#this probably doesn't make sense but my bad

[an-ruraiocht]

#hear me out but I feel the same way about martial arts movies

not only do i completely agree but this is also sort of what i was thinking about when i posted this quote of all the quotes in this article! (adding the link since this is the pre-edit version of the quote that's still circulating so doesn't have it, rip) except because i'm me i was thinking about it in the context of medieval irish literature rather than modern martial arts movies but one of my original tags was

#it's the ballet-as-clessa energies of it

which is referring to the medieval irish hero cú chulainn's martial feats/tricks which are basically incredibly elaborate things he does with weapons that are somewhere between juggling, gymnastics, and warfare. like he's leaping ten feet in the air and throwing around balls and apples and darts and also killing people. and these very elaborate tricks rely a lot of complex and possibly supernatural training to obtain

and when i wrote a modern AU fanfic of this a few years ago i decided to represent them by making him a ballet dancer, because it felt like something that best expressed both the athleticism and the grotesqueness at work in a lot of these uses of his body

which is why this quote spoke to the part of my brain that thinks about fighting and ballet and monstrosity all at once, mediated through the character of cú chulainn. and, probably like irina dumitrescu (who is also a medievalist), i think about monstrosity in the medieval sense of being beyond/outside of/transcending nature. monstrous is not automatically bad or horrible, but excessive and strange. things that are monstrous are Too Much, they are taken to extremes, they are everything with its sliders up to 11 to the point where it becomes abject. which is yes, a very accurate description of both ballet and also martial arts movies/performances

and indeed i can only think that cú chulainn would be a prime candidate for a martial arts movie. but in terms of body type i still think he'd be best represented if he were played by a ballet dancer. so if we could put a ballet dancer in a martial arts movie about medieval irish literature i think that would really bring us full circle here

Ballet, like opera, is wonderful because it is monstrous, the hyper-development of skills nobody needs, a twisting of human bodies and souls into impossible positions, the purchase of light with blood.

Irina Dumitrescu, "Swan, Late: The unexpected joys of adult beginner ballet."

[askoverkill]

Offer Lupus a hug, that was a pretty heavy talk involving your death, even if Lupus is being a tad overly positive.

transcript below:

(You must have a history of hugging badly.) (You weren't aware of it, but everyone else knows.) (That's why nobody ever offers to include you.)

(But, kids need hugs and comfort.) (And you're the only one here.)

For what it matters, Lupus... I don't mind spending the last of my life with you here.

Stop saying that. You'll be fine.

(You don't understand why Lupus wants you around so badly.)

(Any other adult party member could have worked.) (You hadn't done anything to earn this role.) (Maybe it's your similar appearance?)

(Do you remind them of their real family?) (Are you related, after all?) (...No, probably not, you're not from Vaugarde.)

(They're just a random child.) (That happens to look just like you.) (And have the same accent.) (And clothes.)

(…) (Lupus isn't another one…?)

(No, that wouldn't make sense!) (The other Siffrin is your age and doesn't have a family to return to.)

(Stars, Lupus doesn't share your name, either.) (If anything, their name is closer to Loop's.) (And that sad star looks nothing like you.) (On account of being a celestial guide and all.)

I love you, Siffrent.

(...Lupus has snuggled deeper into you.) (Ah, you don't know what to do now.) (Your limbs tingle, and you're itching to leave.) (But you can't!!!!)

(There is a strange small child who you've just decided to take care of.) (An entire, living human, with thoughts and needs)

(Like a total idiot, you hadn't thought this through.) (You were trying to be nice!) (And now!!!! Look at what you've done?!!!)

(…It feels strange and… kind of nice to have someone so warm against you like this.) (It's not all encompassing, like it had been with Isabeau…)

(This isn't that bad, really.) (Is this what a hug is supposed to feel like?)

...Heehee, are you ready to go inside now?

Yeah, uh, sure?

[lokidjarin-7567]

The Bolter

Bob Reynolds x Reader

Two months after you and The New Avengers moved into the tower, you decide to stay home from a mission, exhaustion and stress catching up with you, figuring it would be good for you to catch up on sleep and spend time with Bob. But instead, a memory resurfaces, one that the Void dragged out of you, and you’re struggling to cope with the potential ramifications.

fem!reader, fluff, mentions of mental health, vague descriptions of trauma, general MCU/Thunderbolts* TWs, Thunderbolts* spoilers

4.1k words

I’ve been obsessed with Bob since I watched this movie, and apparently Avengers tower fics are coming back so had to give you guys my take on it. Part 2 will be coming guys don’t worry - lmk if you want to be tagged. Am also taking requests so drop me an ask <3

TTPD Contents | General Masterlist | AO3

“I’m not coming.” You stated firmly, arms crossed in the lobby of the New Avengers tower, scowl set into your face. Bucky sighed your name dramatically, mechanical fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in obvious frustration.

“Valentina said…” He started.

“I don't give a fuck what Valentine said. What happened to us owning her?”

“We do, but it’s still not good for our image if…” You cut him off again, voice cold and unyielding.

“Good thing I don't give a fuck about that either.” He sighed again, louder, looking towards the rest of the team for help, but they just shrugged.

“If she doesn't want to come, she doesn't have to come.” Yelena added, tone nonchalant. You nodded along with her, softening your voice slightly now. You didn't actually want to piss him off; you just wanted him to see your point of view.

“It’s just a publicity stunt, Buck. You don't actually need me for it. I’m tired and I want a break. Now is as good a time as any.” A third sigh. A hand running through his hair. A glance at the ceiling, then back to you.

“Fine, stay here. Bob could probably use the company anyway.”

You had been in this tower for two months now, and somehow, you and Bucky had clashed the most. Sure, Walker pissed everyone off most of the time, but he was an easy target to wind up so he had learnt to keep his mouth shut. And Alexei was loud and obnoxious, but his booming laugh and positive spirit redeemed most of his irritating qualities. You got on well with Ava and Yelena - your senses of humour and tortured pasts making an easy bond between the three of you. And Bob… well, you honestly had nothing bad to say about him. He was a calming presence, a breath of fresh air in a tower of tactically trained agents and super soldiers. You knew what he was capable of - you all saw it that day - but he never let it define him. It was a footnote in his character, undetectable until you read too closely. And he was as traumatised as the rest of you, if not more, but it was such a human trauma, more relatable and tangible, and it was something the two of you shared that made your bond just that little bit closer than with the others.

Your relationship with Bucky was a different story though. You had no history with your other teammates, so beside the run of the mill teasing and domestic debates that came with regular roommates, there was no animosity there. But Bucky on the other hand…

In all fairness, you had been created to kill him. You went through everything he did: the serum, the torture, the pain, but you didn't remember any of it. You remember the missions, you remember trying to eliminate him, you remember who you were before you were taken… but not the process you went through. The last thing you remember before was being shoved into a van, bag over your head, and the first thing after was waking up in a cell, all autonomy lost. Nothing more than a weapon. So while you had a mutual respect and admiration for each other, you had fought to the near death more times than you could count, and anger like that doesn't fade overnight. You had no malice towards him, obviously, but you could tell he harboured resentment for you, simmering quietly below the surface. What you couldn't tell was if it was because you tried to kill him so many times, or because they had the decency to wipe your memory of the pain you endured. And you knew from the screams that echoed through the wall of your adjoining bedrooms that it was a kind of pain that still brought him nightmares.

So usually, you humoured him. You went on every mission - publicity stunt or real. You sat through the interviews, the photoshoots, the promotional bullshit. You worked twice as hard as everybody else to get in his good graces, even though you didn't care about the publicity of it all. You were just happy to be doing good.

But you were burnt out. You had always had a darkness within you, one that snarled at the sidelines, waiting for your guard to drop. So, to a point, keeping busy kept it at bay. Until it didn't.

The last time you’d seen that darkness was two months ago in The Void. Reminding you it was still there, that it always would be. Bob had seen it too, when the blast of the incinerator knocked you out and his hand had knocked into yours. The memory that had emerged, tinged in the familiar greyscale, the colour that swirled around all of your bad days. The glimpse of the hospital gown, the monitors beeping, the nurses bustling around the room. The fear you had felt.

He’d asked you about that darkness soon after, how you dealt with it. You weren't sure how to tell him you didn't. Instead, you made sure he got out of the facility, that he was safe. And then, one thing led to another, and half of New York was a black void, swallowed whole. A Void that stemmed from him. A Void that you stepped into not knowing if you’d live or die. And it was there that you saw something new.

