a vision from the heavens and for the first time since he started this scholarly lifestyle, Liu Qingge wants to paint. He wants to etch this scene in his heart and condense it into a poem.

He slinks away before his shidi can notice him and leaves the scroll in the bamboo house. In the three years Shen Qingqiu is gone, hunting that elusive monster that decimates one village after another, he becomes a man possessed - or more accurately, a tender hearted young maiden yearning for her first love. He paints picture after picture, sometimes of a wolf stalking among the bamboo, sometimes of Qingqiu with his guqin as the scene lives in his memory. Rarely he paints his shidi stretched out on a couch in the brothel, languid with feigned sleep and one eye opened a crack as he vigilantly watches over his sisters - he gifts one of those to the brothel, much to the ladies’ delight. He starts writing poetry, yearning, horrible poetry his sister mocks relentlessly, but slowly he finds his words and his latest attempts are almost good. He is the first to hound Zhangmen-shixiong for news on Shen shidi and learns every word of every letter by heart, no matter how short or impersonal the progress reports are.

Liu Qingge knows that his martial siblings are not blind to his obsession - he has caught Shang shidi muttering “bro, really?!” under his breath more than once. He’s not familiar with the expression, but he can understand the sentiment. Yue Qingyuan watches him with patient exasperation, but he knows that the man doesn’t disapprove from the mild comment about how Shen Jiu will need a new ceremonial robe for his return celebration because his old one is ten years out of fashion.

Embroidery is, technically, within the skill set of the Qing Jing Peak Lord. He hounds An Ding until someone supplies him with Shen Qingqiu’s measurements and the finest materials he can bully Shang shidi into acquiring - “That’s the same stuff demon royalty wears, try not to waste it, my contact had to go through the royal seamstress of the northern kingdom to get it in that color.” - and sets to work. Bai Zhan’s color is steel blue, but that never fit his shidi, so he picks greens instead to match his striking green eyes. He creates a design that accentuates the deceptive slimness of Qingqiu, then embroiders the robes with bamboo patterns and a wolf on the hunt and when they are done he crafts a matching fan - Shen shidi hides from nothing and nobody, but Liu Qingge thinks he might enjoy being a little mysterious.

He is daydreaming about his shidi during the next Peak Lord meeting when the Sect Leader breaks the news: the beast has finally been slain and Shen Qingqiu will be on the next ship back home. Liu Qingge stays barely long enough to not be impolite at the end of the meeting before he rushes off to finish the last touches on the robes. He wants to leave it all set out for his shidi in the bamboo house.

In his haste he misses the look Shang Qinghua and Yue Qingyuan exchange behind his back.

“So, about those arrangements we made…”

“Yes, please. Let’s get Xiao Jiu home before Liu-shidi pines himself into a qi deviation.”

“Yeah, he’s down bad isn’t he?”

“Are you certain your prince doesn’t mind? If you are in any danger, shidi…”

“No! It’s fine, I’m fine, he already agreed to it! In fact, my Xuebao likes your brother so much I’m almost a little jealous.”

“Really now?”

“Zhangmen-shixiong, please stop looking like you are plotting murder. It’s not like that. As the Mobei prince, he really doesn’t have a lot of friends. Of course he misses A-Jiu.”

“If you say so, shidi.”

Liu Qingge is all jitters when he walks down the path to the bamboo house. He can’t understand why because Shen Qingiu won’t be back for months, but he still feels like a maiden on her way to ask out her love on the first date.

He almost drops the package with the robes when he opens the door and finds Shen Qingqiu standing there in the sunlit room. His shidi is too solid, too real to be an apparition, his clothes worn from travel, his heavy pack still unpacked by the table. He stands with a letter in one hand - Qingge recognizes his sister’s wobbly, childish handwriting - and with Qingge’s notebook in which he wrote all his stumbling, horrible poetry in the other and Liu Qingge wishes nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

“Are those my new robes?” Shen Qingqiu asks, as if they have only met this morning, as if that was a reasonable thing to ask when Qingge’s heart is about to explode from nerves. He can only mutely nod at his shidi. “You know shixiong, I can see that you have put enormous effort into courting me. I would have loved it if it happened when I was here to experience it.”

Shen Qingqiu sets the notebook and the letter down and stalks up to Liu Qingge, his eyes sharp with an emotion he can’t interpret, but it makes Liu Qingge want to bare his throat to his teeth and be devoured.

“So, Liu-shixiong. Are you going to help me try on my new robes?”

[chanbig]

Big Kinnporsche and his uniform

i know the costume design dept gave the theerapanyakul bodyguards different versions of their uniform to make it easier to distinguish between them and make it visually more interesting (even though the point of a uniform is homogeneity) but i think it's interesting how they make big and porsche outliers

Porsche is out here in his slutty little vest and tie (the only one in his shirtsleeves because he is freewheeling, he is bucking the rules, we gotta show off that shoulder-to-waist ratio). he is new, he is special, he doesn't give a fuck. he is the Main Character.

pete, ken, arm and pol are in the usual blazer, no tie, shirt with a couple of buttons undone combo, with varying levels of undone-ness. (pete has the most buttons done up, intriguingly!!!! he typically only has the top button undone. what does this Mean. what could he possibly be hiding under there 🤫). this is what the typical bodyguard wears—most of the bodyguard extras are wearing a black suit and white shirt (one or two have ties, but most don't). they are integrated into the system. they are a team.

chan gets distinguished as head bodyguard by being allowed to wear all black, which gives him a very intense, no nonsense look. he stands out from the crowd when he first walks into frame—without words, you can tell THAT is a man with authority (😳 <- live me reaction)

AND THEN you have big over here in his closed blazer, shirt buttoned to the neck, perfectly knotted tie, and suspenders (!!) outfit. the whole getup. no one else on the main cast is doing it like him—literally. he is on the opposite end of the spectrum from porsche, even though they wear almost the same number of pieces. with the blazer on, big's outfit gives him the most buttoned up/rigid/follows the rules look, like he will wear the fullest version of the uniform because It Is The Correct Way. he has been at this job for years and he is still so strict about this. he is so strict about this BECAUSE he has been at this job for years. even with his ponytail and edgy eyebrow cut, he comes across as 'I am 100% on the job all the time'. he is All Business.

spot the suspenders 🧐

even when he's wearing the standard tracksuit, it's zipped completely up to the neck, sleeves all the way down.

we never see him in the pool. we don't see him in casual clothes. he is always SO closed off. he takes his uniform blazer off ONCE (making porsche crawl across the floor is hard work 😏).

spot the blazer thrown over the chair in the back 🔍

the only time we see him wearing a shirt with the buttons undone is when they're at the casino and he's being forced to 'blend in'. looking closer, though, even that outfit looks like the shirt and trousers he normally wears, just without the blazer, tie, and suspenders.

same slim-cut black trousers, same type of stiffened spread collar, same big pocket. his trousers fit him well—clearly the suspenders are just for the Look.

hmmm ive seen this shirt before.

the only time we see him in a short sleeved shirt is when they're on a SWAT-style rescue mission and everyone else is ALSO wearing that.

field trip time. everyone put on their outside clothes.

