#u can see how much the concept changed direction!!

[kamil-a]

feature on the all new seraphimagent 8 operating system, december 2056

wips:

[ruegarding]

hi, quick question, how did you feel about Beryl Grace's character and how she was written?

hi! overall, beryl is another character that falls into the "interesting concept, not elaborated on in canon" category. in pjo, she's not particularly developed bc of her distance to the main character and narrative. in hoo, where she's directly related to a main character, she's flat, zeus is flat, hera is flat, thalia is barely relevant, and jason's entire character suffers from hoo being inconsistent and poorly written, which means anything that, arguably, should be done well doesn't hold up.

in pjo, beryl’s character isn’t very fleshed out, but she’s a side character to a side character, so it's understandable. she's also dead, but when she was introduced the majority of parents we knew abt were alive, so it wasn't too big a deal (this changes drastically w hoo, where there are more dead parents than living ones).

her existence answers a few questions: why doesn't every mortal parents know who their child's godly parent is? bc some of them cannot handle it. why did thalia run away? bc her mother coped w her mental instability by turning to alcoholism. why does thalia want to join the hunters? bc she wants stability. why can't thalia return home? bc her mother's dead. a lazy way out, maybe, but, again, beryl is a side character to a side character. the implied depth of beryl's character, that thalia cared enough to not only check on beryl's well-being after being revived but also feels enough guilt abt leaving that it's used against her soh, does a lot of the heavy lifting.

in hoo, we learn very little abt beryl's character, despite the fact that she is now connected to a main character. in fact, beryl's inclusion in hoo doesn't do much.

is beryl given depth now that she's closer to the narrative? not really. thalia had to raise jason bc beryl was always self-absorbed, so she and jason don't really have a relationship, therefore nothing to explore. and also the implied depth from pjo is removed bc actually thalia stayed bc of jason and doesn't care abt beryl. so, if zeus went back to beryl, had two children w beryl, that would imply that he loves her, right? no. bc why would we take this opportunity to imply that zeus cares abt other ppl and make him a multi-dimensional character. what does it mean that beryl unites two pantheons by having a greek child and a roman child? don't know. rick never explores it. why was jason sold to one direction? bc hera sucks and beryl's self-absorbed. how was jason able to recognize thalia's face despite last seeing her when he was two (or three??)? did hera tell jason abt thalia as he was growing up? was it all part of hera's big plan? don't know. probably. is jason and thalia's relationship an important focus of the series? no. do we explore the ramifications of beryl being a celebrity w children? no. where does jason's idea of what a mother should be ("caring, loving, selflessly protective") come from? not established. probably thalia...? was it necessary that jason's mother was beryl and not literally any other absent parent? no. was jason and hera's relationship explored in hoo, at least? if u settle for "kinda."

i can not overstate how little beryl shows up in hoo.

there's also a separate issue in how her disabilities are handled. like i say often, this is a series abt disability and therefore these things matter. she explicitly has an addiction and is coded w bpd and she and zeus are villainized for both of these things.

compare it w may. may can't give luke what he needs bc of her disability and it's approached w empathy and portrayed as a tragedy. similarly, hermes loves her and helps her how he thinks is best. and despite this, the audience can still empathize w luke's anger bc none of this changes the fact that he did not get what he needed as a child. that's how u write a complex relationship fitting for a main character of a series abt disability.

instead, beryl is written as incredibly shallow and repeatedly described as "unstable." she likes zeus bc he's powerful and he gives her attention. she caught his attention for shallow reasons and she wanted to keep it for shallow reasons. zeus is written like the villain for leaving, bc obviously he's also shallow and only there bc she gives him attention. this entire situation would be a tragedy if it were written w a modicum of care. it was a no-win scenario. he could have stayed forever, he could have made her immortal, and she would still be unstable, be unsatisfied. she put her entire well-being in his hands, and there is no way he can make her happy forever. it's sad! the love could've been there and it wouldn't've fixed anything!

boo sort of tries to add depth to her character and relationship w jason, but, again, it doesn't hold up bc jason doesn't have a relationship w her. for the two (or three??) years he lived w her, she doesn't even raise him. thalia does. jason doesn't see multiple sides of beryl. almost everything he (and the audience) knows abt beryl, he learned from thalia's crash course on why their mother sucked. the only exception is this promise beryl made, that she'd come back for him, except jason's already come to terms w the fact it's a broken promise, that beryl was never coming back for him, before the story begins. rick never establishes any redeeming quality of beryl's, or beryl's influence on jason, so jason's rejection of her doesn't pack any emotional punch bc...what exactly is there to reject? to let go of? why would the audience be attached to her? why would jason be afraid of becoming like her when there's nothing in the narrative to suggest they're similar?

it's not tragic. it's not triumphant. it's lackluster.

[abrakuxas]

Have been reading Batman/Batfamily books from the 70s up and I'm currently at New 52.

I hate most stuff but that are some gems:

S

- Batman and Robin is great most of the time, I cannot complain. The moments I thought were not very much in character ended up being my mistake and I've managed to understand them as genuinely good moments. The arc of Damian's death and Bruce's reaction to it is great and very consistent with how he reacted to Jason's death so many years ago.

- Gotham Academy is almost perfect. I've read the first 6 issues and all the kids are so much fun for me. I don't really agree with Bruce's writing on this first issues? I feel like he is written colder than he used to be written around children. I feel like the writer is doing it from a place of what Batman/Bruce's vibe is, not really from actual understanding of his character, but that's fine cause the protagonist is biased against him anyway, so I can excuse it as her perspective on him. I'm excited to see Dami in the school, I feel like Robin's school life is probably one of the best ideas ever, it worked for Tim Drake before and gothic academy is a great vibe for Damian.

_________________________

A

- Batwoman is also very nice. I think I could've put it in S tier but I've occasionally found myself a little bored by it or skipping something cause it wasn't very interesting to me. Mostly I think Kate Kane is a great character as she had been pre flashpoint and her book did not suffer much from this terrible change in direction. That said I don't care for Maggie Sawyer, I miss Montoya's Question and her dynamic with Kate. I wish Nocturna was better developed as a character as well, as I feel like conceptually she is a great foil for Kate. Alice and Red Alice were not to my taste. The idea and vibes are good but it sometimes feels like a Harley Quinn ripoff that's trying not to be that? Not a very consistent character and having read Alice in Wonderland I feel like this character deserved far better.

- Batman Inc. is... Complicated. I'll just come out here and say it: I do not enjoy Morrison's writing of Batman. I feel like their writing is sometimes TOO meta to a point where they are talking more about the real world IP Batman™ and not so much about Bruce as an actual character. Everything is a big metaphor to what every character represents in our world and not so much what they feel and think, which makes it feel like everything happens in a dreamlike world of concepts and commentary on comics. It's comics about comics and that's boring to me. It's not badly written, just not my cup of tea. That said, this second volume of Batman Inc. was so much fun and at the time it made me FEEL things, even if they were occasionally bad things. I do not like Morrison's treatment of Thalia at all, but overall I rather read a bold yet controversial book than any of the other VERY boring and safey books that make up Batfamily books up until now.