“You good?” Ava asked subtly as she finished suiting up, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“Yeah,” you breathed the word automatically, running a hand through your hair in an attempt to hide the fact it was shaking. “Tired.”

“You look it.” She replied, soft smile playing across her lips before she placed the mask over her face.

“Thanks.” You responded, laughing dryly. It was how she showed affection - gentle teasing. “Good luck.” They all headed for the elevator, and you stepped back, pulling the arms of your sweatshirt down and over your hands.

“Bye guys!” Bob shouted from the kitchen over the sound of running water, and Yelena called back in kind.

And with that, they were gone.

You knew it would only be three days until they were back, but you could feel their absence immediately.

You couldn't quite tell if that was a good or bad thing.

You strolled into the kitchen, a yawn escaping from your throat. You were still wearing what you’d slept in - tattered black sweatshirt and joggers, hanging loose around your form. Bob was standing at the kitchen sink, washing the mugs and glasses the team had used this morning at breakfast. His clothes were similar to your own: light blue sweatshirt and grey sweats that had become his uniform at the compound. His hair was starting to get long, dyed back to his usual brown basically the minute you all moved into this place. He glanced back at you, smiling warmly as he switched the water off, placing the last cup on the drying rack. There was something about him that was so comforting, a quiet strength that emanated from him even when he was just standing there. Not a confidence, not by any means, his shyness endearing as it was. It was the strength of an oath. In every movement or lack thereof, every glance that met your eyes, he was showing solidarity, subtle and unbreakable. A promise that he wasn't going anywhere as long as you weren’t. It was a stability you weren't used to.

“Hey.” Your heart fluttered slightly at the tender way he said it, involuntary smile dancing across your lips, half-hearted as it was. He knew better than to ask if you were alright, the exhaustion and emptiness in your eyes familiar to him in both your memories and his own. “Anything you want to do while they’re gone?”

“I think I want to go back to bed for a bit.” You sounded so broken it surprised you, but if he noticed, he didn't show it. A soft, barely there laugh escaping his lips.

“Sounds like a good plan. D’ya want me to wake you at any point or just let you sleep?” Your heart hurt at his consideration.

“If I’m not up by midday just knock on the door. And wake me if you need anything.”

“You got it.” He called as you walked away, back to your room, and you wished you had the energy to stay. Having breakfast with him was a luxury you weren't often afforded. If only you had the energy to make the most of it.

You closed the door behind you, darkness filling the room instantly, blinds still drawn. You found the bed, collapsing in a heap. You were surprised how quickly you started to drift, the exhaustion catching up to you so fast, and after a few breaths, your vision faded.

A slap stung across your face, harsh and sobering. You staggered back with the force of it, blinking rapidly.

“Do better.” The man in front of you muttered, shaking out his hands and reassuming a fighting stance. You could taste blood in your mouth, but you did the same anyway.

What alarmed you most was that you didn't recognise him.

There was a mask covering half his face, but even his eyes didn't hold even a glint of familiarity. Before you had time to dwell on that though, his fist was moving towards you. You ducked, landing a neat blow to his side before rolling forwards, standing up behind him and planting a firm kick to the back of his knee. It took him by surprise, the joint buckling beneath the force, but as you rounded to kick him in the neck, he caught your ankle, pulling you forwards until you were essentially straddling his shoulder, leg still firmly in his vice-like grip. You raised your arm, trying to make the best of a bad situation by elbowing him in the head, but he was faster, slamming you to the floor. You were struggling for breath and scrabbling for purchase, trying to get back at him, but he was on top of you before you could even flinch, knees on your wrists, entire bodyweight locking you in place. The pain was biting, but the panic and fear was debilitating, any part of your body you could move thrashing around helplessly. He chuckled darkly, the tone of it making your blood run cold. He leant down, inches from your face, and you waited until he was close enough before jerking your head forwards. The crack you heard was satisfying, and you couldn’t help but grin.

“You bitch…” the man spat beneath the mask, pulling the fabric below his nose and letting the blood drip onto your face. “You’re lucky I’m under orders. There are worse things I can do than kill you when I have you like this…” Your heart stopped at the weight of his words, the implications not missing you. “But for now, you failed. And you know what that means…” You didn’t, but your body screamed anyway, a bloodcurdling noise rushing from your throat before you could stop it.

“Hey, hey it’s ok…” Strong hands were shaking you awake, and you flinched instinctively, pulling away and scrabbling backwards until you had pressed yourself into the headboard, tucking your limbs into your body to be as small as possible. “It’s me, it’s Bob. You’re ok.” You looked up, body stiff and sore, to see him gingerly perched on the edge of your bed, concern etched into his features. You slowly started to notice the rest of your surroundings. Your bed, completely dishevelled, sheets still twisted around your shins and ankles. Your face felt wet, and when you brought your hand up to your cheeks, there were tears there. You finally let out a breath, shaky, laughing to yourself in disbelief.

“Sorry, I…” You ran your hands through your hair, messy and tangled. “Was I…”

“Screaming a lot, yeah.” You took another shaky breath, stretching out your legs a little. You couldn’t quite bring yourself to meet his eyes, but you felt the bed move slightly as he shuffled closer. “Are you ok? You seem really… detached at the moment, like you have something in your mind. And not going on the mission, the nightmares…” You felt the tears welling up as he spoke, the weight of everything hitting you suddenly, and before you knew it, you were sobbing. Bob closed the gap in an instant, sighing your name gently as his arms wrapped around you. You welcomed him without even thinking, hands gripping his sweatshirt in fists, face pressed to his chest.

“It’s gonna be ok. I’ve got you…”

It took a long while for your breathing to slow, and as the tears finally stopped, you released your grip. You wanted to apologise, but the sound stuck in your throat. You wanted to explain, but the idea of even speaking that dream into existence made you want to cry again. So you just wiped your tears.

“Wanna talk?” He murmured, voice calm and soothing. You noticed he hadn’t completely let go of you, hand still resting lightly on your shoulder, the warmth radiating from it grounding you back to reality.

“No. I..” you swallowed back another sob, taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry about all of this, Bob. It’s just..”

“You don’t need to apologise. It’s all good. We all have bad days, at least yours didn’t nearly wipe out half of New York.” You couldn’t help but laugh at his self-deprecating joke, a harsh expulsion of air that almost ended in a snort. You finally allowed yourself to look up at him, satisfied you wouldn’t start crying again, but you were met with his bright blue eyes scanning your face, full to the brim of worry. It made your heart lurch. You hadn’t seen him like this since you told him what had happened in his blackout that day, and now he was pulling the same face because you had a breakdown. Great, the screaming must have been really bad, then. Good thing you didn’t have neighbours.

“I’m ok, I’m good now. Thank you.” You choked the words out, barely believing them yourself. His eyes met yours again, and his scepticism was immediately evident.

“Bullshit. Just lay back down…” he started to shuffle back as he spoke, moving to stand. “I’ll go and make you a cup of tea and…”

“No.” You said it so fiercely it surprised you, fear clouding your mind. You took a breath, and softened your tone. “I mean, can you stay please? Just for a bit, until I get my breath back.”

“Of course.” His response was so fast it was almost automatic, shuffling back to the head of the bed and resting gingerly against the headboard. “As long as you need.” You curled back up next to him, close enough to feel his presence, but not quite touching. A silence fell across the room, but it was a peaceful silence, one born of comfort and familiarity.

“Thank you.” You breathed the words, as though to not break the calm.

“Always.” You squeezed your eyes closed, ignoring what you had just seen in your dream and instead, visualised him. You could hear his breaths, slow and shallow, as though he was afraid of spooking you. You pretended he wasn’t still worried, instead imagining the smile you knew all too well, the one that showed teeth and reached his eyes, the purest joy you had ever seen.

You were reminded of a night a few weeks ago, when you realised how few movies the rest of the team had seen.

“You’re telling me none of you have ever seen The Princess Bride?” Yelena shook her head, and Alexei chimed in.

“Nope. Never showed Lena that when she was little.” She groaned like an embarrassed teenager.

“Ok, we need to start a movie night at least weekly and educate all of you…” You said, a smile lighting up your face when Bob laughed beside you. “And let’s start with this…”

It was only twenty minutes in when Walker started complaining.

“But why is he saying ‘as you wish’ so much?”