so arguably even both 'more casual' outfits are literally part of his uniform

where am i going with this... we see the others in their casual clothes. we see them disheveled, drunk, unbound from their jobs. they are allowed to be something other than just a bodyguard, even if just for a minute, even if they're still with tankhun at the bar—they are allowed that measure of freedom and personality. they drink, they laugh, they have fun. they have desires outside of their jobs (notably, we see ken in a hawaiian shirt when he is revealed to be the mole, i.e. have desires outside of the main theerapanyakul house)

we do not see big outside of his role as a bodyguard. he is this role and this role is him. there's something there about him scrubbing away all of his personal wants and needs to fit into this role as kinn's Head Bodyguard. giving up everything else so he can do this job, be of use to the theerapanyakul family—to kinn. not allowing himself to think about or want things outside of the compound because those things will distract him. no faltering from his role, or any vision of him as a person is allowed to come through. all he has is just a single minded pursuit of his goal and his focus (protecting kinn). he has dedicated himself and he is proud of that. he still gets up and puts on the whole uniform every day, suspenders on, shirt buttoned up, tie tight. he follows the rules and his orders even though he hates them sometimes, even though he might protest at first—one word or gesture from kinn or korn or kim and he falls silent. he will push down everything else he might have wanted under the role he has chosen for himself, that he has now become. he has already given up everything else for the theerapanyakuls—so, in the end, why not his life? what else does he have to offer? what else is left?

[butchdykekondraki]

Hi i know nothing about kondraki you should tell me why she's transfem maybe (Genuine question by the way !!!!!! i'm curious)

YES OKAY HUGE WIN FOR ME. IM SO SORRY IM ABOUT TO BE SO ANNOYING

fair warning 80% of this is based primarily off shit that is only Vaguely Implied in canon, and also like one(1) that her author made on her like blog about 10-12 years ago. lol. lmfao. my point here is that im basically grasping at straws for half of these reasons. anyway that being said Enjoy.

a large part of kondrakis character is her absolutely Abysmal view on masculinity, and particularly her OWN masculinity. she's both her son's father and her son's mother, as his actual mother passed away at a young age, which left her pretty much spiraling from there. as such a large part of her idea of herself is based around being a "proper man" so her son can have a good role model, as well as being a "proper mother" so her son doesnt grow up without a mother. eventually this leads her to 1) believing herself to be less of a man (on account of the mothering) and 2) having a Weird view on masculinity just kind of in general. theres an odd part of her that kind of? exaggerates her masculinity almost? in the sense that shes almost desperately trying to be perceived as a "mans man", going out of her way to insist that she is strong and far more capable than anyone else, insisting upon herself that she is a man and she needs to Act Like One. she hardly ever actually allows herself to be vulnerable, primarily brushing it off with the assertion that its just "not in her nature" to be that way. (<- this also relates to her role in the foundation as a whole but thats neither here nor there).

unfortunately for her she deals with all of this via the worlds most god awful coping strategies (alcoholism & lack of care for her own body). she's repeatedly described as being Just Barely alive, floating by primarily on junk food, coffee, and whatever liquor she can get her hands on. she completely lacks any care in her body, self-preservation being practically non-existent in the sense of self-care. funnily enough, this behavior towards herself Completely Stops the Second she's turned into a girl. damn near moments after she actually gets magically transformed into a woman, she immediately starts taking care of her appearance (going so far as to describe herself as a quote "pretty princess" unquote) and actually being nicer to herself appearance wise. she calls herself "pretty", and when she goes back to being a man she immediately picks back up her self destructive habits and stops caring about her appearance.

theres like. more. but 99% of it is just wholly related to 408 / 7408 and her weird body horror transition. lol. lmfao.

[worlddissolvingintoslime]

who will i become

[honorhearted]

@socialseasons​ | continued from (x)

John was dead. No matter how many times Ben read and re-read Gregory’s frantic, pleading words, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around them -- couldn’t fathom why the boy believed Francesca needed his help. The malaise was too strong, he’d claimed. She would write home with pleasantries, but refused their mother’s fervent plea to come home and rest. 

But what could he do, Ben wondered? After his departure, he’d promptly cut off all ties with Francesca. Her letters arrived for many months, and despite his yearnings to correspond and keep himself abreast of her life, he’d selfishly discarded them into the fire, not even giving in to the temptation of opening them and reading what laid inside. A little over a year later, the letters finally stopped, and despite the undeniable hole in his heart from the loss of her friendship, he’d deemed their separation for the best. She had a husband now. She would soon have a family...

And now Francesca had nothing. She had no one in that big, empty manor, and despite Ben’s distance and lack of connection to her plight, he couldn’t help but feel responsible. He should’ve been there. He should have never let her face all this alone.

It was this guilt that fueled him into accepting Gregory’s secret invitation. Weeks onboard a cramped ship gave way to a stormy, unpleasant arrival with a chilling sense of foreboding. The wind whipped pellets of rain into his face, and waterlogged his clothes within moments of being on land. It was fitting, Ben thought. He was surely being tested for intervening where he was not welcome -- he was surely being punished with this tragedy of his own making.

By the time Ben pounded on the double doors to Francesca’s manor -- or rather, her husband’s -- it was late afternoon and he was shaking from the chill. Impatient, he shifted between using the door knocker and his fist, banging on the thick oak surface until it opened and revealed a servant with a cautious, disapproving scowl.

“Lady Francesca,” Ben choked out, abruptly lowering his fist. “Please...I need to speak with her.”

He knew he must appear bedraggled and untrustworthy at best, and his suspicions were confirmed once the woman denied him entry. 

“I’m sorry, but her ladyship is not currently admitting any guests,” she said.

She moved to close the doors, but Ben was quick to lodge his foot in between the wooden slabs. “Please,” he begged, “I’ve come out all this way...”

“And I’m sure she’d appreciate that,” the woman coolly said, “but I’m afraid you-”

“I was sent for!” Ben furiously cut in. “Please, you must let me through!” When the woman yet again moved to shut the doors, he used all his body weight to barrel in across the threshold, the servant’s shrill cry rising above the din as Ben breathlessly shouted, “Frannie! Fran, it’s me... Please. You must come down here!”

“Sir, please!” the woman growled. “If you don’t leave right this instant, I will have you thrown out by force!”

The commotion finally seemed to rouse someone’s attention. A woman appeared at the top of the staircase, and both Ben and the servant stopped in their tracks, the former feeling as though an awl had punctured him right between the ribs. It was her... It couldn’t be, and yet it was. The weight of womanhood carved itself across Francesca’s features, soft and refined, yet grief had mellowed out some of the brightness in her smile and the sparkle in her eyes. She was no longer sweet and carefree -- she was no longer a child, naïve and at fate’s mercy.

Finally, something seemed to register in Francesca’s face, and then she came rushing down the steps to meet him, her arms flinging around his neck and holding on tight. Forgotten was their small audience, and Ben stooped to properly embrace her, a lump in his throat as he passed his fingers through her hair and closed his eyes. “I’m so sorry,” he choked out. Please forgive me. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

Words failed him in that moment -- after all, what could he say to a friend he’d so heinously abandoned? -- and pressing a kiss to her temple, he finally settled on asking what happened. Francesca went rigid against him, and her silence tore his heartstrings akin to knives as she lowered down to her proper height, her eyes scanning his face with clear confusion.