___________________________

B

- the Batman title was not as bad as it could've been. The New 52 is overall a terrible idea and I've seen lots of people say Batman comics got the better treatment out of it and oh boy, I'm so sad for the rest of DC cause most Batman comics S U C K... The Batman title though is mostly fine. Scott Snyder is a good writer. Am I fan of everything he did with this run? Not at all, but he was bold enough to create things, lots of concepts from his run are very very fun and deserve to be core concepts of Batman. It means a lot that the Court of Owls is that popular when the last big villain we got was probably what, Hush? And Court of Owls for all it's flaws is such a better story than Hush anyway. I enjoy a lot of the relationships and character writing here too.

That said, unfortunately, A LOT of the stories are kinda too similar to other stories and feel repetitive if you've read a lot of comics. I've SEEN "Batman disappeared and we're worried about him" just before Flashpoint, I don't need Bruce to be away in a maze (even though it's far better written than Batman RIP to my taste), same thing with Endgame... I've read Contagion and we don't really need ANOTHER pandemic in Gotham. But anyway, maybe that's a me problem more than it is the books problem. Snyder is very competent and his stories can be very very fun and even though not every idea works for me, at least he treats characters with respect and care.

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C

Nightwing is the reason I started reading comics back when I met him in the Starfire goes to the future episode of Teen Titans cartoons and he was THE COOLEST GUY EVER. That said WHY is it that everytime they decide to give him a solo book he is 100% solo? Dick Grayson's best traits comes from his relationship. His weird older-brother-turned-father relationship with Bruce, his guilt towards Jason's death, his situationship with Barbara, his brotherly relationship with Tim and Damian, ALL of his Titans relationships. That's Dick Grayson. So WHY is he solo dealing with "the circus you grew up with is actually EEEEEVILLL and your childhood besties (WHO???????) want to kill you"? It's not just bad and boring, it's a weird trend that has started back with Chuck Dixon's run on him. That's a celebrated run that I don't understand, it's kinda fun at best but alienating at worst, which is sad cause Dixon's Batman run is quite good for Batfamily and Dick Grayson in my opinion. Anyway, this book sucks, what's next?

- Grayson. It's not necessarily badly written but who are this people? Give him back his suit, give Helena Bertinelli her suit and put them back in Gotham. Fuck Spyral and all cops are bastards, moving on.

- Batwing: I don't care for David Zavimbe, but Luke Fox had very fun writing and high stakes, I really enjoy this character, I wish he had more time and a better name. I like the idea of rich family boy finds out the reason all this Bat kids work is that they have absolutely no one except other super heroes and doing this with an actual, functional family is so fucking harder. This is not in C cause it's boring, it just had no time to cook better stuff, but I had lots of fun.

______

D

Detective Comics, Batman Eternal and Batman TDK have the same problem: they are not actual stories about actual characters they are excuses to keep an IP. It lacks personality, it lacks anything of interest, it's Batman living through an eternal hell of generic stories that take him nothing to nowhere, you lose nothing by skipping this, this is what people that don't read comics think comics are: nothing happens and every week Batman just fights a guy again.

Batgirl: Gail Simone can write the hell out of Barbara Gordon... As an adult woman.... In a wheelchair.... With the Birds of Prey.... Why is this 35 year old calling herself Batgirl again? Disgusting, ableist and very boring. And the ableism isn't JUST on Barbara, her Brother's treatment is honestly horrendous. And Batgirl of Burnside is not much better with her Oracle persona turning into an evil algorithm that she needs to talk down and destroy??? Fuck you, DC comics. I will not get into the weirdly transphobic story of a guy doing drag as Batgirl being treated as a monster and ridiculous. I will add though: if you really needed a college age Batgirl, you HAD Stephanie Brown AND Cassandra Cain. Oh wait, NO YOU DIDN'T, CAUSE YOU DISAPPEARED WITH THEM, RIGHT YOU MORONS???? I cannot believe how much better this could've been if we got roommate Cass and Steph as Batgirls attending college together and how their different personalities work off each other and in class. Also Barbara Gordon being 21 is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.

Red Hood and the Outlaws: absolutely nothing of worth here except a couple of Jason x Bruce scenes, but barely. Lobdell can't write a villain to save his life and all the characters are just either thrown into the trash or we have Jason who is not necessarily thrown into the thrash but for some fucking reason has random mystic powers and training....? I don't know, I feel like it's the most convoluted type of story I've ever read, he was raised from the dead by the League of Assassins, WHY does he have to go away from them and then train with ANOTHER also league of also assassins? Lobdell is AI Writing before AI writing existed, it's insane.

I've also read Teen Titans and I uh... Rather not talk about.

[nalonzooo]

Hi you’re very kind in always answering people with their art questions i appreciate you so much!! I wanted to ask if u have any books/videos that helped you on your art journey? Love your art so much ur an inspiration 😘😘

hi!! this is so nice of you to say and you’re very welcome 🥰 - books and videos under the cut!

videos

what helped me a lot when i started with art is to watch time lapses or draw-with-me sessions so i can kind of copy how artists draw or paint. however it’s "Level Up your Portrait Drawings" by Chris Hong (ETA: sorry the link doesn't seem to be working, so i've included the title of the class) that was like a turning point in how i drew faces. it’s available via membership on skillshare but i think you can sign up for a month free. i can’t recommend it enough! the quality of my portraits changed after this especially with regards to anchor points—i learned how to tweak my art with this video and i do feel it carried over and improved the way i drew very visibly <3

another video i feel created a huge improvement in my drawing is this class by Lexin Yuan (qrbits). this is a lot more rigorous and thorough than the previous one and also included feedback from the artist (!!) and it’s available via subscription to Class101 but lexin has since made a free version on their youtube which i HIGHLY recommend as well (actually i would recommend their entire channel) - from here i learned how to make characters stand and pose properly, i learned to draw from dance videos, i learned about boxes and anatomy in a very approachable way.

another artist i’m subscribed to and whom i enjoy watching draw is likelihoodart. i love looking at their art bc i feel like they have the perfect blend of semi-realism and stylization - plus their OCs are amazing (the general art rule for teeth is don’t fill them out, but i’ve never seen anyone draw teeth a good as them! i mean look at this work in particular). i picked up some rendering styles and tips from watching their draw-with-me videos.

i’m also currently subscribed to Loish’s patreon where she has very useful and in-depth tutorials and guides. she explains it so well and i also see a lot of the artists in their patreon community sharing their improvements and it's SO cool and encouraging. she has accessible tutorials here you can check out :)

books

comic books/graphic novels - i think i mentioned before but when i first started drawing (again, after living artless as a corporate cog), i was in my marvel (mcu//stucky) phase and one of my fav comics back then was matt fraction’s hawkeye. i liked david aja’s style and i would copy entire panels from the comic in ink into my sketchbook. so i would recommend copying whatever art style comic or manga or graphic novel you like into your sketchbook as personal practice (not for public sharing). re-draw your favorite panels! copying directly from the source also helps you figure out how the artist might have drawn their works.

figure drawing by michael hampton - if i were to recommend just one figure drawing/anatomy book to you, it would be this one - this is also a direct recommendation by lexin yuan and i found this book to be easy to follow and the concepts are understandable. i am at heart more of a gesture drawing artist so his emphasis on line of action and dynamism is something i really appreciated.