“Guess we know why you’re divorced…” Ava snapped back, and everyone snorted at his expense.

“Separated, but whatever…” he muttered, put out, and you and Bob giggled. You were squeezed between him and Alexei on the sofa, and instinctively, you leant towards Bob as you laughed. His arm was on the back of the sofa, and without realising, you had leant into the crook of his arm. So you stayed there. As you continued to watch the film, as everyone else made dumb jokes and stupid comments, but nothing else was relevant to you but his proximity. His presence drowned everything out. And as you curled into his body, you could feel his heartbeat. Slow and steady. Stable. Him.

Everyone else went to bed as soon as the film finished. You moved away from him slightly as the lights came on, cautious of prying eyes, but he didn’t move. Arm of the back of the couch, eyes fixed only on you.

“Any other films you want to show me?” You grinned widely.

“A lot.”

You decided on the Goonies - your favourite film as a kid - figuring Bob wouldn’t have seen it when he was younger considering his home life. And you were right.

You felt a wave of nostalgia rush over you as you started the film. You sat back down on the couch, back up against the arm where Alexei had been sat, the seat still warm. You stretched your legs out into the space between you and where he sat facing forwards, his own legs on the coffee table. You didn’t want to move away from him really, but you wanted to see his reaction to the film, to see him watch something fun and childish for the first time, to see if it brought him as much joy as it brought you. And it did. He smiled more than you’d ever seen, and you were trying to be subtle about looking at him, but occasionally, you couldn’t help but gaze at him openly when you felt he was distracted enough. The line of his jaw, his dimples when he laughed, the curl of his hair that framed his face and was starting to fall into his eyes. His eyes, a deep, piercing blue that you could lose yourself in. That were looking right at you.

Oh shit.

You blushed, turning back to the movie, but you could feel his eyes on you.

“What is it?” He muttered, tone playful, and you glanced back, smiling shyly.

“Nothing, I… um…” he was holding eye contact with you, earnest expression on his face, and it was just making you blush more. You turned back to the screen. “It’s just really nice to see you happy. You know, after everything.” You cleared your throat slightly, awkward now.

“It’s thanks to you, really.” He sounded so sincere you could’ve cried.

“Oh, no I just put on a movie I used to like in the hopes that…”

“No.” He interrupted you softly. “Not just the movies. It’s everything. It’s the late night chats when we can’t sleep, it’s doing the dishes together while the team argue at the table, it’s making sure about 50 times before you leave for a mission that I’ll be ok on my own for a few days, and that I’ll text if I need you.” You forced yourself to look at him again, tearing up, but now he was the one looking away, features wrought with an emotion you couldn’t quite place. “I mean, hell, according to the rest of the team you were the one who stepped into the Void for me not knowing if you’d even survive. You went into that hellhole, and from what I saw it can’t have been easy…” Oh. Your blood ran cold at the mere mention of it, muscles stiffening, and the tears that had started to fall from something akin to appreciation were now streaming in panic. Blood rushed between your ears, vision blurring, and his voice was swallowed into the pit that was your anxiety. A dark chamber. A voice telling you to bite down. Something tasting disgusting in your mouth. And then pain. So much pain.

“Hey, what’s happening?” He muttered, and you were back in the room, legs tucked to your chest, Bob’s concerned face scanning you from the other side of the couch. “Are you ok? Did I say something?”

“No, no, sorry Bob, I…” You wiped your tears, trying desperately to get your breath back, heart still racing. Your vulnerability took hold, head spinning as you tried to dispel the new memories. “I just… I remembered something when you mentioned the Void. I thought I’d buried it but apparently not.” You tried to laugh, but it came out slightly choked.

“I’m sorry, I..”

“Hey, no you’re fine. Thank you for saying that, it means a lot.” You smiled at him warmly, trying to convey how much his words had meant to you, but you weren’t sure how convincing it was, panic still coursing through you. “Do you want a drink? I really fancy a Diet Coke right now..” He paused, scanning your features for signs of distress but you put on your best brave face, and it seemed to do the trick. He sighed.

“Yeah sure, just a lemonade please if you don’t mind. If I have caffeine now I won’t sleep…”

You took a few seconds in the kitchen to compose yourself, before returning with the drinks, setting them on the coffee table. His attention was back on the film, smiling again, and you couldn’t help but feel bad. Your panic attack had ruined his beautiful sentiment, the kindest words ever spoken to you. You sat closer to him again, where you had been before, but crossing your legs on the sofa this time so your knee touched his just slightly. You couldn’t help but smile as his leg shuffled closer to yours, almost imperceptible, but you felt it. How could you not?

“Thank you.” You spoke it quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace. “I really do mean it.”

“I know.”

You were just over halfway done with the film when you felt your eyelids starting to droop. After your head rolled forwards a few times, drifting off, Bob spoke up.

“We can finish this tomorrow if you’re tired?” He was being genuine, but you knew from his intonation that he wanted to keep watching.

“No, no, I’m fine..” A lie, your words slurring ever so slightly with tiredness. “Let me just…” You sunk down further on the couch, tucking your legs up to your side and letting your head fall to his shoulder. “That’s better.”

“You’ll still fall forwards if you doze off again.” He muttered, tone imperceptible now, almost a forced calm. You took it for annoyance though, blushing as you realised what you’d just done.

“Oh sorry, I can lay that way and then…” You started to lift your head before he interrupted.

“No, no, just let me...” He shuffled forwards slightly so he was closer to being horizontal, opening his arm so you could lay comfortably on his chest. “There, that would be more comfortable in case you do fall asleep.”

“I won’t.” You muttered petulantly, lying in the space he had created for you anyway. He laughed, a warm, intoxicating sound that bloomed from his chest, and his arm rested on top of yours. It was comforting, a surety that made you feel drowsy again. Safe to sleep around him. Secure.

“Sure you won’t.”

You woke in the darkness of your room to find yourself curled into his body tightly, arm draped across his stomach and head resting on his chest. His arm was wrapped tightly around you, protective, warm hand splayed across your ribcage. The sound of his gentle snores brought you out of the memory, grateful that his presence allowed your subconscious to lull you to sleep with pleasant memories. That you didn’t need to be on edge, that you wouldn’t need to fight for a few hours at least. That he was holding onto you, and everything was going to be ok.

[omgthatdress]

Stuff on my Patreon!

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Having thought about it for a week or so, I've decided that since most of the money I make on Patreon is going to go to buying myself lil treats, why not make the subject of my Patreon the lil treats I'm obsessed with and bring some joy and happiness into my life?

If you've followed me on OMG! That Dress!, you probably have a sense of the stuff I love: Bakelite, nail polish, lipstick, nice soaps, tea, delicious food. The kind of stuff that's a little luxury that I don't always have the money to buy. The sort of stuff I tend to get obsessed with.

My current obsession is re-building my collection of Revlon's Parfumerie nail polish, a line of absolutely LOVELY scented polishes that came out more than ten years ago that has since then been discontinued. When the line was available, I bought nearly every shade.

Scented nail polish probably isn't for everyone, but for me, who favors plain scents to heavy perfumes, they were WONDERFUL. The scent only really lasted for a day, but for that day, every time I waved my fingers around, I caught a whiff of the lovely scent, and it was really a wonderful little luxury to have.

However as the years went on, I figured that the polish had somehow gone bad, and THREW THEM ALL OUT. Now, having watched YouTuber Vintage Dusties revive and wear nail polish from the 1920s, I've learned that nail polish doesn't really go bad, it just dries out and can easily be revived.

So now I am on a mission to re-fill my collection. I'll keep you all in the loop ask I go along.

Anyway, that's the sort of thing I want to write about here on my Patreon, with generous support from all of you. Hopefully you can find something that you, too will love.