“Your husband,” Ben weakly explained. “Frannie, I didn’t know... Why didn’t you tell me?” 

You know exactly why. 

Pressing his lips inward, shame bled across his features and he swallowed, suddenly unable to return her gaze. “I...I don’t know what to say,” he finally admitted. It was true. He didn’t know what to say, and as tears filled his eyes, he was suddenly grateful to the rainwater masking his emotional turmoil. It was her -- it was really, truly her -- and somehow, it hurt nearly as much to have Francesca there with him as it did to be apart. Her hands were clasped in his own, and yet the weight of them didn’t feel real...couldn’t be real.

And then just like that, she pulled away from him. It was as though a curtain had been drawn, promptly closing off the warmth in her face as she reverted back to something colder, proper and guarded. Don’t hide from me, he wanted to plead, and yet he knew the sentiment was laughable. Had that not been what he, himself had done over the past four years? He’d once told Francesca she taught him not to run from his problems -- that he needed to face them -- and yet Ben was still running, even now.

While Francesca fussed over his wet clothes, he finally felt the chill in the significantly warmer foyer and shivered, guilt ribboning through him upon her question.

“I didn’t wish to be presumptuous,” he said, “so I do have an inn I can return to, should you prefer it. Caleb helped me with my last minute travels, so he’s presently staying there.” Wiping the rainwater from his face, Ben offered a feeble smile and quipped, “You know, all those years ago during your debut, you had quite the stunning entrance. I suppose I was well overdue.” In more ways than one.

Once Mary had left to prepare his room, Ben reached down and took hold of Francesca’s hand, his heart in his throat as he gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll stay,” he finally agreed. “For as long as you need me.”

[moonfromearth]

On Repeat - an oc tag by @elderwisp

"rules are pretty simple, pick as many (or as little) oc's as you'd like and find a song that you relate to them the most! feel free to mention why too! o and tag some more ppl too! that would be cool!"

I may have gone a little overboard 😅 To be honest this tag came around at just the right time! I'd just gotten a new song association and have been working on schoolwork so much that I really needed to do something creative 😆

Originally these were all going to be in similar editing styles (more like Corey's) but somewhere along the way that stopped because I had different ideas that I really wanted to do. Also I cheated a little and a few got more than one song... 🤫

I'm really proud with all of these in the end, and if you want to read more about the stories behind them you can check below the cut! ❤️

I know I'm pretty late to the party now buuut I'll tag: @igglemouse @swiftviolets @stargazer-sims @auspexsims and @seniorpollinationtechnician. Feel free to ignore though if you've already done it/don't want to! 😁

[deep dive under cut!]

COREY ALTMAN

"Holiday" - Green Day:

This song being here is random song association at its finest. The trail pretty much goes "Holiday" by Green Day > Surf's Up > Beach Vibes > Sulani > Globetrotter Challenge > Corey Song. If that makes sense... 😂 Pretty much, you can blame the Sulani round of the Globetrotter Challenge for it, plus the fact that I feel like it's the type of song/genre Corey would use in his own music.

"Catch Me If You Can" - Set It Off:

Now, it would be a crime to talk about songs and Corey without a song by Set It Off. Corey was created when I was listening to their songs a lot, and it definitely rubbed off on him. From his aesthetic to the songs I imagine him playing, a lot of it came from Set It Off. Even his name was derived from the band's lead singer (although changed from Cody to Corey because that's the route my mind took with it idk). So, this song in particular specifically reminds me of Corey for... Honestly probably obvious reasons 😆 "Catch Me If You Can" was pretty much the theme of his Globetrotter Challenge, where he was constantly moving on the run from the law. A line I really like though for him is the part that says, "I only feel at home when I'm on the run," because I feel like that leads into the deeper aspects of Corey. He really isn't at home anywhere, he's always on the move, even when he's not evading capture anymore. There's a certain non-permanence to everything he does. Something funny about the image itself is that it originally wasn't going to be edited to look like the back cover of a CD. When I took the picture of Corey with the guitar I kind of thought "this looks like the back cover of a CD" and when editing I just needed a way to fill the space at the bottom and it turned into a CD back cover edit 🤣 It actually kind of fits though since both of these songs are the sound I associate with Corey's own music so it worked out in the end.

LIZZY ALTMAN

"Unopened Windows" - Set It Off:

So this one is the context behind this post lol. It's been like two years since I started working on this plotline I have to finish it eventually 😆 Anyway, Lizzy's been teased in many tag games so far, but without a name or much information (note: and this name's not final I'm not sure yet). Here you can probably guess based on the song choice how her story goes 😅 Going back to the epilogue of the Globetrotter Challenge, we see that something is going on, and it leads to Lizzy and her dad being separated. So, the entire song lyrically I really felt spoke to them and their situation (more in a future gameplay 😉). Bonus points for it being a Set It Off song, who I associate with Corey, and thought music could have been something that they bonded over and enjoyed together. I have a few things to say about the image itself because it was a struggle but I looooove how it turned out! It turned out essentially how I imagined it with Lizzy playing guitar in the foreground with a sort of memory of her time with her dad in the background. I probably had about five or six different poses that I put in the background because I couldn't decide which one I liked the best 😆 This was the last image I had to work on out of the four, and I was having trouble with how I wanted the song title to look. While I was browsing for overlays and stuff I came across a lot of cutout style poems and ended up adding in some of the lyrics because I thought it would help explain the concept behind the image. In the end this one is one of my favorites which is unbelievable considering how much I thought it was not going to turn out like I imagined 🥰

*UNNAMED*

(Sorry I don't have a name for her yet and don't want to commit to a temporary one 😭)

"Little Chaos" - Orla Gartland:

In a wonderfully serendipitous coincidence, this was the song association I was very into when getting tagged, and was already planning what became this edit! I rarely have song associations for sims/sims stories (despite how many ended up coming together here) so that's why I'll never get over how well timed this all was (thanks again elderwisp!!) On to the song, it has to do with my upcoming gameplay story centered around the For Rent game pack, and starring the pictured sim (who doesn't have a name yet sorry! 😅). She's going through a bit of a tough time where she's very lost and I thought the lines, "And it's a good day for a meltdown. All my thoughts getting too loud," fit really where she's at, especially at the start. Plus, the vibes are perfect. The image itself was inspired by the song's MV and one part in particular, but it looks a lot different now (I was limited by the poses I could find because I refuse to sit down and learn to make my own yet). I liked this idea of the torn pages framing the image, especially because it plays into the plot, which sees the main character do a lot of journaling throughout the story. So, the lined paper had to do with that, and it doubled as being good for making the letters stand out, which I wanted to be big and misaligned to be more "chaotic," though I think that could have been done more/better. Aaaaand the background is a picture of Tomarang, where the story takes place. To be honest this will probably be the cover image once I finalize a name and get started on playing it 😉

GHOST COWBOY

(no he also doesn't have a name yet same as above 😆)

"Ferryman" - Schafer James and Will Wood:

I've actually been having a lot of fun with this character since initially creating him back before the Horse Ranch pack came out (more on him coming out in a few days for the outlaw challenge 😉). So this song.... The entire concept of our ghost cowboy is that he, being somewhat half dead and half alive, winds up being a good source of convincing "unwilling souls" to cross over, and works with the character Death to do so in exchange for finding out why he's not entirely dead. I'll explain it better another time, but I also really love this song and just thought that the concept of the ferryman and the ghost cowboy as ferriers of the dead.