ART BOOKS! in particular: spider-verse 1 and 2 art books - everyone knows these and for good reason; ami thompson's character expression sheets alone are worth the price. seeing concept art is always very special--you get to read how a team of creatives come up with ideas and you can learn how to incorporate them into your own art. these two are currently my favorite art books, but i also like the art of tangled (glen keane's sketches are in the inside of the covers and that alone made me want to weep they're so beautiful). and sometimes i go into the japanese section of my local bookstore and see what art books they have - i got this one last year which i really enjoyed, and i got a copy of ryoko kui's doodle book for dungeon meshi and i just love it SO much. their character designs are varied and top-notch and it's just so FUN to go through (if you're interested in this, they'll be releasing an english version soon!)

i also draw a lot of inspiration from artists who make and sell zines of their own art or sketches or sketchbooks - some of them even offer it for free! it seems to be a lost art nowadays because people think zines have to be like big collaborative productions, but it can just be a pdf of your sketches. i literally have a page from one of my fav artist's digital zines printed and taped in front of my desk for constant inspiration, and it's just a sketch of theirs. there's nothing quite like seeing an artist's work in zine format <3

my gawd sorry that was so long BUT i hope these are helpful to you in any way!! <3

[sleepyficss]

hiiiiiii same taco loving girly girl as before. previous request was my first time sending a request to a blog like this and i do really like the post!!!!!!! super cute :3 romantic headcanons for taco regarding each of the five love languages? same concept for reader as before. please and thank you ueeeehhhhhhh

love languages.

taco x reader

authors note:

aghh i love writing about love languages, there's so much i could ramble about here. ty ty for another request !!! i'm glad you liked the other one – keep the good ideas coming!! /lh

words of affirmation

- this ones' first up!! i feel is very important to her.

- some days, she gets in stuck in her own head, and starts to convince herself that you aren't going to stick around forever. she gets scared that you'll decide that, no, you don't forgive her for her past actions; and that she'll lose you like mic, and pickle –

- taco definitely needs to hear your reassurance, reminding her that you wouldn't leave her willingly for any reason.

- let her know that you don't hold anything against her for her past actions, and nothing will change your current relationship with her <3

- taco also understands how other peoples' words/opinions may affect you.

- as previously mentioned, she knows how it feels to be scared of possible abandonment – she isn't afraid to talk you through it, and to let you know how much she loves you.

- reminds you constantly that she couldn't imagine being with anyone else, not that she'd want to be, either.

quality time

- taco has stated before, that she thinks better when she has another person to talk to.

- so, please PLS just sit down next to her, while she's working on a project, or even just playing a game like sudoku (she's such a nerd, did u see her calculating her fall into the water in s1?? & i mean that with pure affection LOL).

- it may even help her figure things out along the way if you ask her what she's making/planning/how to play, so she can explain it.

- you may end up sitting there having no clue what half the words she's saying are, but its the thought that counts!! just nod and smile, she's too buried in her own work to notice that you're completely lost.

- leaning against her on the couch while you watch television, or read a book, or literally anything!! just relax by chilling around with her.

physical touch

- you're looking at the most touch-starved object in existence here (mephones a close second, i won't lie).

- especially after s1, where she was alone for so long before making a series of even worse decisions, barely anyone even bothered to LOOK in her direction, much less interact with her.

- the first time you hold her hand, she's almost forgotten what it was like to feel the touch of someone that actually cared for her.

- taco is surprised by your touch, and you almost go to retract your hand out of fear that she isn't comfortable with it – she's quick to reach back for it though, quietly asking you to not let go.

- (now she won't ever let go of you, good luck! she's super glued your hands together.)

- jk jk. but she's so shy about any affection for a while, that you almost think she won't ever get used to it.

- but OH BOY. when she does get more comfortable with initiating it? taco becomes quite the flirtacious menace.

- she's learnt of the affect she has on you, originally with just her voice (don't lie, she could say 'hello' to me, and i'd swoon), but now her touch? she loves seeing you flustered.

acts of service

- one of taco's greatest skills is her problem solving abilities, so she won't hold back when trying to come up with solutions to any of the issues you confide in her.

- especially after all you've done for her, trusting her, staying with her, and loving her, despite everything she's done?

- will do anything just to see a smile on your face (if not because she loves you, then to make herself feel more confident in believing that you do love her, but she won't admit that to you – she knows you'll scold her for it).

- she does really appreciate if you try to do the same to her, whether its trying to help her with an issue she's having, or if its just making a cup of tea for her.

- taco isn't used to it, as she doesn't usually get any sort of help from others unless they're getting something out of it. she almost expects you to want something in return, but is happily surprised when she is told otherwise.

gift-giving

- she already finds joy in inventing things, so its even better when she's able to to make something for you!!

- always tries to make it something you'll find useful, like... ..

- if you get overwhelmed by sounds easily? she's made you a pair of noise cancelling earbuds that can be easily hidden from view!

- or, she'll take apart and analyse the bowtie she took from test tubes lab, just to make a second one for you to match with her! except, depending on your style, it may be a hair accessory, jewellery, etc. instead!

- (i can imagine you convincing her to pull harmless pranks on the others with the invisibility ability – it reminds her of how silly she used to act in s1... and how much fun she used to have with pickle.)

- in turn, taco cherishes literally ANYTHING you give to her. whether its an expensive item you bought, or a hand-made gift.

- she totally keeps all of it too, including holiday cards, somewhere safe, and she likes to pull them out and look through everything if she's ever missing you :(

- but she would be so devastated if any of it ever got lost or ruined, depending on how much it matters to her, she may even end up crying.

- in general, i think taco's main love languages are for sure words of affirmation & acts of service.