[specialized-rexan]

(none of the following is me criticising you @ op, and of course you're not obligated to read or respond to this. it's. a lot. this reblog is mainly me rambling aloud for myself. seriously, when i say "i find this post funny," it's more along the lines of "i'm entertained at myself and my own fandom / character design tastes."

also @sir-subpar, you're tagged because i very much appreciate your comments and screenshotted them. they're just. near the very end of this long post XD)

i find this post funny because it came out about a year before the show, and, huh, i didn't realize how much Vivzie had already said about Lucifer as early as 2022. mainly i find it funny because the two characters who i was obsessed with before Hazbin Lucifer / Hazbin Hotel are even MORE ''boring'' than Lucifer

they're almost basically him but without hair. e.g. Black Hat from the show Villainous:

(the screenshots i picked are from a sort of "later" design of him, about a year and a half i got into the show, but i'm okay with that because it turned out a lot of what i'd first seen was probably fanart anyway, although i hadn't been aware of that)

the other character is a fandom-created ''opposite'' version named White Hat. (design varies by creator, but usually White Hat is essentially Black Hat but with a different outfit color lol)

(character design rambles on why Black Hat's design might "work" while Lucifer's "doesn't" under the cut. ...sort of. also me yapping about me a bit lol. but yeah Black Hat's definitely of the aforementioned "tumblr sexyman design" category, no arguments there)

despite Black Hat's design being even more "boring" than Lucifer's, my first impression of him right off the bat was he was some ''big bad boss'' character right off the bat. ...and i'd thought he was a Hazbin Hotel character (lol). (i found Villainous in early 2019 before the Hazbin pilot but was casually following the pilot's progress just enough to know if it ever got canceled or anything)

so what's FASCINATING about all this is that the main difference in visual communication between ''boring'' Lucifer and ''even more boring (but not actually)'' Black Hat is probably shape language

Lucifer is (often because his design's not consistent lol) round and short while Black Hat is angular and tall. i don't feel like recapping shape language lessons (INCREDIBLY BASIC gist for this post's context can be "round" = approachable, "angular and sharp" = villain), and most people are already aware of height stereotypes when it comes to leadership positions

(there's a lot of triangles on the Lucifer screenshot i picked with the epaulettes and his wings out, but he still has his round face, round hair, round puffy pant legs, his hat brim is rounder than Black Hat's, and even his chest and eyes are is rounder rather than sharp. better look at Black Hat's eye in the previous screenshot)

(i also find it fascinating that, despite Lucifer's design being far more busy than Black Hat's -- the stripes on his shirt, chains on his coat, the cheek circles, all the items on his hat -- he's described as "boring" in a way that makes sense for this post's context: blending in with the other Hellaverse characters)

i'm just going ''huh'' and also ''lol''* at the original post because the only difference seems to be shape language, and the choice to make Lucifer rounder seems to be a purposeful one since he's supposed to be a "goofy" angelic character

(*again not going "lol" at the original poster. i actually agree with the point that Lucifer maybe doesn't stand out enough among the cast. and i only say ''maybe'' about him not standing out "enough" because of ''writer/designer intention'' / ''whatever you want to MAKE the intention because Vivzie's intentions change often lol'')

(*and my ''lol'' at the overall post is more about how my reasons for getting obsessed with Lucifer aren't related to his design at--OH HOLD ON. OKAY, TAKING THIS RAMBLE OUT OF TAGS AND MOVING IT TO THE BODY OF THE POST NOW HA (and editing punctuation and such as necessary to make it into a functional post body, e.g. image of Black Hat rather than just giving a search to look up :p)

(and now adding random Lucifer screenshots every once in a while because walls of non-story text without images, especially ones written by me lol, murder me)

SO. OKAY. YES. MOVING MY RAMBLE FROM TAGS TO THE ACTUAL POST

(OH MY GOSH LOL I'M ADDING THESE EXTRA IMAGES AFTER TYPING EVERYTHING UP, AND HAVING SUCH A HYPED IMAGE FOR "YES MOVING TO THE ACTUAL POST" IS UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SO I'M KEEPING IT)

BECAUSE, WHILE I THINK THE WRITING IN BOTH VILLAINOUS AND HAZBIN LEAVE A LOT TO BE DESIRED (and they also both hilariously have the problem of characters disappearing into the background, except in Villainous's case it's "villains with dark uniforms unintentionally disappearing into dark backgrounds." you can see that issue even in the second screenshot i chose for this post), LUCIFER SNUCK BY AND ACTUALLY GOT ME OBSESSED WITH HIM DESPITE HIS CHARACTER DESIGN

I GOT OBSESSED WITH VILLAINOUS ALMOST SOLELY BECAUSE OF THEIR CHARACTER DESIGNS. (i also very much enjoy the designs of the other three main characters, Dr. Flug, Demencia, and 5.0.5.) I GOT OBSESSED WITH LUCIFER BECAUSE OF HIS WRITING. YET THE WAY I MOST OFTEN DESCRIBE HAZBIN TO PEOPLE IS "I ENJOY IT/LIKE IT A LOT/LOVE IT, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD (BECAUSE ITS WRITING ISN'T GOOD)"

okay, saying i got obsessed with Lucifer "despite" his character design isn't FULLY accurate. i don't think it's terrible. but i was neutral toward his design. just this week i literally posted more than a few thousand words on why i like Lucifer, but it mainly sums up to "he's INCREDIBLY relatable and entertaining."

so.

huh.

(i'm almost certain i had this ''HOLD UP'' moment with one of my friends months ago XD because my going "OH MY GOSH THE WRITING" about Hazbin ep 5 [Lucifer's intro] feels very familiar. except my ramble at the time iirc was more about "i had incredibly rare CERTAINTY in my first messages while watching ep 5 that i wouldn't watch it as many times as the other episodes because of the superficial aspect of how bad its animation comparatively is. yet i've, very surprisingly, watched it FAR more than the others because i love Lucifer so much."

comparing Lucifer's roundness to Black Hat's sharpness also feels like something i've pointed out to said friend before, because "HAH Lucifer could almost be a White Hat")

the overall pacing of the episode is crammed and odd, but it's enjoyable. and Lucifer is there. big bonus points for that last part.)

(i emphasized "incredibly rare CERTAINTY" about how i wouldn't rewatch ep 5 as many times as the other eps because i almost always--HA. EXAMPLE RIGHT THERE--say things like "i'm almost sure" or "it seems likely" rather than just stating things firmly, just in case i turn out to be wrong lol. but ep 5's animation was SO BAD to me that i was certain i wouldn't be able to look past it on Hazbin rewatches. yet i was still wrong)

topic jump, some great comments because they work with the concept Vivzie had in the first place but give alternatives for how her concept could have been used for Lucifer's design:

OH DANG AND ONE LAST POINT I ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION BUT ALSO HAD ME GOING "HUH" AND "LOL" BEFORE I STARTED RAMBLING (well, i kinda said this earlier, but not so clearly):

Black Hat, even with my thinking he was from Hazbin Hotel and even with him hitting all of the criteria for what makes Vivzie's designs bad and repetitive, still stood out as a notable design for the Hazbin universe. (and i don't think i've ever seen a single person criticize his design.) he still seemed like a leader character. (which probably comes down to shape language and his design being "tall"-coded)

(i actually thought his design had been teased like, "oooo look at this Hazbin Hotel character you have to look forward to oooooo" because i suspect some of the first images i saw of him were behind the scenes not-colored-in images from the studio, and i didn't save them because i was avoiding Hazbin spoilers.

i earlier said "a lot of what i'd first seen was probably fanart" because this is the first DEFINITE image of Black Hat i saved, which is fanart and also not colored. and also seems to very much belong in an adult cartoon lol [it's not nsfw or raunchy in any way. it's just. thirst posting XD] )

tl;dr:

Lucifer is a short and rounder Black Hat;

Black Hat and Lucifer's designs have diametric shape language (sort of but i'm cutting down on wordiness lol);

Black Hat still could potentially stand out as a Hazbin character despite having a "plain" design that matches common descriptions of Vivzie's designs;

and, even tho i don't think the writing in either Hazbin or Villainous are as strong as they could be, i only got obsessed with Villainous because of the character designs, but i got obsessed with Lucifer because of his writing

okay the end i had my fun lol

Ganna go back to answering the questions in my inbox soon, but for now I’d like to say my thoughts on the Lucifer design backlash. Like Lemon-critiques has said, this whole ordeal is just freaking hilarious and enjoyable to watch, I’m literally scarfing down popcorn while watching people tear this design apart while fans or others get pissy. Here are my personal thoughts. This is me being nitpciky, but while Lucifer’s design isn’t….BAD I would say, it’s just….boring. Like I said before, I don’t mind the ringleader motif, the idea of Lucifer seeing hell as a circus to him isn’t a pretty bad idea, however like most people have been saying, he’s just your generic Vivziepop male character, a skinny twig with a fancy suit, bow tie, beedy eyes, and a sharp toothy smile. Mainly for me, I can understand this backlash because yes, I am one of those critique blogs who thinks all of Viv’s characters look the same, and the features I listed above are exactly why. Characters like Alastor, Valentino, Vox, Seviathan, Sir Pen, even Angel Dust, they all have that sharp generic smile and eyes while of course wearing a suit and being the size of a pencil, and it’s a trend that really is a turnoff for me when it comes to Vivzie’s character designs. It’s so funny because as much as I tear into Helluva Boss, literally THOSE character designs are more distinct and have more variety compared to the character designs in Hazbin, and that’s a problem, especially since said designs in Helluva Boss are more detailed and crazy compared to its spin off counterpart.