"Toss A Coin To Your Witcher (Epic Version)" - Samuel Kim and Black Gryph0n:

Liiiiisten... My family made me watch three seasons of The Witcher I had to get something out of it 😆 I joke a lot that this character gives off Geralt vibes but honestly they are definitely super similar just based on their overall aesthetic and horse companions. I wanted to be special though and chose this epic cover instead of the original... Just for fun 😁 There were some cool piano covers too that almost made the cut. This is probably a good place to talk about the actual image (yay!). I hope the visibility on it isn't too bad because it ended up waaaay more cluttered than I originally intended, plus the mist effect definitely makes it harder to see the characters. I made his (also unnamed) horse a little more transparent to try and give off this ghostly see through effect so I hope that comes through. The font isn't the kind of "wild west wanted sign" font that I wanted, but I think it's close enough lol.

Credits:

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

[front-facing-pokemon]

[sleepytoken]

heyo! I’ve been listening to sleep token for a while now and I’m familiar with like some of the lore and such, but I don’t know the band members besides vessel very well! I’m big into ghost so I get the anonymous and playing characters theme. Can you tell me which is which and their personalities and the like? Thank you ^^

Hi there! And sure, or at least how I perceive their stage personas c: Since you already said you are pretty familiar with Vessel I will skip over the mighty vocalist, heh. Rant and gifs below!

II : The tiny king of drums. He is insanely talented and known to get really into the music. He will often mime and sing behind his kit, dangling his drumsticks or beating up his poor soundboard. He is both cool and collected but also gets very animated when he’s feeling it. You can tell he pours his heart and soul into every song. He may be the smallest but he’s got a ton of swagger and a very confident and commanding presence. And the biggest blue eyes that he enjoys peering into any camera lens's soul with (and then your own). He is a founding member along with Vessel and has writing credits. He is all about the vibes. What vibes exactly? I dunno but they are weird and wonderful. He is my personal fave...though how can you choose ffs.

III : The lanky bassist. Now this tall boy is all about the moves and chaos. He is very bendy and jumpy and kicky and he dances all over the place. He is goofy and playful and known especially for his antics with IV and Vessel. Though he will go bother II as well. He is also the most expressive with his wardrobe and paint - especially with the new looks. He can proper headbang now with his hair out which is lovely though it never stopped him before. III is by far the most talkative on stage and will yell at the crowd. You may find him holding his hand out with a question mark on his palm or demanding a pit. Like II he will also mime songs out to the crowd. He’s the lovable goober, sassy and potentially a little shit.

IV : Mr. Business Casual. He is the guitarist/back up vocalist and his screams will saturate your eardrums with bliss. Affectionately called a fuck boy, this man is the embodiment of horny swagger. He’s a massive tease. He is known for sensually stroking his guitar neck and strap, singing out to the crowd pointing and drawing them in and playing heavily with his mask. Like Vessel, he uses his hands a lot for expression. He has a quieter and more watchful stage presence but still playful, especially when interacting with III, and he has a signature leg raise and twirl. IV also demands kisses and can be found waiting with arms outstretched and on his knees for Vessel to swoop in for a smooch or leaning back hoping for III to come along for a smacker check out the yearning tag for those. He's also often just vibing with II. He has come the farthest with his stage confidence and we are so proud of him. He comes across as a genuinely kind soul and openly shows his emotion and gratitude to the fans.

And all together now

From left to right is III -> II -> IV -> Vess

[the-words-we-sung]

Thoughts and pictures - S3E2

Here we go for the rewatch of S3E2 (sorry in advance, it might get long ^^')

The new rules at Hillerska are pretty dumb and way too severe. And this phone policy is so stupid: how are these 2 horny boys supposed to survive? :p

So on one hand, online hate is about Simon not being good enough for Wilhelm, and on the other hand, it's about Wilhelm who should not have said anything in his speech because he's betraying the school. Though Wilhelm is not reading the online comments like Simon, and the attacks are less personal and vicious. Seeing Simon read through everything was so painful, I just wanted to go kick the ass of everyone who dared be a bully so this lil' muffin.

Gosh the third years are over the top: "three years here and we get nothing", just because they can't have a proper graduation and all the parties and stupid stuff they wanted to do before graduating? I guess that it's frustrating but compared to the real issues that are being raised about the school, it sounds very very superficial... August is way more reasonable than Vincent about it: the issue is not that they won't have a graduation (even if they don't have the party, they will still graduate high school) but that the school might close, thus sending them all to other schools before the end of the term. Vincent is an idiot.

"Why can't she call me?". Episode 2 and Wilhelm is already heartbroken because of his mother.

Farima doesn't believe Wilhelm about his initiation, look at her face! But it strikes me that her main concern if he did go through this awful initiation is that it would look bad for the Royal Court to keep him here, and not at all about his well being and how traumatizing it would have been!! The adults in this show are the worst... And nobody cares about Wilhelm (except Simon) 💔

"He's such an attention whore". Another ass that needs to be kicked!! How dare they talk about him like that?

Simon keeps being bullied and Wilhelm pressured: if they close the school, it'll be his fault. Why is everyone so mean and terrible to them?

The Felice interview makes me so mad!! And it reminds me of the interaction between August, Simon and Wilhelm back in season 1 when August tells them how nice it is that rowing bring students together, with no regard for their ethnicity, background, etc. Which made Simon super mad too. I love the switch from Felice in the office with her strained smile to her angrily throwing punches during gym class. Excellent cinematic!

Micke and Sara: I'm still so surprised to see him act so well.

This freaking blonde girl from the choir: I hate her 😡 She was the one slut shaming Felice in season 2. Now she's complaining about the point of training for a song if they're not sure they'll be performing. You're annoying and mean. I don't like you 😤

But Simon's face when Wilhelm joins the choir 💜💜

I love this little scene so much: they are just so cute and in love. Like you can feel how much they love each other: they're literally glued together, kissing and then just keeping their faces so so close to each other while talking. It just feels so true to life, when you love someone so much that you just want to stay as close as you can, just touching each other in any way you can, never letting go. Also I just love how Simon loves Wilhelm. How clingy he can be.

So the scene between Nils and August: we know that they were victims of this awful initiation but I'm realizing now that we don't know if they ended up being beaten up and made fun of because they got an erection? I've seen several posts of people discussing that August could be queer because he had a reaction to the porno (which I don't agree with, I don't think that it can be taken as an indicator of someone's sexual orientation). But we don't know if he had a reaction, do we? Or am I misunderstanding/missing something?