- she's not quite used to showing her love to others, but she'll do anything she can to make sure you know how she feels about you <3

[anarcholive]

hello treasured mutual! if u have ocs i would like to hear about them.

uh um. (blows up) i dont. draw that much so bear with me maybe? i actually feel like im being actively hunted when people ask me to see them but........ I'm actually writing a book trilogy (more like planning it and organizing chapters, I'm awful on the actual writing part and do almost if not all of it by hand) about three siblings, the way they love and how it essentially drives them to destruction. Keith Holland Moore (my beautiful doomed boy)

His book is fully about self hatred being twisted into an awful concept of self-love. Becoming selfish and egocentric in an attempt to protect oneself, trying to convince himself he truly is an awful person who would never fully fit a society. Little does he know he actually is capable of love, even if he never was shown love and affection in a way he could understand. It's a story about hope and love, though it does end in tragedy. He is obsessed with the idea of hurting himself or others, for that is the only way he truly feels a genuine, equivalent connection with anyone. That is, until the story truly is developed!!!!! Have a sketch of younger him as well, that is totally not lore related:

uhhhh we have my baby Abby :) Abigail Holland Moore! (i really had to hunt for this)

Her and Keith are actually twins! Her whole story is about self-sacrifice, fighting for others when she couldn't really see her worth, blindly putting faith on people who were actively lying to her face. It's also about finding love in the most unlikely places in life, even if everything seems completelty lost and hopeless. I'd say she really is my precious lady<3

And then, ofc, their oldest sister, Elizabeth Holland Moore (you guys already know it)

Here are just some attempts at solidifying her design, my beautiful divorced lady. Doing her best to do what she can to change lives even if her methods aren't exactly morally correct, she never truly learned what affection was herself; she is the classic: "I'm paying for your food and a roof over your head, surely that's enough proof of my love?" Really detached from it all, she spends most of her time either sorting her very illegal business or simply smoking by herself. The proof that choosing to stay stoic and prideful can isolate yourself in the worst ways.

Uhhhh I've also been obsessed with my Disco Elysium OC's but after a certain scary (understatement) situation I've been a little ashamed of showing them. Here's Eye (or Aether c:)

I was actually planning on fully rendering this, but then, again, my motivation to do so and share his story was also completely drained with the whole Situation. He's a direct representation of how someone can be wronged by the healthcare system, though whenever I do write things about him, I prefer to share his own twisted point of view about things. A "spy" (though I'd say his tendency to observe comes mainly from an admiration and infatuation towards the world itself) selling information to whichever precincts will take his words as valid, mainly about organized crime and drug dealing, he sees people-watching as similar to studying birds. A little too in love with the pale, my funny trans guy with memory issues and a tendency to run away whenever things get too emotional. No vulnerability here.

Here's Raíssa Carvoliva Borges:

Her portrait is bland half-purposefully? I also chose to not put more effort on this than I should, knowing it would not really be used that much. She's a direct representation of a social mask. Plainclothes officer who never truly learned to fully be herself when she's not on duty. She's actually everything I love about my culture, she's a direct love confession from me to all of Brazil and especially our women. She is a strong woman, very family-oriented and loves to take care of her own appearance! Very into music and writing, uses both of these medias to express feelings she truly doesn't know how to express out loud.

I HAVE MANY, MANY OTHER OCS"!!!!!!!!! I COULD KEEP TYPING FOR HOURS BUT UH. I SHOULDN'T TORTURE YOU GUYS!!!!!!

@grrrbkbr and @hyenaspots tags since you two did show some interest uh time to run away ive commited a crime i am being Hunted like a wild rabid animal

[starrylayle]

Marauders Fandom > "There is no canon !!" and other rhetorics

Guess who's back in their marauders phase after 2-3 years of being dormant lmao?? ((spoiler its me lol)). Anyways, a lot has changed since 2021 in this fandom so I just wanted to talk about the direction i think it's going.

I remember in 2020-21 the fandom started to boom in popularity on tiktok --> esp with the rise wolfstar + atyd. I remember people were so suprised with remus' characterization as 'rougher around the edges' instead of the 'soft boi' thing, and how that influenced the new wolfstar dynamic. [Just want to add that the atyd characterisation is much more complex than this and its one of my fave fics --> I'm more talking about the fandom at large's reaction to this)

And since fandom is incapable of having two nuanced and characters who are not stark opposites,, their roles were basically reversed and now Remus is the toxic dom alpha male and sirius is the cute girlyboy twink --- which um,,, the oc-ification is so real its embarrassing but whatever (omg don't even get me started on jegulus 💀)). I just assumed these would stay as headcanons. But now we have people saying, that 'we barely know anything abt the marauders in canon' or 'isn't the whole point of fandom to make shit up?' which i have sO many issues with so let me just try and compile my thoughts into dot points for the sake of coherency.

'we barely know anything abt the marauders in canon' ---> First of all, Remus, Sirius and Severus are fully fleshed out characters in the og series -- why do you think people would care enough to create an entire fandom based on their backstories if they were 2d flat characters in canon?? Like bffr. I saw a post on here (forgot who it was by, let me know if u know!) that said, 'I didn't cry over sirius' death in OotP just for ppl to say that we know nothing abt him in canon'. Like, its just mind-boggling to me lol.

'isn't the whole point of fandom to make shit up?' --> Ok y'all. For a fandom to work, there have to be some guidelines, some kind of source material, some point of reference so people can build upon it and make content. I think we can all agree on that. One reason why HP is such a popular place for fandom is the world-building and potential plots/storylines. I see some people argue that jk rowling was a shit writer anyways so might as well contradict everything she says. Now, I don't disagree with that point in particular, Jo is a pretty mediocre writer and a terrible person. HOWEVERrr, I'd argue that it is a lot more fascinating when people expand or work on the concepts in HP. JK Rowling has a lot of great ideas but executes them terribly -- I love when fic writes do this, which prolly explain why I love atyd as it is still very much canon compliant but executes themes on class, disability and queerness that jkr could barely do in subtext. This doesn''t mean I only think canon compliant fics are valid. That's not the case! I think as long as the charcterization is consistent to the character and the particular circumstances/world they're in, its fine! In fact, I love seeing how the same character would function if in a different place! I also love seeing explorations of the magic and magic systems in aus or fix it fics (or even canon compliant ones) that still fit in with the canonnical system that we know.

I guess what I'm trying to say I wish the marauders fandom explored the world and charcterizations more deeply instead of creating shallow oc-fied version of the characters that fit into whatever's trending -- like just write your own book or smth lol -- booktok will eat it up i promise.

Also, kinda related kinda not but um,,, why are we romanticising fascists -- like babe no evan rosier is not your babygirl he canonnoically tortured multiple ppl and became a death eater soo... not saying that I wouldn't want an exploration of his character or even a relationship with barty -- (who's not some cool dairk-haired edgelord but a actually a cowardly fascist murderer with blond hair -- yes the blond hair is important) -- I'd just want them to be portrayed as the not morally good people they are. Like,, if u want to oc-ify a character like pick someone whos not a death eater or has little info on them like dirk cresswell or frank longbottom,,, or ya know,, one of the MANY female characters in the fandom ((This fandom also has a problem with women and sapphic ships in general but that's a whole other issue lol).