So yeah, not only do all of Vivziepop’s male characters look exactly the same and have the EXACT same boring body type, but the design of Lucifer himself is just…..meh. It’s not really something I’d get pissed at or rip into unlike Alastor lol, but I think my biggest issue with Lucifer is that he’s literally the devil, the king of hell himself, and yet he does not in any way shape or form stand out from the rest of the cast. If you were to show me his design and told me this was Lucifer, I would have just said he just looks like some regular dude in this world of Hell, because that’s just it. He looks like your generic standard Vivziepop male character, just like everyone else.

I’m nitpicking again yes….but yeah this design is just….generic. I wouldn’t really be saying this had the rest of the Hazbin cast look different compared to this but….they don’t so lol. I do remember Vivzie once saying along the lines that she was going for a “pretty” look for him, since Lucifer was once a beautiful fallen Angel. THAT I can understand, but to me her version of Lucifer looks more goofy than angelically beautiful, and like I said, he just isn’t intimidating, and there are many ways to make Angel’s look scary, though it doesn’t help that the crew describes him as a goofball. Honestly all I can say is that Viv could have just branched him out more, made him more unique compared to the rest of the cast, instead of the same generic look all of her other male characters have. The concept of a ringleader-circus motif isn’t the issue for me, nor is it that he’s “not accurate” since this is Vivzie’s adaptation, it’s just….not creative and uninspiring. I agree with what Lemon said, I think the reason why this design is getting so much backlash is because they just…flat out revealed one of the most important characters in the show with no buildup or anything. Wether it be people who haven’t heard of Hazbin or have, Lucifer was revealed in the pilot in a background portrait, however I think they should have saved his design for the show, instead of just dropping him now. To be fair however, if they HAD build him up only to reveal this, it probably would have ended in huge disappointment lol. With that, that’s about all I can say. I definitely agree with the people saying how her characters look the same and that he doesn’t stand out….because he doesn’t. I’m honestly glad more people are recognizing the flaws and issues with Viv’s designs however, it’s nice to see people critique her stuff more openly, even if it causes a whole twitter fest of people arguing lol. Mostly people keep bringing up how this is a poor attempt at a “tumblr sexyman”, but for me, that ain’t the issue with his design. Also like…of course it seems tumblr sexyman-ish, it’s literally Vivziepop lol.

[syndrossi]

Clearly, my obsession with Resonant has reached problematic proportions. I have written you a fic of a fic!drabble that was originally going to be something short and cute because Rhaegar having a bad hair day was hilarious to me, but somehow it turned into an angsty disaster instead. 😅

Alas, here you go:

"It's not that bad," Jon says, though the doubt in his voice is unlikely to leave his brother with much confidence that he's telling the truth. Jace knows, because he would never have believed it if Luke had told him his hair looked okay while sounding like that.

As expected, Rhaegar twists around in his seat, mouth turned down at the corners, and a fierce glare in his eyes. Jon takes a half-step back and quickly adds, "I'm sure Dae... Father can fix it."

It being the state of Rhaegar's hair. There'd been an... accident while playing, and... well. Jace thinks that things like this are why Father insists on keeping his and Luke's hair short, even when Mother talks about having them grow their hair out instead of keeping it "manageable".

"No," Rhaegar says, and there's something in his voice that Jace has never heard from him before. "I can fix it."

Rhaegar has long hair like Aegon and Aemond and Uncle Daemon, but even though it's straight and silky like theirs (like Jace's mother's hair, and grandmother's, but not like his father's), apparently it's still capable of tangling like curly hair.

Tangling a lot even. To the point where Jace isn't sure if the braid Rhaegar had had it in earlier is technically still there or not. He thinks the red ribbon Rhaegar had used for it is gone, at least. Rhaegar's been brushing his fingers through the tangles, but keeps catching on snares and clumps of hair that look like they might be part of a bird's nest, hissing as he goes.

His eyes are rimmed red, Jace thinks. It must hurt a lot.

Jon had tried to help by finding the worst of the tangles, and trying to tug the hairs loose, only for Rhaegar to yelp and pull away. Then Jon started looking upset too, and Jace's tummy twisted at seeing both his new cousins unhappy.

Luke tugs on Jace's shirt and he looks over at his own little brother, who looks worried too. Luke whispers at him, "Should we get Father?" probably because Father is the best when it comes to fixing hair.

Jace looks at their cousins again, at Jon's helpless expression, and at the way Rhaegar is, Jace thinks, maybe, trying not to cry. (He has to try not to cry sometimes too. It's awful, the way everything gets hot and stuffy and like you can't breathe. If that's how Rhaegar feels...)

Jace nods at Luke, and together they walk the few steps they need to get past the private rooms' entryway and tell the kingsguard standing by the door, "We need our Father, please," only for Rhaegar to jump up, almost knocking over his chair and startling both them and the knight.

"No!" Rhaegar says, and then he clenches his fists. "It's okay. Everything's fine. I don't need help."

Maybe he thinks he's going to get in trouble for playing and messing up his hair? Or even that Jace's father will tell Uncle Daemon on them. Suddenly, Jace remembers that they did get in trouble last time because Father told Uncle Daemon they were playing with swords when they weren't supposed to be.

The knight, perhaps sensing that Rhaegar's not being entirely truthful, hesitates in answering while looking carefully at all four of them, and it must be just enough to be the last straw for Rhaegar, because he does something Jace has never seen him do before.

He starts crying.

And they're not quiet tears, but instead they're loud and angry and almost sound painful. Rhaegar pushes off his cheeks with quick, rough palms, like he can make them stop if he presses his hands to his eyes hard enough. He's making choking sounds, and he's sucking air in through his nose, and Jace thinks he's getting even more upset now, maybe because he is crying, which doesn't seem fair. How can you stop crying if you're crying because you're upset that you're crying?

Jon grabs him in a hug, almost knocking Rhaegar backward from the abrupt force of it, and Jace isn't sure if he should go hug Rhaegar too, or if that'd make Rhaegar cry more, or... Rhaegar shoves his face into Jon's shoulder, the crying growing noises muffled as he trembles and shakes.

Luke, still little in a way that Jace and Rhaegar and Jon aren't, tugs at his shirt again, and when Jace looks at him, his eyes are wet, and his bottom lip is quivering. He looks just a moment away from letting out a sob of his own.

Jace would pick him up the way Mother and Father do when Luke cries, except he's too heavy. Instead, he grabs Luke's hand and looks expectantly at the kingsguard knight, whose staring at them all with wide eyes.

"My father, Ser," Jace says again, reminding him, and after the knight jumps into action, he tugs Luke out of the room with him. He doesn't want Luke's inevitable crying to make things worse.

(Jace will find out, much later, after Father and Mother and Uncle Daemon all rush in and Jace and Luke are ushered back to their own apartments, that Rhaegar wasn't really upset about his hair being tangled at all. His mother says that sometimes, if you hold all your big emotions in for too long, they can come out all at once because of something little, like a tangle in your hair, and Jon and Rhaegar have had a lot of big emotions over the past few moons.

Jace is glad when Mother lets him and Luke climb into her bed and stay with her that night. Guiltily, he thinks he's extra, extra glad that she's back from Dragonstone now, kissing his face and running her fingers through his hair in that way that always makes him feel sleepy, singing him and Luke to sleep, even though Rhaegar was crying because his Mother will never come back ever.

Jace doesn't know what he'd do if he lost his mother, but he thinks that he'd probably cry too. As he falls asleep, Mother's voice singing softly next to him getting quieter and quieter, he thinks that if they ask, maybe he wouldn't mind sharing sometimes.)

Oh! Oh, Jaaaace, what an absolute sweetheart. What a great choice for a POV character. (One of my favorite POV principles: choose the character with the least context for the situation.)