Wilhelm is so angry with August. Yeah his reaction in the library can be seen as a little over the top ("don't talk to him!") but I understand his anger. And okay, the way we go from the fight to both of them sitting silently in Boris' office is comedy gold :p I'm almost frustrated that the fight was so short though, I wanted Wilhelm to get some good punches in!! These mediation talks: I'm not sure how I feel about them. On one hand I get that the Court wants them to get along, but on the other, August did something truly awful and traumatizing to Wilhelm. So if he doesn't want to talk to him, to see him or to have anything to do with him anymore, well, it's his right! He shouldn't be forced to interact with him like that. Also I was a bit disappointed by Boris this season: he was so good during season 2 but I find him a bit underwhelming this season...

"I can be your revolution". Please can we get the song again in the last episode? The full version for a happy Wilmon who are a revolution together? Pretty please?

Simon giggling while reading the messages about his video is the cutest thing ever. And it's a tragedy that it was one of the only giggle we got from him this season 😫

Wilhelm is wearing a purple jumper when he listens to Simon's song. It's rare to see him wear purple, isn't it?

Linda still annoys me a bit this season. Like in this scene: no, don't ask your son, who's been betrayed so hard by his sister, to still care about her right now. He's angry at her, and rightfully so (I love love love that they let him be truly angry at her). She should understand that.

Rosh and Stella: yes please, I ship it! (Yeah I don't like Frederika so I'm all for a new potential love interest for Stella :p)

Also after 2 seasons where we regularly saw guys peeing outside, it's the girls' turn!! I don't know why but it made me laugh ^^

The conversation about their summer plans: this scene is so awkward!! And the tent scene that follows is just terrible 😭 Also hear me out: maybe unpopular opinion but I think Simon overreacted. Maybe from his point of view what Wilhelm is gonna do during summer is not working (because it's not the kind of job that him, Ayub and Rosh will have) but it's still working. Taking classes to become Prince/King is not gonna be a walk in the park, it's gonna be work for Wilhelm. It's terrible because I understand where Simon is coming from during their fight: telling Wilhelm that he never had to work to afford anything, that he's so incredibly privileged, it's so hard to be with someone who's from such a higher social status and be easily pissed off when they don't seem to realize it (what do you mean it sounds like I'm talking from experience.. 😅). Side eyeing Wilhelm hard with the shushing though. Don't talk to Simon like that >< (I would have stormed out if I had been Simon!) And yeah throwing the line about the settlement money was not nice (I've seen people being angry about it) but he's mad and got yelled at while he thought he was just trying to relate to and hang out with Simon's friends. So I understand throwing a mean comment there (I would have done the same 😣)

The "is it my fault?" breaks my heart. And so again: the crushing weight on Wilhelm's shoulders... His mother is unwell so he has to be strong, to be ready to take over, and on top of it, he has to keep it to himself.

Gosh season 3 is just things piling up on Wilhelm and Simon. Different things but still crushing them, slowly but surely...

[lietpolski]

when you have the chance, could you do a mischaraterization analysis on iceland?

sure!! i think the difference between him and nor is that people are more aware of the liberties they're taking with his characterization, so, disclaimer: i don't care how you characterize him and i don't think i'm better for sticking to canon. but let's talk about canon iceland!!

one thing that's a personal pet peeve is his age, and when he's portrayed as an adult. i've seen people saying that they don't even know if he's meant to be a teenager or not! but:

he's meant to be 16-17, as hima has said! now, i think it's fine to take creative liberties with most characters' ages. however, with iceland it's such a core element of his personality that aging him up just,, entirely changes him as a character!

iceland is meant to be a teenager. no, not in the emo tumblr user who loves memes sense (that interpretation was 90% of iceland content in 2015 haha), but like a teenager who because of his age can be immature, and struggle with his emotions, connections to others, and a lot of insecurity. you can see some of that insecurity in his need to be seen as mature, but also his embarrassment over his accent & being hot-headed (another aspect of him that's underexplored! people forget that side of him!)

"According to Himaruya (in a Comic Birz interview), Iceland tends to feel uncomfortable with his thick accent and hard to understand language, opting to speak in English when he can. This was further instated when it was mentioned in his Volume 5 profile that he tries his best to hide his accent.[17]"

but more specifically, i'd say that iceland's main internal struggle & driving force is his want to connect with and be close to others. but in response to him always been forgotten, being an afterthought, and falling behind, he's put up a front of indifference about it - "i don't care if people don't care about me"

but here's the thing! although he tries to act uncaring and fine being alone, he loves his overbearing family :,) and values the connections they give him so much!! in my opinion, him disliking how the other nordics act is just a front (except when he's being babied, which is understandable haha) and i think this gets kinda lost in fanon. just look at these interactions! (image order is left to right)

this one below makes me especially sad :,)

the other nordics being what stops him from being lonely is huge when you consider iceland's origins:

he was all alone, for years and years and years, with no one like himself to explain to him who he was, what he was, a little kid all alone and he was so lonely. that is, until his big brothers finally came over to his island to bring him home!

so yes, iceland does care about his family and does want them close, and he's not as indifferent to everything as he wants to act. he's a character with some deeply rooted insecurities, and he feels the need to hide them

and some quick thoughts: i don't have a lot of obvious examples, but iceland is an old-fashioned person! he's not as in touch with the rest of the world, he wears grandpa sweaters and cravats, he has an old ass phone, he doesn't at all strike me as internet savvy and i don't like that characterization of him

i've covered this in more detail with my denmark & norway rants, but he's super close to both of them, likes both of them, and sees both of them as brothers! in fact, he sees sweden & finland as brothers too!

(+ that image i showed earlier saying that he looks up to sweden as an adult, and how he calls them all nicknames! dan, svi, fin, nor!)

one last thing about his relationships!! people seem to think that him and hong kong are an entirely fanon thing, when actually they have at least 2 manga chapters where they interact and seem to be friendly! here's one of them :)

i hope you found this long rant interesting, he's one of my favourites!

[fenny-self-ships]

Hiiiiiiiii

Idk if you’re comfortable with hurt/comfort, but if you are I got a request for you! Lol

Basically, the idea is headcanons (or writing) of Jafar with an S/O that suffered SEVERE narcissistic abuse, and him quickly dealing just how much damage behaviors like his can cause. Like, he has to calm them down from a ptsd flashback, and they end up saying something about the “mind games” they were always playing, and how they were always on eggshells, and he’s basically over here like “ohhhh fuk…I do that kind of thing to people…”

Ooh some hurt comfort?? Coming right up 👀

I'm by no means an expert on this topic, so I'll stick with headcannons for now, but if you like 'em I'm more than open to writing a full imagine in future!!

Cracks my knuckles

Jafar with an abused S/O~!