I know this 'babygirlification' of death eaters doesn't mean to do this, but it also ends up watering down the themes of oppression, bigotry, etc and leaves us with not nearly as complex characters. Also one of the issues I had with the og HP world is that JK will introduce concepts like wizard racism and slavery and then just like,, not really do anything about it or just have half-arsed redemption arcs whilst not ever actually exploring the root of the issue. And now i feel like the fandom is following in those footsteps unfortunately.

Anyways, i've been rambling for too long so I'll just leave it here. Sorry if this came off as mean spirited in anyway,, I just have a lot of thoughts™ and my family is sick of hearing them lol. These opinions are not set in stone however so I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject! At the end of the day this is fandom and we're supposed to have fun -- so yeah !! thanks for reading if you made it this far!

[kurukufute]

Au idea

What if Macaque was raised by a wind spirit never met wukong till he was on the jttw.

Macaque was traveling with his father to human villages selling charms, niknaks joules, poshens and other remedies(Mac's wearing glamorous & a mask to cover his face pops gave his scarf btw). Then they were returning home to their very magical forest with very magical inhabitants. Then they bump into the jttw gang wail in the same village heading the same direction so they join together and they go on for a while then monk-man and pops get kidnapped by some random demon. Mac out smarts them and gets his pops & tripitaka with out really hurting the demons and tripitaka is like "Why can't u handle it like that" and wukong is all pouty like "I handle things just fine". Mac just checking his pops is okey. Not giving a shit about wukong's side-eye glear. Then wukong realizes there's something off this Sierma guy. He tells tripitaka that night and the next day tripitaka pulls pops aside and tells him his son might not be human and pops says "i know he's a demon still does not change the fact he's my son " and goes back to camp to pack up (Tripitaka is left there flabbergasted) after a solid 2 minutes he dose the same. They make it to the forest and are told that can stay the night just they aren't allowed to hurt any of the crichers Mac'll take care of the misbehaving ones.

At this point none of the jttw gang have seen macaque's face so they don't know what type of demon he is, not even Wukong. Mac stays relatively close to his pops not talking much. Wukong is trying to get on Macs nerves pops stepping in between them and being an over protective of his son.

Then they get to what see what Mac looks like most of the gang was flabbergasted and Ao Lei is all "u pretty :D" simple friendly compliment. Wukong is smitten (he has been for a while) like

(●//▽//●).

The gang leaves, after the journey they come visit some times especially Wukong. Pops is a little not happy that his son and the monkey king have a thing for each other (all protective dad like (ง’̀-‘́)ง).

But ya that the little au i have not much developed in how it'll work but I have fun with the concept. If u have questions go ahead and ask. I may make a design for pops & macaque later. Much love 💘

[archivedjuice]

Hi! :D I’m avoiding course work and I’m just genuinely curious.

Now it’s been a while since I’ve been into comics/superheroes but when I first followed you I remember you enjoyed the Netflix Defenders series, more specifically DD. Can I ask why u don’t as much anymore?

that's so real of you

the more i got into the comics the more i realised how very much sucks the route they took in the dd show upheld a lot of ableist, racist and white christian (the distinction of them using catholicism over any other branch of christianity is important to my establishing of the choice's explicit whiteness (but specifically in correlation to the concept of white supremacy)) beliefs which kind of acted in direct opposition to matt murdock's original characterisation. there's also a fundamental misunderstanding of the comics in general and how each run related to each other and what they meant for the title as a whole and this misunderstanding definitely negatively affected the show's plot and how it went about establishing and developing relationships. then, the fanbase is even worse; it not only upholds but also adds onto and perpetuates the heteronormative and ableist aspects of the tv show by infantalising and dehumanising matt murdock but at the same time, carnally desiring the seeing man that plays him while willingly ignoring what the racism and changing of many aspects of matt's core beliefs to be directly aligned with catholicism means about the messages the writers and directors wanted the show to portray. at first, it's just petty annoyances here and there but looking at the root causes of fandom discourses is kind of stomach turning; these fandom discourses worsen because when you think about it, putting ableist and heteronormative people who are fixated on a catholic character in one, very small and echo-y space breeds the worst fandom habits i've ever experienced -- who would have guessed? there's a very specific kind of ego attributed to the fanbase that's akin to that of mcu twitter bros in which they refuse to read the source material and when you look for any kind of reasoning for this, it jumps right out at you: reading the comics in which matt murdock's personality isn't propped on these harmful, very christian and white societal ideals means explicitly confronting their own morals, especially when it comes to humanising disabled people (which they can never do because in the end, they were attracted to charlie cox and not matt murdock specifically) and even perhaps entirely discarding the idea of enjoying/understanding a character they're either not attracted to or one they are, but they feel they shouldn't be attracted to.

also i'm just very hyperfixated on mike murdock and have been for almost two years straight.

[mytarotenergy]

pls can u do kpops overall direction in 2025/26? and will it change its performance quality for big3? thank u v much

1. Global Expansion and Diversity: K-pop will continue to thrive globally, with an even larger international fanbase. The genre will likely see increased collaborations with international artists, moving beyond just music to incorporate more global partnerships in fashion, movies, and even social movements. K-pop artists will continue to perform and release in various languages, embracing global diversity even more.

2. Integration of Technology: As technology continues to advance, K-pop is expected to integrate even more virtual elements. We may see more virtual concerts, AI-generated music, and augmented reality experiences in performances. The use of NFTs and metaverse platforms may become common for artist-fan interaction, creating new ways for fans to connect with their favorite groups.

3. Trend Shifts in Music and Concepts: There will likely be more experimental music styles, with K-pop leaning into various genres beyond the typical pop, hip-hop, and R&B. Artists will experiment with cross-genre collaborations and more unique concepts that stand out from the mainstream. We could also see a stronger emphasis on authenticity and personal expression, with groups and artists moving away from purely manufactured concepts to more genuine and relatable personas.

4. Focus on Mental Health and Well-being: There’s likely to be a stronger emphasis on the mental health of idols, with agencies taking more steps to protect their artists from extreme pressures. In terms of the well-being of idols, more open conversations about the challenges of the industry, burnout, and the importance of rest could shape how future idols are treated and supported.

Big 3 performance quality:

SM Entertainment: SM will likely continue its dominance in terms of innovation and international reach, especially with groups like NCT and AESPA pushing boundaries. However, SM will likely focus on refining performance qualityby integrating more advanced technology (like virtual avatars) into their performances, along with continuing their trend of creative concepts. Expect high production value and more dynamic live performances.

YG Entertainment: YG’s focus will probably remain on big-budget productions with high-quality music and visuals, as seen with groups like BLACKPINK and TREASURE. They will likely continue to lead in terms of powerful performances and charismatic stage presence. However, the agency might focus more on diversity in their concepts, moving beyond the traditional hip-hop style, and experimenting with new genres to cater to international tastes.