His little reflections on how awful it feels when you want to cry but shouldn't breaks my heart because that's the burden of being heir after Rhaenyra. There are times at court where he's not allowed to cry, and that he has to learn this so young... 😭 (The pre-Summerhall!Rhaegar parallels!)

I shouldn't laugh at poor Jon utterly failing at convincing Rhaegar the situation isn't too bad. He knows a hair disaster when he sees one, and alas so does Rhaegar.

And Jace wishing he could pick up Luke to mimic how his parents would comfort him. 😭 And awww, Laenor being the one he believes in for fixing bad hair days!

How much do I love him taking command of the situation to have the Kingsguard send for Laenor? He gets both big brother points and eventual-crown-prince points for that!

And noooo, Rhaenyra's explanation of what happens when you bottle things up, my heart! And Jace noticing how much Jon and Rhaegar hold back. HE IS THE SWEETEST AND MOST OBSERVANT.

And Rhaenyra comforting them, oh. 😭 And Jace understanding that that's why Rhaegar is sad sometimes. (I wonder if he thinks that Jon also misses their mother but is trying to be a good older brother for Rhaegar and hides it.) And basking in those kisses and gestures of comfort all the more--and even being willing to share that comfort. My heart is in tiny shredded pieces.

I am so tempted to write the Daemon companion piece to this, which would be a fic of a fic of a fic. 😂

(Let's not forget poor Jon in all of this, knowing that it's not the hair, the hair is the straw that broke the camel's back. I feel like he must be so relieved when Daemon ultimately comes running, and proud of Jace for taking the initiative so that he didn't have to directly go against Rhaegar's wishes.)

What a treat to read, thank you thank you thank you for sharing it! ❤️❤️❤️ Also, you have me feeling so cruel for leaving the three little Velaryon kiddos alone during the uproar at the castle right now. They are going to be getting the biggest of cuddles from Rhaenyra when she's back. (How awful must she be feeling to be stuck at Dragonstone, away from her babies? We'll find out around ch40, I suppose!)

[erwinsvow]

Is this a safe space for the depraved?

I can’t stop thinking about jack with Robby’s daughter. Robby had her quite young and she met jack when she was already in college she ends up studying to be a social worker. Maybe she gets placed with the night shift cuz she insists on not being a “ nepo baby “

Robby tells Jack to take good care of you. And at first it’s all innocent buying you breakfast after your shift ends or bringing you coffee and then it evolves to you cooking breakfast for him as a thank you. Before you know it your making out on his couch and he feels like a dirty old man, but you’re just so sweet and he finally gets to feel love again and AHHHHHHH

this is the safest space for the depraved! i also remember maybe reblogging something like this, or maybe reader was jack's daughters best friend instead, but that was a really good one too. i honestly think this is one of the best tropes ever <3 and lovely to have more than just doctor readers because this is so great!!! imagine reader dealing with a really hard case and tough parents or family that are always yelling at her, and then somehow her and jack just find a routine together where he comforts her and she talks to him and they both kind of find a peace after a bad shift together... at first it's just talking but then he takes you to breakfast and then you two start lying to robby about it which is when you know you're really in trouble. telling him you're going home only to end up in jack's favorite diner eating breakfast and then eventually going home with him!!!! and jack tries so so so hard to justify it because he knows you have trouble sleeping during the day and alone so he thinks he's just doing what he can to make sure you're getting sleep and then he's making you breakfast and you're bringing over ingriedents for french toast and one day he wakes up and you two are cuddling and it's just like. oh god. and especially!! imagine robby at jack's place and he sees just random girly things—a fruity lotion and chapstick on the coffee table and hair ties scattered in the bathroom and he thinks jack's being sneaky with some woman. oh robby you are in for a MI when you find out. making out on his couch<333 gahhh you can only imagine how long it takes before he finally gives in, finally can't take any more of your hopeful smiles and sweetness and taking so much care of him his chest hurts because you are robby's daughter!! his best friend's daughter!! but you're so pretty and all you want to do is make him feel better and well. he definitely fucks you on that couch and you two just lay there but can't bring yourselves to talk about 'what are we' and 'how do we tell my dad' so you just. lay there together until you fall asleep and he carries you to his bed. another time robby's over he sits on the couch and jack's just kinda. ah fuck don't do that robby. another time robby gets really suspicious because jack's whole apartment and his clothes smell really similar, like a scent he can't place... FUCK the denial he's in when he realizes it's the perfume you love that he buys you for your birthday each year. just thinks jack is dating some young girl because all young girls must use that perfume ha ha... jack would never ever in a million years do that.. though you two have been awfully close lately... makes sense after all he's the one who told jack to take care of you.... ha ha

well he finds out because he shows up to jack's place at like two or three in the afternoon and you both think he's gonna be at the hospital until his shift ends but idk something happens and he leaves early. maybe jake had an emergency and he gets another attending to come in and so he goes to his bestie's place because duh. comes in and you're in one of jack's shirts making lunch humming to yourself and jack is walking around shirtless and just. oh my god. the reaction when he doesn't say anything so you don't even know he's there until you hear a "robby, i-" and a punch probably 😭

[pinkyqily]

Summary: Your football season doesn't end the way you want but the ray of sunshine of a girlfriend you have makes sure to tell you otherwise.

Warning: nun just cute fluff, Lolo being an understanding and amazing gf, short fic, Angst at the beginning.

KYI'S RADIO: By popular demand here is the Lauren fic as always my apologies for posting this late not very authorish of me, happy reading readers and as always feedbacks are appreciated love y'all down bad 😛💕

𐑺 Lauren betts m.s 𐑺

You were hurt by this lost, first game of the season everything already going the wrong way for you and your teammates.

From start to finish, you just felt a wave of nausea as the game started, getting a feeling that it wouldn't end well.

And it didn't end well at all.

Defense being in shambles, leading to the other teams' attackers being able to mark target shot on goal, you not being able to block them, your teams strikers not being to get anywhere close to getting shot everything felt like it falling down slow motion wise.

Yelling wasn't going to do much so you tired your best but it wasn't enough to secure the first season win.

The locker room vibes weren't it. No one said a single word and just kept to themselves. All you wanted to do was just shrink.

As a gk, it was your job to block all those goals, but you couldn't. You had no energy left to drive and so you ordered a Uber to take you home.

You couldn't stand the judgemental look you kept getting, all that stress made you forget about how your girlfriend was visiting you so you where quite surprised to see her once you entered your apartment but felt a sense of comfort.

You couldn't hold in your tears any longer and just broke down crying on spot. she came closer to you and held wrapped her arms around you. as you sob your pain away

"Hey, it's okay. It's just the first game of the season you don't need to stress yourself out on it". Even though what she said was true tears just kept falling down your dark chocolate like skin.

You could only a get few words out through your crying.

"I know, but it just feels like everyone is super disappointed in me."

"Your feelings are justified but I don't think they are most of them are just gonna be mad at there own performance". She told you

"You're probably thinking I don't get you but I do, there's gonna be times like this in our career where all it feels like is we're disappointing so many people but everything is gonna be okay".

You where finally able to calm down a little bit after what lo said.

"Your big head always knows the right thing to say huh". You spoke looking up at her with a smile on your face she always knew what to say making you feel better.

You both stayed that way for a while until you had to go change into something more comfy. You both had made way to your bed looking sofa.

Lauren made sure to listen to you rant about the game without interrupting you, only spoke when she needed to cause her presence being there for you meant more than anything to you in that moment.

She brushed your braids out of your face and helped you put your bonnet on seeing that they were covering all over your face. The both of you feel deep into sleep with you laying on top of lauren having each other's legs wrapped around each other.

Just like music, Lauren was like the rhythm to it always finding a way back no matter the circumstances.

[devotionbled]

Apostle of Flames

I want to discuss something super interesting. I might be a dumb dumb and delusional to see it, but here we are. But I have a trope that I love that's utterly delicious, which is why I am fascinated by the dynamic between Joshua and Jote. I can only write and describe it, but cults and things!!! Being raised by people who worship you!! Being raised alongside a disciple who has been with you since age 6??? Insanity!! I'm putting this under read more because it got long. Let me know what you think.

Joshua is the embodiment of what the Undying have been worshipping for eons. He has been dying for ages, and he still hasn't perished. They saw that in raising him from a coma instead of serving from the shadows. Imagine what that does to a cult? To see it up close.