Given the way he speaks, I wouldn't be surprised if it was something he said that triggered the unfortunate episode

A nasty, condescending comment about a hobby of yours, a hissing remark correcting your behaviour, or even deliberately misconstruing something you've said -- Incredibly self-serving, of course, but he's a master manipulator, and can very easily play the victim in even the tiniest arguments

Nothing could prepare him, however, for the sudden fit of anxiety and terror his words would induce

He is WOEFULLY uneducated on such things, and would regrettably have absolutely zero clue how to approach the situation -- He'd more than likely just freeze, simply staring down at you as you crumble

Once he's snapped out of his stupor, his first instinct would be to remove himself from the situation

He's clearly upset you, and he'd rather die than debase himself by admitting to his own wrongs. What a PATHETIC move that would be, huh?? (/sar)

Perhaps not the greatest instinct, but he'd give you time to cool off, to return to yourself, before slinking back in to discuss what caused your 'hysteria' (🙄🙄)

Likely with some warm tea to show in the smallest sense that he does actually CARE about you. It's not much, but it might be enough to get you talking

He would have fully intended to make a half-assed attempt at listening, followed by an empty promise to 'do better' and some kisses to top it off, but, in true Jafar fashion, his interest is piqued when you start describing the shit that he is oh so good at

The insufferable superiority complex, the 'do-no-wrong' mentality, the near constant mind games, manipulation and victimisation -- every single experience you describe he resonates with far too much

He hasn't had much experience with guilt, but you're his beloved. He cares about you. The sickly feeling creeps, resting heavier and heavier on his shoulders the more you manage to tell him

Truly an 'ohhhh fuck... I do that shit' moment if there ever was one

It's become second nature to him, almost a survival tactic -- not any excuse for his behaviour, of course, but he rarely gives a second thought to how awful the effects can be

He hates that it was you who had to tell him. He's supposed to be your biggest supporter, not your worst enemy

His illusion of perfection is shattered -- You aren't lucky to be with him, HE'S lucky you've put up with his disposition for as long as you have. He feels terrible.

All at once, you're wrapped up in a hug. Physical touch isn't his forte, but when you're as bad at apologies as he is, sometimes you have to compromise

This may be the first time you've ever heard a genuine 'sorry' from him

He will make an effort. Not to better himself as a whole, hell no, but to be better for you. The last thing he'd want to do is hurt you the way you've been hurt before. That'd be the WORST thing for his overinflated ego.

He's trying <3

[crystalleoi]

i got a 7th gen ipod nano and. well. you know.

additional doodles

[painfullyprickedandticked]

My Hellaverse ship takes!

First off all, these are my opinions and I respect other people's tastes. Please respect that what I'm about to say is all subjective and there isn't any right or wrong pairings at the end of the day (unless it's like. Legit fucked)

Secondly, please don't get mad if your favorite pairing didn't make it into my preferences or what not. Everybody's got different tastes. Again, it's all subjective! If you like (x) pairing and it isn’t in the "like" section, good for you - seriously, have fun as long as it hurts nobody.

That being said, here's my thoughts.

OTP(s) + Pairings I LOVE:

Stolas x Blitzø - The most divisive yet amazing. They’re controversial but damn, I love them so much. I love their slow burn into something that isn’t as toxic as they started. I love their history. I love how their personalities can click well in subtle ways. I love how similar they are in some ways (i.e. self loathing) yet different in other ways. They’re both massive disasters, and that’s what makes them fit - even if it’s taking them forever to realize it. Ultimate otp material.

Charlie x Vaggie - um, how can you NOT love them? They are so adorable. Nice and healthy, and sure they’re super vanilla but what’s wrong with that? The way you could fill in the blanks with how they got together. The way Vaggie being a fallen angel proves Charlie’s ambitions aren’t foolish. The whole grumpy girl/smiley girl she’s soft for dynamic! Ugh, sweethearts. THE girls of all time. Can’t get enough.

Alastor x Rosie - so quick note, I'm aspec myself and prefer seeing radio demon bastard man as a demiromantic/gray asexual. It's a spectrum, guys, and the staff says it's OK to pair him off. So yeah, I love these two... they're such an old married couple type. Kind of see it as slow burn friends to lovers, but without so much drama, and more cannibalism. She keeps him steady yet doesn’t stifle him like I see in some other ships. He also lets her run wild and they are so complementary of each other. If he HAS to be with somebody romantically, let it be his best friend - the one who didn’t turn on him - and the one he cares for the most and actually trusts.

...plus, anybody get Xibalba and La Muerte vibes from them a la The Book of Life? No, just me? OK.

Moxxie x Millie - married couple of crazy kids in love. They’re sweet yet freaky. I can’t not stan them.

Husk x Angel - I don’t care what the detractors say, I love them. Hurt people finding comfort in each other is a trope I ADORE and these two take it to a level I'm just at a point where, if I had to, I'd chew on glass to see more of them on screen. Also... they have some great chemistry. You just have to look at the subtleties.

Fizz x Ozzie - pretty explanatory. Imagine if Chaggie was two guys, one an imp and the other a sin, and they were not only super adorable and healthy and happy but also kinky. I gotta stan, once again.

Lucifer x Lilith - very basic, old married couple. They have a lot of issues to work out, even if I don’t necessarily think Lilith’s gonna be some evil conniving bitch - though it’s fun to explore that in fics I’ll admit - since she did just up and disappear for more than a decade. Still, I like them. He risked everything and lost everything in heaven for her, and she was willing to build hell with him - the dreamers in love. Malewife and girlboss but if more complicated.

Lucifer x Paimon - this sounds cracky, but hear me out! The actual dads of Charlie (and Stolas). In actual lore of demonology, Paimon is the Goetia who’s most loyal to Lucifer. Undying loyalties, I'm talking. Yes, in the Hellaverse, he’s an absolute asshole, but asshole to everybody but the one I love is a trope that’s got me hooked. I think Lucifer could rub off well on Paimon, probably knock him down all those pegs. Redemption, though probably not in the way Charlie was going for - especially not if it means her stepbrother is a total disaster and she has 70+ more stepsiblings... details! Oh, and bonus if it’s poly with Lilith.

Striker x Stella - Stella's not my fave, at all, but I like her and Striker together. I think they'd be total nasty assholes but an absolute evil power couple. Yes, it's hypocritical for them to get together because of their views, but hey - who doesn’t love a contradictory ship every now and then?

Zestial x Carmilla - another pretty basic pairing. It's vanilla and will never happen, but I love them still. Old married couple, once again, and Zestial adopting Carmilla's daughters is just very sweet to me. Plus if she's portrayed as a fallen seraphim, it'd be interesting - the hellborn who allowed a fallen angel into his ranks, gave her a chance when nobody else would. The potential.

Charlie x Emily - super fluffy and fun. Better if it's poly with Vaggie. Charlie has two hands.

Ships I like:

Valentino x Vox - only as mostly a work relationship/on and off fling. I don’t deny they have feelings for each other but personally I don’t take the "they're in love" here as more than they found solace in each other's awfulness. I enjoy them and their banters but I'd be hard pressed to really write up on them. They do make a good villain/villain pair, but it’s just not my favorite due to Valentino being...Valentino. Yet somehow them both being so awful works it out, so how can I object?

Blitzø x Fizz - first love type, and I like it even if I'm biased for stolitz and fizz/ozzie. They’re great in their own way and I love how they’ve been able to patch things up. I see the vision here, it’s good, it’s just not my primary vision.

PAST Adam/Lucifer/Lilith/Eve - fucked up polycule being the actual reason it went to shit in Eden? Sign me up. I like the idea that Charlie’s been fed a half truth and neither her parents wanted to admit that Adam and Lucifer had a thing, and Eve and Lilith did too. I don’t know if I'd pair them as an OT4 in a post canon tense, but in terms of bitter exes? YES. I also think Adamsapple is my overall favorite combination of this, though all are good except maybe Adam x Lilith, which I don’t see as more than just really bitter divorced couple. Still, great poly. Just again, not my primary thing.