JYP Entertainment: JYP will likely continue their success with groups like Stray Kids and ITZY, focusing on tight choreography and high-energy performances. Their strength in creating catchy, memorable songs will likely remain a key feature, and their production quality will remain high. JYP could also explore more collaborations and push for global appeal, blending both the group and solo activities of their artists to maintain high visibility internationally.

Will the Big 3’s Performance Quality Change?

Yes, the Big 3 will continue to evolve in their performance quality. With the rise of technology and globalization, expect even more polished, immersive performances with state-of-the-art stage designs, advanced choreography, and more powerful sound systems. These companies are always at the forefront of the latest trends, so expect faster production cycles, with more innovative live performances leveraging virtual reality, AI, and interactive elements.

[gojoidyll]

Lesgooo, new chapter update. Let's All collectively thank our chicken wing boy for saving y/n. And the Oscar's goes toooooo:

Y/N for her 10/10 acting.

I wonder how old jing yuan is in your au cuz for everyone to forget about sunday, he must be old af. Does the concept of long life species exist or jy is just...jy.

Puttibg on my theorist hat again,I bet sunday didn't fully become an aeon but like the penacony arc, dhil and jy stopped him. What are the chances that dhil and blade are trying to revive sunday? Given that sunday also recommended that y/n get close with blade, that's very sus. Hmm...I wonder if jing yuan currently cares for y/n or just a 'meh'. I think he does but I'm literally coping sooo hard rn.

It's so awkward how in Game jy and sunday are literally match made in heaven, but they're at each other's necks in your au.

Can I ask where u got the inspiration for the au cuz it's bery bery creative?

I'm very much looking forward to see jing yuan's redemption arc. Currently blade and dhil is very very sussy. In the earlier lives I kinda thought it was silly of blade to threaten mc witch stealing the keys. Like bitchass mf, where's your proof??? Fight me betch.

My anger issues would prolly be the reason I would die if I got isekaid. Do you think you could survive as y/n?

And Natlan has me sobbing rn, I know for sure they're gonna bring capi back cuz he has so much potential to bring in money. At least we have a body to simp at.

Cute. <3

Keep up the slay work and don't forget to take breaks and stay hydratedddd

-Mei

XD 10/10 acting skills!!!!!

How old is jing yuan? 🫣 hmm, I wonder about that. I guess one could say time has been ... tampered with 👀

So many thoughts XD

Did jy and dhil defeat sunday together? Or was it just jy while dhil was elsewhere? Where was Blade during all of this? What is the importance of the keys? Is jy the only one who knows about sunday? So many questions...

So how about this one before we get ahead of ourselves... why did sunday only tell y/n to get close to blade and not dhil or even boothill for that matter? Since Sunday wants to help y/n to be able to "get home"

🤭 I bet jy cares for y/n, but I guess you all won't know for sure until I write it lol. Though, of course, there will always be the question on whether or not jy is faking or not...

XD originally I started this fic before Sunday became a playable character so I had no idea at the time that him and jy would work so well together! The main reason why I had them at each other's throats was simply because Sunday fits the part so well. Two characters who are hard to read or be able to tell what they are thinking. And considering the penacony story quest and what was going on with Sunday, i saw a perfect opportunity!

Because at the beginning Sunday wasn't going to be in this fic at all. In fact, there wouldn't be any time travel to begin with. How story involved into such? Well, I got writer's block and decided to take the fic in a new direction. :)

I hope jy has a redemption arc too, but he is the emperor...

I think i can survive up to a point in this story. I'll probably be caught my moze or end up boring jing yuan since I would never be able to outsmart him lol. So if sunday didn't exist in the au as someone who could change the past... then I would say I would give myself a solid month before I end up dying.

DEFINITELY! they can't let capitano just die! I know for sure he'll be back someday!! (And be playable)

[bonetrousled]

please please please please gawd tell me more about ur pap being the knight theory OR if u would so pls direct me to where u talked abt it before. u have truly GRIPPED me w this

OH GOD I HAVE SO SO MUCH OK. so i DO have the papyrus powerpoint HERE which has a section on that a little more in-depth and i will say i am not the first to come up w this idea but personally it's the only option that makes Complete sense w no holes to me. this is all going off the concept that papyrus is likely younger here bc sans asks kris to hang out w him. my ramblings under a cut bc im about to go fucking CRAZY

the knight, by people that have seen him already, is always referred to w he/it pronouns. papyrus and sans are the only characters that fit the he/it bill (both of them are referred to with it/its in the lost soul fight, nobody else is referred to this way)

there is NO way that kris OR susie could have made the dark worlds in chapter 1 and chapter 2. the dark world had to have been opened AFTER noelle and berdly got to the library (since their books and stuff are open) but BEFORE kris and susie arrived, crossing all of them off potential dark world opener lists. also up until this point kris didn't even Know how to open a dark world

there's the closet in the library that states that "a very large person could easily fit inside". papyrus could have potentially been hiding in there and waiting for others to come to open the fountain. additionally in ut he says that there's no skeletons in his closet- except him sometimes

but then the question of motive comes up. Why would he do that?

so far from what we've seen in deltarune, papyrus is an asocial shut-in. given that the main core of other characters hasn't really been altered, we can also assume what he wants MOST is to feel important and be liked, like in undertale. combining these two aspects leads us to someone who can't bring himself to socialize with others in the real world, but DESPERATELY wants to feel necessary and admired.

the whole deal w the dark world is wish fulfillment, at least as i see it. susie gets a cool outfit with spikes and makes friends, she has her own room with her own style, etc. berdly gets a cool, nerdy sci-fi outfit and is put in charge, and even gets to have a heroic moment towards the end of chapter 2. noelle gets to tell her true feelings to a mother figure and gets to spend time with susie. so if you get what you want most in the dark world, it would make COMPLETE sense for papyrus to not only be spending time in them, but opening more fountains to spend as much time in them as possible.

plus, what have we seen the first two chapters thus far? EVERYONE important and in-charge LOVES the knight. all they do is talk abt him and how awesome he is. double tying in this aspect of wish fulfillment to the weird, perfect nature of hometown- people who didn't really get a chance at life are still alive, everyone is happy, that sort of thing. papyrus is the ONLY main character out of all of undertale that NEVER gets what he wants. every other character gets some sort of completion to their arc, some sort of resolution and closure, they meet their goals, they achieve something. by the end of true pacifist, papyrus doesn't get ANYTHING. his friend count is still stagnant, he never proves himself, or gets any sort of important role (he only becomes the ambassador if you DON'T want to). putting two and two together here, it would make perfect sense for papyrus to finally get his moment- by his own hands.

plus, and this is just a little obvious here, but if you become what you want the most in the dark world, and papyrus wanted to be in the guard- what would you call a member of a royal guard? a knight.

alongside the weird, vague hints that papyrus must have had SOMETHING happen to him in his past and that he wasn't always a great guy (very adamant about how people can change, the "I'M A PRETTY BRUTAL KIND OF GUY" line, the way he admits to you in aborted no mercy that he was going to blast you to smithereens) and we NEVER get resolution/explanation for that (or any of the other weird shit he says [see powerpoint]) i feel like there's just too much setup here for any other option to make sense to me. papyrus is also just very obviously toby's favorite character from ut, he's the only one he ever commissioned art for just to have and he clearly really enjoys writing him and doing stuff w him. anyway ummm im insane :) *grins*

[baqisnotdead]

have u ever seen the music video for "Ocean Avenue" by Yellowcard?