He's godtouched. Eyes seeking beyond where land and sea meet the sky, so embraced for a yearning for holy salvation--to seek the answers for what has happened. His reality is different, more holy, more glorious despite being a dying man. He is untouchable until he isn't.

The Undying love him. On the subject of Jote--and on mine, whether it is one-sided or not, I like exploring this in the trope I can't remember the name for now. Essentially, Jote is an attendant and a disciple, yeah? But it is plain she loves him; it is something she was taught at the Undying's feet, but it grew into a beast in her heart. That love has teeth, savaging her. It is all she knows. He is more her than she is herself. He is him, nothing of her staining him. Identities blur upon her own temple.

Devotion, no matter how engulfing it is, it doesn't matter. Because Joshua is marching to his death. Even if he did love her back the same, even if he did love her with the same ardour and pain beyond affection of comradeship and friendship, I don't think it could ever compare to how much she adores and loves him.

It will never compare.

To the core, I'm trying to articulate: Jote will never be loved to the same depth that she loves him. And that alone is vicious and hideous. She will never compare to the promise of recovering the world from the brink of destruction. Joshua is divine transcendence, and he cannot be touched.

Jote is the divine sword, divine violence, in the eye of the capricious Undying. In their name--no, in the Phoenix, she is a revolution. Her revolution is in the liberation of her own heart. Yes, she was taught to love him, and her heart was devoured by cruelty in the abyss of nothingness. Why else would a child, Kihel, be a potential victim of her shielding of the Phoenix? In regards to my personal headcanons, it will be an exercise in valour to learn what is beyond holy murder and the lesson in how when you die, there is no coming back. Love is a revolt, and he will always damn her beyond his death. In the depths of her adoration, she will be haunted by his ghost.

I do think Jote is a weird canvas of lessons taught in sacrifice. Forsaking humanity, your own body, for who is dying. Flames are kind, flames are warm--and she is hollowed out by them. It is scripture upon her soul; she has long been desecrated by something beyond devotion. It is an exercise in having no heart to adore a messiah.

[inkskinned]

please i love you i'm begging you bring back suspension of disbelief bring back trusting the audience like. i cannot handle any more dialogue that sounds like a legal document. "hello, i am here to talk to you about the incident from a few minutes ago, because i feel you might be unwell, and i am invested in your personal wellbeing." "thank you, i am unwell because the incident was hurtful to me due to my childhood, which was bad." I CANT!!!!

do you know how many people are mad that authors use "growled" as a word for "said"? it's just poetics! they do not literally mean "growled," it's just a common replacement for "said with force but in a low tone." it's normal! do you hear me!! help me i love you please let me out of here!!!

[bacchuschucklefuck]

while teen while goblin while aroace while injured while doing your best

[directdogman]

I figured I'd reblog + share my own thoughts because this was a fun read and there's some really solid character analysis here that deserves to be seen by more people and shows someone who clearly pays a lot of attention to DT's narrative. It mainly focuses on the route content itself, where Gingi only knows each datable for a few days, so I figured I'd mention how both interpretations are actually correct, but specifically when you account for time.

The point about Randy is eternally solid. His newest scene in Roger's route shows him agreeing to take part in a predatory business to scrape his way out of poverty and while he's very submissive to Gingi, he intends to profit from something he knows is evil. Randy is NOT pure. I wouldn't call him malicious or unkind, but a lot of his words come from what he sees as self-preservation.

His attitude in his Roger's route cameo is 'fuck the system, what do I have to lose?', which introduces the dynamic for how the rest of Roger's employees react to the scam later on. And need we forget the bad endings of his route where he brandishes his iconic hammer? Randy is, on the surface, someone who will take anything that life throws his way with complete submission. However, Randy does have a breaking point and if he reaches it... All hell breaks loose. And yes, the point about the route centering around Randy's own agency is very important.

Oliver IS very confident but as pointed out, we do see some scenes of him second-guessing himself in the route. It's important to note that during the route, he doesn't know Gingi very well and is concerned about making a good impression and not scaring Gingi off by being too weird for Gingi, a fun inversion of the usual dynamic (not that Gingi cares if ITS weird ofc.)

The key thing to understand is that Oliver is kind of a pack animal in a sense. He derives confidence from those around him. I think it's fair to say that with more time in the group, Oliver WOULD be less self-conscious with strangers, knowing his friends would back him no matter what. I could still picture him acting confident when speaking to strangers with his friends around, but showing the same aforementioned insecurity on occasion when speaking to group members 1:1, desperate not to lose the favour of the group. In that way, late-game Oliver isn't that much unlike Callum Crown. The group would change everyone in subtle ways over time, as the DT characters are still evolving as people :)

The point about Karen is interesting. The emphasis on her rashness/jealousy is definitely very much valid and a great point to make. She is very much protective of what she sees as hers, but I do feel this could lead to situations where she automatically becomes the voice of reason in the group. The group is made up of Randy, Oliver, Gingi, Bigfoot, Norm + Karen. Because Oliver and Gingi are both fairly reckless, Randy has a tendency to panic/screw things up and she already has a dynamic of feeding Bigfoot (a dynamic of care) and he startles easily, this kind of has her + Norm having to think responsibly for the group, with Norm's father instincts and Karen's older sister instincts kicking in.

That being said, Karen's base personality is very much still there and in certain situations, like if the group was threatened or critically disrespected by something, I feel Norm would probably have to hold her back to avoid her clawing someone's head open. I should also note that DT's narrative (eg, Dietown) implies that Karen is as close as Randy (if not CLOSER) to completely snapping and having a psychological breakdown before Gingi intervenes and she quits her job. That's probably important to note.

I also completely agree about wanting to see more Norm + Mingus stuff as they're great characters! Norm's a little tricky because he only appears at the end of the game, and I've been a bit squeamish about doing ANYTHING after the ending of the game since I already have fairly detailed plans for what happen NEXT that continue very shortly from where DT leaves off (which would be prime sequel real estate!) But, I'm sure I'll think of something.

I'm currently writing a little Mingus fanfic to explain some of how she ended up where she has (first part is here), but yeah, Mingus is critically underrated and a very fun/complex character. She's actually in my top 3 favourite DT characters (with Gingi + Crown), which is saying something, given how much I like the other datables! It's a bare lead, but worth noting all the same.

Great analysis though! Made me smile seeing how much thought someone put into the characters :)

gimme 1 and 17 dialtown ☎️

hiiiii griffin i hope you're having a good time at graduation. probably not since u sent this ask but hey man i get i too was on my phone during graduation. anyway

1. the character everyone gets wrong

oh boy where do i start with this. i mean like. tee bee aych i feel like most people have a fundamental misunderstanding of randy. like he's not pathetic for pathetics sake he kind of intentionally puts himself in the worst situations imaginable to feed his worldview of everything being bad for Him specifically and no one else. the fandom kind of babygirls him? like treats him softer and generally makes him more of a shy uwu guy rather than a person stuck deeply in his own fractured worldview that is intentionally letting himself get worse. like randy's whole route is about making him realize his happiness is His Choice, His Decision and not a work of fate/luck/unseen outside force that he has to relinquish control to, and everyone just goes "yeah but what if we make him sopping wet uwu yaoibait guy with oliver".

speaking of oliver i feel like EEEEEEEEEVERYBODY makes him way too wacky and not actually grounded. like, despite his many odd mannerisms and such, he is still one of the few characters who has a job and is able to Maintain That throughout his route (though, of course, in the good route it changes). oliver is a pretty stable guy, all things considered. sure he talks funny and has a general inclination for the ridiculous, but a lot of people kinda coke him up and let him run loose like he's a wild animal. and i think it's more fun if you ground him in a place of reality and then let him play. instead of being the guy to drag people into stuff, let him be a part of a scenario and see what his reactions are. much more fun. also i feel like a lot of people forget how, like, awkward he is? like he tends to apologize when he says really outlandish/forward shit and seems to view Himself as a "freak" in a way that would suggest he's aware of how he stands in comparison to most people. like dude knows he's weird, and that's not Always a good thing.