Adam x Lute - super popular again, pretty cliché boss/subordinate pairing but they’re both such assholes that they'd work so well. There’s SOME type of thing going on there, I'm sure. If we get Adam back in S2, I'd love to see glimpses of him and Lute again even if that's such wishful thinking.

Rosie x Velvette - for some reason, I like this. Mainly as one-sided on Velvette’s end, but still. I think Velvette’s 36, and Rosie's not more than 49 (I hc she's a sinner) so it wouldn’t be...super awkward. The idea of Velvette being a bitch to Carmilla but flustered around Rosie is funny to me. Too bad I can't find art of just them.

Verosika x Stella - bad bitch and big bitch. I blame that swap au mostly. I could see it as them first bonding over their exes but then actual feelings spring, and Stella has her bi awakening (and redemption arc in my eyes, never underestimate my love for wlw!). It’s just super interesting to me.

Sallie May x Barbie - I haven’t got much to say other than that I just want them to be girlfriends. And for Blitzø to freak out in realizing Moxxie is technically his brother in law, and Millie's actually his sister in law. OK bye-

Paimon x Tilla - I blame some Stolitz fix-it fics for this! AUs where Paimon actually becomes a decent father and doesn’t arrange the marriage between Stella and Stolas, and instead decides after Cash abandons his family to donate to the circus; that shit has me on a tight grip! Not my go to for King Bastard, but goddamn it’s so INTRIGUING. The hypocrisy of it is deeper than Strella. He falls for not just an imp but an obvious imp/succubi mix? Like? Hello?? Only reason I don’t pair this as much as Lucifer and Paimon is because it makes Stolitz harder to become endgame for, well, obvious reasons. It’s a fun what-if, but unfortunately unless I can come up with a scenario where they can meet when Stolitz is established as adults, it’s currently just in the "like" section of my ship list. :/ shame too, because there's no art of it? And no new fics...hmph.

Loona x Beelzebub x Vortex - poly again! This time it would actually work out. They'd have a chill dynamic and just party, hang out and Loona learns to loosen up a bit. Good stuff. Can't really say more than that.

Crimson x Alessio - assholes that deserve each other. Crimson is a shithead but I like them, idk. I think Alessio is like, the singular person he respects. That dynamic is something I fuck with.

Verosika x Sallie - I just think they’re neat and yeah, that’s it. I'm shamelessly into any F/F pairing that can grab my attention.

Pentious x Alastor - Cherri and Pentious felt...I don’t know? They are cute, but they never clicked with me. I liked the weird dynamic here more. Pentious is the only male character besides Zestial that he’s ever been close to "somewhat cordial" with. There is an interesting past that could be explored - why's Pentious extra nervous saying sorry to radio bastard... hmm. It's not a FAVORITE, but props for being more interesting than an actual canon pairing that had dynamics I should've been into (enemies to lovers, fast buildup/tension, kinky as fuck; Cherri and Pentious you had it all yet you couldn’t grab me WHY).

Stolas x Vassago - only in fanfics and fanart. I don’t know if I'm totally on board with them becoming a thing even if it'll be temporary. Im too biased, I know, and i think this is a good ship its just not something I'd root for as endgame. I do think Vassago is great though, deserves all the things a good boi does.

Ships I could get into:

Polycule Stolitz x Fizzozzie - sure, why not? I've read some fics of this. See the vision. They'd all actually be fun together.

Lucifer x Vox - totally crack but the stuff for it is so well done, and it'd piss off deer bastard to see the men he hates get together so? Gotta applaud.

Lute x Emily - enemies to friends to lovers, maybe? Very strangely cute. Dig it. Ship name for them however makes me guffaw in the worst ways. Name combinations are a blessing and curse in this fandom lmao

Adam x Mammon - funny, and they're both such massive douchebags it would work. Too bad I'm kind of digging into another ship with Mammon...

Leviathan x Mammon - I BLAME FANART FOR THIS. Ugh... it’s so fun to imagine them being an asshole power couple in the deadly sins. Sea creature that’s overly manipulative and the total clown that’s such a massive sack of shit yet can keel over for his bf, how could I not.

Sallie x Striker - sure, I’ll allow it. Mostly just prefer it platonic tho oops

Alastor x Zestial - again, the only guy Alastor doesn’t actively despise. They’re pretty cordial and I could see maybe a slowburn here. Perhaps poly with Carmilla?

Cherri x Pentious - maybe if I'm feeling generous in the future. Idk. I wish I felt something when they happened. I like them more in the pilot than in actual canon. Sad.

Vassago x Andrealphus - enemies to lovers and a plausible redemption for peacock bitch in my eyes. Can't complain.

The Loopty dude x Lyle Lypton - they were an old married couple you can’t tell me otherwise

Cash x Paimon - ONLY FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES. Cash is such an asshole and deserves nothing but...THIS IS SO FUNNY TO ME I CANT DISLIKE IT. I'm so mad. Legit Stolitz but if they were godawful parents.

Tilla x the Mom of Moxxie - sure why not? Old women yuri. Let's go!

Vaggie x Emily - mostly prefer them with Charlie but it's too sugary to not enjoy tbh

Velvette x Vox - it's got that girlboss and malewife vibe. I just can't really seem to het-ship Velvette.

Polyvees - I love polycules tbh, but I see them all as evil besties so it’s so conflicting to me. Gahhhhh.

Striker x Stella x Verosika - does anybody ship this besides like, 3 other people. No? OK I guess I could be the forth. Don’t rlly pair Verosika with men despite seeing her as pan, but she and Striker dating Stella and hooking up occasionally is a cool idea. Rip Octavia tho jfc

Vox’s Assistant x Valentino’s assistant - I saw this ONCE and it’s alright. Could probably vibe with it if Travis wasn’t such a Val dickrider though probably not to Vox’s extent. Oh well.

There's more that fit here but I'm forgetting LMAO sorry...

Ships I'm very neutral on:

Carmilla x Rosie - I love femslash but I can’t get into this for some reason. It has all the dynamics I should love but it doesn’t click. Very upsetting to me.

Alastor x Angel - ughhhh this is where my gripes with popular ships begin. There's a vision here but I can't see it. It's not ruined for me like some other popular ships, but I can't be hard pressed to care for it? I want to enjoy it as a fun what if but smth about it doesn’t appeal to me. It isn't bad? I just...don't know. I'm sorry.

One-sided Vox x Alastor - strictly as unrequited, I see where people vibe with it. Vox’s obsession with Alastor is not a normal rivalry. Who the fuck puts up THAT many cameras around an area where the guy you hate is present? Why is he so pressed about Alastor turning down the offer to join the Vees? Why the fuck is he so goddamn tense and frustrated during the last half of that song??? Yet I can't get into this one way broadcast too much. A lot of it mischaracterizes Alastor's being aspec as if he'd cower at a man liking him, and assumes the aspec-ness means he can't ever love. I do not vibe with this shallow take.