^one of the most useless questions on tumblr dot com

ok anyway i was compelled tonight to rewatch this song's music video not only cuz it slaps, but i remember watching it with my sister some years ago and us being baffled about what this music video means

source:

re-familiarize yourself with this barely-sensical emo pop rock cinematic classic and you'll understand my confusion. so...it's a time loop concept. big deal. maybe it doesn't have to make sense and it's just interesting enough on its own to provide a lossely-cohesive storyline carried along by concept rather than by narrative?

and yes that could very much be it, but i was struck with some revelatory thoughts upon my own viewing of it tonight. i won't clog your dash but if you wanna dive in with me, i too have nothing better to do this tuesday night <3

so we all know the art of The Music Video is a pendulum that swings wildly in dozens of directions across several decades -- a music vid making little to no sense isn't the end of the world. sometimes the lyrics don't match what's on the screen at all and life goes on. however, i think i was wrong to assume that of this song and its video. now i don't mean i expected the song's lyrics to be literal; about "green cars" and "women running me over" and "goddamn sidewalk nuns again" but i think that all has a purpose for being in the video, regardless

just as lyrics can contain abstract meaning, music videos can help convey that visually as well. i think this time loop "gag" and the accompanying microgags within them in perpetuity is plenty entertaining, and that's clearly one angle in all of this, and that's great! the worst thing a music video can do is bore you. but i think the implied goofiness or high-concept-ness of it all can lead a viewer to not look as closely into the implied themes of it all. yes, it's great to follow in the storyline-not-storyline kinda way, but drawing critical thematic statements from a man parkouring over a shopping kart full of garbage? that's too fuckin far

except it's not! because like i said: it's all in there for a purpose. just breaking down what we see sequentially, all of it feels disjointed until the time loop clicks after the first chorus. only then, over a third of the way into the song, are we able to start piecing things together. with this, the theme of "cycles/something cyclical" is established. what's this cycle of? what's the intended outcome and how do we get there?

once a loop is established in any story, what's most interesting about it is what changes, and not what actually "loops." upon first run, barreling through Sidewalk Nunz, ragdolling over a shopping kart of trash, we see him pitifully miss the goal: a green muscle car of mysterious rock n roll origin. we loop and we're back on our feet. this time: side spin around the nuns, PARKOUR over the homeless -- that'll show them!! -- and we're a bit ahead of the curve as our hero is mowed down in his emo prime (electric violin continues)

but then it's bridge time! and that means: story development! inside what looks to be the nicest apartment in Newark NJ, a brief case and glasses fit for an eye surgery patient are seen. an attractively lesbionage agent takes them both and attempts to leave. the chase ensues once more, and the nuns are skillfully woven through, the vagabond is High Fived TM respectfully, and the hero successfully intercepts and boards the green muscle car, end of song

so...what's it all mean? well here's my take: it's all about the cyclical nature of self-improvement within the context of partnership. first off, this is supported at least somewhat by the lyrics. everything is very hypothetical and expressing desire for things like nostalgia, a better future, etc. "If I could find you now, things would get better" it's a bittersweet theme that desires for the past and the future, but not the present. typically, times of change or adjustment are what these desires and emotions manifest from. an unsteady or unpleasant "now" could be/would be/should be made better by remembering a better past, or wanting a better future. sadly, one of those things we can never get back, and the other only comes when work is done and change is made.

that's when i was reminded of what changes, literally, within the music video! as we know, time loops exist to be solved and escaped -- see "Groundhogs Day" or "Palm Springs" -- which is the thematic metaphor for what feels like an endless cycle of uncertainty during significant life changes and relationships. within a romantic/relationship context, i view our hero's cyclical journey as a test, some trials he has to figure out the best way to navigate to get to his intended goal. what ways work, which ways don’t? i think this says a lot about the deeper themes being discussed

in a basic sense, the street nuns and the shopping kart are problems or obstacles the hero is facing. since they're metaphorical and intended to have meaning to many viewers, what they are literally is up to you! one obstacle could be handling commitment, it could be with addiction (which can be cyclical as well), the list goes on. but what matters is not what the problems "are," but how the hero gets through them. we know the first attempt was messy and with complete disregard. trying to mosh pit through the nuns only slowed him down, and body slamming the kart looked ineffective at best. clearly, we are being told "You cannot strong arm your way through your problems."

Take 2: my guy jukes out the nuns and gets major air over the kart. while we're meant to think it's effective, clearly all was for nought. the lesson here: "You cannot simply avoid or completely skip over the problems like they don't need to be dealt with." the result of this path being the hero getting what he thought he wanted, only to be hoisted by his own green muscle car about to run him over.

as the final attempt begins, we're given important context that is the driving motivation for our hero. while the woman and the briefcase could be ambiguous in literal meaning as well, they represent loss/the threat of losing something or someone important if our hero can't break the cycle. this happens all too often to real people caught in cycles or constantly-shifting times in life, so the hero's desperation makes sense. but then, after artfully weaving peacefully through the nuns and scoring some Good Person Clout, the hero achieves his goal

the final lesson clearly being: work through the hard stuff. don't brute force it, don't dodge it. make mistakes and learn. learn that it's ok to have hope and want better things for yourself in the future. you might be afraid of losing something important to you along the way, but you can still get better and get things right as long as you keep moving through them.

and i dunno...i think that was a really cool and uplifting message to this song and this music video that i have no idea is there or not intentionally on the part of Yellowcard, but we all know that's not the point of art and music lmao. i found this cool meaning in this cool song/video and i hope you did too! k that's all go to bed

[unpluggedfinancial]

How I Force-Fed the Orange Pill and Sent a Friend $50 in Bitcoin

Sometimes, the best way to help a friend is by giving them a push in the right direction—especially when it comes to understanding Bitcoin. Yesterday, I did just that. I crammed the orange pill down a friend's throat (figuratively, of course), made him download Coinbase, and sent him $50 in Bitcoin. Here's how it all went down and why I believe this is the start of something bigger for them.