and yknow what while im talking about the main dateables i would be remiss to bring up karen because like. WOW. i mean this is a problem with most fandom spaces unfortunately but the way people straightman her is so fucking sad. like people forget she literally quit her job on a Whim because someone vaguely suggested leaving and she went full throttle. karen is impulsive and karen makes bad decisions based on rash judgments and she is generally not that hard to goad into doing something stupid. i mean, she agreed to a date with gingi. twice! that takes some real loose grips on impulse control to just go along with that. like sure she is a bit more deadpan than, say, oliver, but she does have a sense of humor. she likes to use sarcasm! she has wit she has sass. also she is like. INSANELY jealous and i feel like a lot of people dont hone in on that aspect of her being the reason why she is sometimes so rash. she is fiercely protective of those she considers "hers". she wanted to Kill A Giraffe because gingi liked it. she is jealous she is rash she is impulsive PLAY IN THE SPACE STOP MAKING HER THE DEADPAN STRAIGHTMAN ITS SO BORINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

okay that's enough of that but just know i could've done it for every character

17. there should be more of this type of fic/art

maybe i am insanely ridiculously biased but there should more content of mingus and norm. or just mingus. or norm. those two are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fascinating and i feel like people kinda gloss over that. like they're similar beasts in their rampant paranoia and flawed perspective on callum/the world and they butt heads about it like crazy. generally their dynamic is one of the most interesting parts of chapter 3 to me and i feel like there really isn't enough chapter 3-focused content out there. we should talk about these guys more. and if i have to stand on a podium and take a stand there should be more content of MINGUS. girl is the driving antagonist of AN ENTIRE ARC. BASICALLY THE WHOLE GAME IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT. AND NOOOOOO I DON'T SEE HER ANYWHERE. IS IT BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T FIT IN YOUR FOUND FAMILY DYNAMIC? IS IT BECAUSE SHE'S A WOMAN? I DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DIRECT YOU PEOPLE TOWARDS HER BUT I WANT TO. if my brain was functioning at the capacity it was last july i would've written ten million fics about her i have so many days. alas, i don't know if they'll ever happen... (but if people were curious i would gladly share)

but in a slightly more biased take, i think there needs to be more normingus in the world. how we were the chosen few to proclaim the good word of normingus is beyond me. like don't get me wrong i'm happy tryt had its impact but JESUS CHRIST I SHOULD NOT BE THE MOST POPULAR. SOMEONE ELSE COME TRY AND PLAY IN THE SPACE WITH ME. I CAN GIVE YOU IDEAS. I CAN GIVE YOU SO MANY IDEAS.

[fishsinsareacknowledged]

dear fish, hello dear fish, how are you doing this fine day?

i would like your input on nikto's teeth, do you think he has sharp/pointed canines teeth? what do you think about the size of his lateral incisors relative to his central incisors or the general shape of his teeth in general, are they more slender or are they more squarish? are his bottom incisors crooked? do you think his dental arch is wide and how many teeth do you think one could see if he were to smile? i think someone mentioned about him smiling, looking like a dog bearing its teeth, was it you? how yellow are his teeth? and are there tobacco and tea stains? when do you think was the last time he had his teeth cleaned at the clinic?

i should go to bed, have a good day dear fish. i hope you are well. <3

My dearest, hear me out on Nikto with the bluntest teeth at the front. Blunt enough that if he bites down it bruises instead of cuts at the front. Canines that have the shape in between a u and a v, not too sharp yet just purely blunt.

And yet these canines can't even cut through skin because they're short, overlooked by flat teeth. Or what would be if he hasn't been fucked over in the face a few hundred times. Square alignment of his teeth that make his smile look more like a grin when he flashes them. Dents in the corner where the right is just a bit more dented in than the left. His teeth are proportioned in a way that makes his eyes look a bit larger.

Its clear to anyone that his central incisors are a bit pushed back, making an almost clean angle if it wasn't for the roundness of his teeth. The left one a bit more forward then the other. If he lets you look inside his mouth it smells like rot. An embodiment of him.

Tongue scraped and cracked, greying and a bit white. If you recommend him to brush his yellowish teeth more he'll just glare at you. Muttering that he doesn't have time, just get over with the appointment. It barely changes anything when you clean them. Though he is an easier patient than the rest, willing to keep still when you floss his gums until they bleed.

Its also far easier to clean when the tears on his face make it easier for you to reach in there. Seeing what you're cleaning on each individual tooth. Not as smooth as the teeth you normally see and yet, they're healthy enough.

"So when was the last time you had your teeth cleaned again?"

"First time."

"...i hope to be seeing you by june."

"Da, I can do that."

[ryllen]

[ But i wish, the '"interesting" him' I am talking to right now, Hold some part of truth of the 'true him'. ]

----

( a bit of thought after seeing their 2 interactions on x & x )

[introspectivememories]

please put your reasonings in the tags!!!! esp if you pick the last one

[blackcatxmagic]

The way that Jinhwan saw the world made everything feel so magical, not literally in this case. It was like he saw the good in everything. Some people could be so pessimistic or cynical, and Winter could get like that too when he was feeling really low, when he was feeling bad for himself for his current state. But Jinhwan had such light inside of him, and it felt like it would be impossible to be in a bad mood with him. "That's such a nice way of looking at it," Winter replied, smiling at the other man. "I'm glad I can do it. I wonder if there's a limit though, like...I can't possibly know every language in the world." Unless it's magic, Winter thought, though he didn't say this out loud. Then maybe he could know them all, situationally if nothing else. "You don't speak any other languages, do you? Maybe we can test it, see if I know that one too. So far all I know for sure is that I can speak English, Korean, and ASL."

Winter felt better when Jinhwan reassured him. "You don't have to be embarrassed," Winter told the other man. "I think I can understand. It's probably hard being so far from home, but when someone brings a piece of that home to you, then...it probably touches your heart in a way you didn't even know you missed." When he said that, Winter sighed, shaking his head. "Maybe that didn't make any sense," he admitted. "I've never really been away from home except for vacations, and not even that since my accident." Winter's world was firmly in Cardinal Hill; it was hard enough to keep that straight, let alone other places outside of town.

Once his shift was finished, Winter met Jinhwan outside, and once they decided what to do with his bike, Winter helped get it into the back and then got into the passenger seat. "Luckily I remember how to get home," Winter said, trying to make a joke, but it didn't quite land. "That wasn't very funny, was it?" he acknowledged. "I actually don't have trouble with that. Maybe I would if I was coming from somewhere far away, but I've not tested that yet." They set off, Winter directing Jinhwan, and as they drove he said, "I'm glad I remember the things that I do, like how to get home, how to sew, beekeeping, all of that. But...I miss the other things even though I don't remember knowing some of them. Like driving for instance, I don't even remember knowing that, but I miss it, like...in a deep way that goes beyond memory. Maybe that doesn't make sense, I don't know." Winter ran his fingers through his hair, blushing. He continued directing Jinhwan, and it wasn't long before they reached his house. "It's just down this driveway," he told the other. Winter's driveway was long, and you couldn't see the house from the road because of all the trees, but partway down the driveway they emerged into a large clearing surrounded by still more trees. This was where Winter's house sat, a cozy sanctuary from the rest of the world.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ The other smiled at Winter, his expression soft and earnest. “That’s really incredible, though, that you’re able to tap into something to express language.” His voice was warm with admiration, not a trace of doubt in it. Magic being a possibility never even crossed Jinhwan’s mind, despite being a Witch himself. To him, it simply felt like something beautiful that lived in Winter, something quiet and deep, like an old melody still echoing somewhere inside. "She's very kind." He smiled, in reference to Dori.

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ But as soon as he saw the flash of worry in Winter’s face, Jinhwan’s smile faltered. “Oh, no, Winter, I’m sorry,” he said quickly, his brows drawing together. He looked down, suddenly self-conscious, his fingers curling slightly at his sides. “You didn’t upset me. That made me happy, I just… I got embarrassed about my own reaction.” He let out a soft, sheepish laugh, one hand rising to rub the back of his neck, fingers touching the ends of his dark hair. “It caught me off guard, is all. Hearing Korean like that… it’s like hearing someone call your name when you weren’t expecting it. It reminded me of home, and I think… I wasn’t ready for how good that would feel.” Jinhwan tilted his head a little, peeking back up at Winter with a small, bashful smile. “So really, thank you. That moment was special to me.”

‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ He let the other finish his shift out, and then, when Winter was finished and came to find him, he turned around, having been deep within the fabrics again. “Oh? I did drive, and I don’t mind putting your bike in the back. Just tell me where to go.” He smiled, placing the fabric down, following the other out of the shop. "I parked just across the way, if you want to get your bike?" He offered.