The reason Alastor dislikes Vox is because he embodies what he HATES in men the most. His arrogance and shittiness. Alastor’s a hypocrite for this because he is also a terrible person in his own way, but Vox’s his own kind of fucked up that even Alastor has to take a step back - and yet it isn’t one-sided in the rivalry sense. Al likes to purposefully take a piss out of Vox. But it IS unrequited in the sense of Vox’s psycho-sexual and parasocial addiction to Alastor. He stalks him relentlessly. For that, I am so on the fence because I see this being portrayed as Alastor’s so mean for rejecting Vox! Wah! Vox really loved him! like excuse me???!

Vaggie x Lute - I understand where it comes from. Bitter exes. Yet I cannot get into it and that also upsets me. I love wlw lovers to enemies and yet!!! Agh. Why am I like this.

Stolas x Andrealphus - if it wasn’t for the fact I see Andrealphus as 13 years older than Stella and Stolas (thus he was already in his early 30s by the time they got forced into marriage at 19), THEN MAYBE. Just one-sided? Little hatefuck? Idfk.

Husk x Alastor - toxic as hell, but the art is good. I understand more if it's an AU where the gamble/contract isn't made, but...blah. I'm hardly into most popular ships with deer bastard, and I think cat-bird dude deserves better than him tbh.

Wally x Verosika - I see this sometimes? It’s hilarious but it’s definitely not something I'd actively search for. She's out of his league and he probably doesn't need that toxicity either.

Moxxie/Millie x Blitzø - only as a one-night threesome and nothing more. They're great buddies but damn, after a while, the running gag of Blitzø wanting to fuck them both just needs to stay a gag and nothing more than that.

Crimson x Stella - my mind tells me no, my body says yes. SEND HELP.

I'm too mean, maybe. Idk. This is where I prep up for "spicy" takes now...

Platonic / Found Family:

Alastor & Mimzy - I don’t care if Mimzy’s not really the greatest friend from her single appearance. There’s some HISTORY and I like to believe they are each other's rides or dies. They're so sibling coded, it hurts!

Rosie & Mimzy - them bonding over their love for Al. I am WEAK for this dynamic. Even if Rosie would probably be skeptical of Mimzy for a long time.

Alastor & Niffty - they are so father/daughter coded. Step aside, Charlie, Niffty is Alastor’s REAL daughter. For real though? I love them so much. The fact he’s so sweet with Niffty despite their weird contract. She adores him so much and gives him dead bug crowns?? King roach and his lil princess forever. <3

Carmilla & Vaggie - it’s a tough love dynamic but I have had a mother like that, so I DIG IT. The idea of Carmilla learning she cares about this fallen angel, and her adopting her into her family... Odette and Clara becoming Vaggie’s siblings? Zestial being the awkward father? Please give me this I'm obsessed!!!

Octavia & Loona - their sister bond has me bound and gagged. Loona being so soft around Octavia but still mean to others, like...yes. we love that. We need more of this. I would again, chew glass just to see their bond more.

Barbie Wire & Loona - I feel they’d probably get along well. Loona could help her adoptive aunt chill the fuck out (ironically or not idk). Plus I'm just a sucker to see broken families slowly mend ♡♡♡

Andrealphus & Stella - chaotic evil sibling duo... what more do you want?

Angel & Niffty & Husk - they both care for this little gremlin lady in their own ways and I honestly ate that shit up in that episode.

The Overlords & Vassago - in general, mostly as individual dynamics, but them being a funny squad in memes is something I want so badly. Esp since we don’t know yet if Vassago's overlord status was retconned. Like we don’t have concrete rules - what if he can be an Ars Goetia and an Overlord?

Alastor & Charlie - the only acceptable way to pair them is platonic. He’s her "I didn't actually adopt her but I've grown so attached I will do it mostly out of spite" dad. We love that for her.

Vaggie & Lucifer - give me more of them bonding as future in-laws.

Lucifer & Ozzie & Bee & Mammon - fucked up found family manifest, please... I am begging.

Sera & Lucifer - not as siblings but as ex best friends who fell out after he chose Lilith over heaven. It would be heartbreaking but cathartic (for me).

Vaggie & Angel - wlw/mlm animosity to solidarity arc when?

Squicks Me Out / No Thanks:

Charlie x Alastor - romantically? Nope. This is giving me vibes of some of the worst heroine/bad guy ships. That, and the homophobic fans of this - not saying all are homophobic but Those types - have made it hard for me to be sympathetic here. I personally also think it’s kind of gross that most sideline Vaggie or pair her off just so she's not in the way. That and that specific line in the Dad Vs Dad song doesn’t make me feel any more comfortable around this as a romantic prospect.

Two-sided Alastor x Vox - alarming tbh. A lot of stuff I see of this comes from the idea that, again, it’s wrong for Alastor not to rub shoulders and make out with a guy who disrespects him. Say what you will about Stolas and Blitzø but there’s mutual agreements and consensual understandings, toxic as they might be. There’s none of that in any potential relationship between Vox and Alastor. At most, they take pisses out of each other - but for them to go to loving each other? Nope... big nope. The worst enemies to lovers. They’re similar in the worst ways and too different in the worst ways - they'd probably suffocate one another or violently dismember each other before they'd ever kiss and make up.

For all I see complaining about Alastor and Rosie or Stolitz being too basic of an idea romantically, how is this any better tho? Vox is a voyeurist. Alastor’s a sadist. How could it ever work? I'm sorry to those who like this pairing as requited, but I personally can never get behind this. At all.

Lucifer & Alastor - ugh, it's everywhere and after seeing how rabid the fanbase got with it, like it's the only acceptable ship with either character, I just blacklist all ship tags and try to block it out entirely. I do not like this ship. It's very boring to me and there's no chemistry or anything that could potentially appeal to me here. Again, if you're into it, that's fine - just not for me.

I can never get into popular pairings sometimes, and this was one of them. I'm so sorry.

Stolas x Stella - don't need to explain this one. Ugh.

Verosika x Blitzo - nope... maybe as exes to explore, but the fanbase also ruined this for me. She needs to move on with a girl, and he should be with disaster owl prince. That's all.

Moxxie x Chaz - Chaz sucks and Moxxie deserved better.

Cash x Tilla - Cash sucks, and Tilla deserves better (yet I like her and Paimon...I know I'm a hypocrite, at least I'll admit it!).

Crimson x Cash - something, something... my absolute trauma seeing abusive dads together...something.

Crimson x Striker - hahaha, no.

Striker x Blitzø - another "was good as an idea but some people got so annoying that I can't stand it now" pair. Yes, I'm mean and hypocritical, I'll repeat it and apologize.

Absolutely Not:

Valentino x anybody who’s not a Vee - he is a bastard and belongs with bastards on his level. Keep him far away from Angel, particularly.

Any incest ships or pairings with Octavia and an adult - should I have to explain??? REALLY???? don’t make me explain.

Niffty x anybody - she’s just so... childish. It makes me so uncomfortable seeing her paired with Husk or Pentious. Damn.

Again, if your fave ship didn’t make the cut (unless it’s incest or p3do because then that’s just NOT IT)... I'm sorry! I'm just very picky sometimes. I wanted this post to be short but it ended up long. Super sorry but yeah these are my ship opinions <3