The Backstory

My friend has always been skeptical of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general. Like many, they've heard about Bitcoin, but the concept seemed too complex, risky, or downright unnecessary. Every time I tried to bring it up, I was met with the same response: "I just don't get it" or "Isn't that just a fad?" But I knew that with a little nudge, they could see the bigger picture.

The Orange Pill Moment

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Instead of trying to explain Bitcoin for the hundredth time, I made the decision to give them a taste of the real thing. I told them, "Download Coinbase, and I'll send you $50 in Bitcoin right now." It took a bit of convincing, but eventually, they relented. The key was making it easy for them to take the first step.

Sending the $50 in Bitcoin

Once they had Coinbase set up, I sent over $50 worth of Bitcoin. It wasn’t just about the money—it was about showing them the power of digital assets. That $50 was a tangible representation of the digital revolution happening before our eyes. It was a way to cut through the noise and give them something they could hold (digitally) and watch grow.

Why I Did It

Bitcoin isn't just another investment; it's a fundamental shift in how we think about money, value, and freedom. By giving my friend that $50 in Bitcoin, I wasn’t just sharing an asset—I was sharing a belief in a decentralized future where people have more control over their finances. I wanted them to experience the feeling of owning Bitcoin, even if just a small amount, and to see how it could change their perspective on money.

What Happens Next?

Will this friend dive deep into the Bitcoin rabbit hole? Only time will tell. But now, they have a stake in the game. They'll watch that $50 fluctuate, and with any luck, they'll start asking more questions, doing their own research, and eventually, they'll come to see what I and millions of others see in Bitcoin.

Conclusion

Sometimes, the best way to help someone understand Bitcoin is by showing them rather than telling them. By force-feeding my friend the orange pill and giving them a small amount of Bitcoin, I’ve planted a seed. Whether it grows into a full-fledged understanding of the Bitcoin revolution is up to them—but at least now, they’re on the path.

If you’ve got friends who are on the fence about Bitcoin, consider giving them a little push. After all, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step—or in this case, a single transaction.

Call to Action

Have you orange-pilled a friend? Share your experiences in the comments, or better yet, send them a little Bitcoin and see where it takes them. Let’s keep spreading the word and helping others see the light of financial freedom.

Take Action Towards Financial Independence

If this article has sparked your interest in the transformative potential of Bitcoin, there's so much more to explore! Dive deeper into the world of financial independence and revolutionize your understanding of money by following my blog and subscribing to my YouTube channel.

🌐 Blog: Unplugged Financial Blog Stay updated with insightful articles, detailed analyses, and practical advice on navigating the evolving financial landscape. Learn about the history of money, the flaws in our current financial systems, and how Bitcoin can offer a path to a more secure and independent financial future.

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👍 Like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with our latest content. Whether you're a seasoned investor, a curious newcomer, or someone concerned about the future of your financial health, our community is here to support you on your journey to financial independence.

[vanishintoyou]

The Fame (2008) by Lady Gaga - my commentary edition

because i truly am insufferable like this and want to talk about her music (also one mutual said i should do it so ❤ if u see this, this one's thanks to u bestie)

i will probably do this for her other albums as well ✌

general comments: first of all this album is THAT GIRL. every song is still so relevant, both in terms of sound and lyrics. you would think okay ive listened to [a song from this album] 9283755 times it was way overplayed. and yeah but umm actually no! no matter how many times, it will still be slaying. pop perfection in the literal sense. and she did all that with her DEBUT ALBUM. legend energy. and!! it's insane that this album had SO MANY literal hits like so many of these songs were so popular and all over the radio. it was at the time where they didnt really understand gaga but they were still all over her. energy. (i dont think the general public ever understood her to this day but u get what i mean)

JUST DANCE - a classic!!!! the redone tagline that started it all... makes me think i really want these two working together again. anyway, having this as your studio debut is actually insane if u ask me. no matter how many times i will listen, don't think i will get bored. the bridge is too good actually, can we bring back actual bridges in pop songs???? please and thank u

LOVEGAME - oh man how to even begin this one. i can't believe this one was playing everywhere for years!! "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick" is actually one of the most iconic lines in late 2000s music lmao. truly a signature sound for this era btw.

PAPARAZZI - that girl forever and ever. this will have to be considered together with its vma performance, because it just HAS to. the song itself is crazy, the celebrity worship and the downsides of fame. love that concept love the execution. but then she had to go ahead and have that performance too!!!! truly game changing and life changing as well. the way NO ONE was prepared for it. no one even understood in that room. she was one step ahead even from such an early time in her career. this one truly makes u understand that she's not just another popstar thank u very much.

POKER FACE - the first insanely popular hit. like yes the songs up until this one was Successful and popular. but this one?? honey there was no escape from this one. my first exposure to gaga as well <3 i was like 9 lmao. (it's also insane how it's going 4/4 in terms of the songs being actual hits lol) anyway did you know she says "fu fu fu fuck her face" in the chorus? now u know! sneaky and very strong gaga energy for this lmao. ALSO i love the live performances of this song because she makes it so fun all the time. mixing it up and all that. the dance is fun too! i dont know how to actually comment further because like what else can i say this is poker face.

EH, EH - this is the odd one out of the album right. it's so cute and bubblegum-ish compared to the rest of the album. and i like her!! a lot!! it's giving a little bit of retro too. when i think abt it this might be the odd one out of her whole career probably lmao. she's versatile, and keeps doing different things all the time. but this kinda cute-ish song is very rare for her. as i said i like it but now i wonder how the selection of this song went lol. this is also kinda reminding of her pre-debut stuff in some ways??? but it's been some time i might be wrong too. anyway, interesting and fun song imo

BEAUTIFUL DIRTY RICH - oh my it's so hard to pick my fave song from any album but like this may be IT. the cuntiness of this oneeee it's clear to me that this is kinda the direction that her music ended up turning after this album. in terms of the vibes and cheekiness and as i said, the cunt levels. there's also some jazz influence (? i may be using a wrong genre name here but U GET IT) even if it's minimal like cmon this song is SO GAGA. it's so her. it's so fun. this one deserved so much more popularity if u ask me. im eating up the delivery each time also

THE FAME - ooh baby the guitar in this she's a rock starrr <3 this is the most direct one in terms of the album's general theme and messages (i mean duh. the name lol). i like how the verses and chorus kinda have different vibes. verses being more guitar driven, and the chorus being more bubbly and poppy. it's fun, but nothing so mindblowing tbh but i still like it!

MONEY HONEY - okay cunt is back. we love it. the pre-chorus is SO delicious and then how it transforms to the chorus is even MORE delicious. this one would be so high in my ranking of the album you dont even know (if i could actually have a real final ranking lol). love how she's embracing the famous rich bitch vibe so much here. KI KI KISSES!!

STARSTRUCK - one of the more underrated tracks in my experience. honestly i love this one so much. feel like it's another lowkey unusual song from her, but she has the vibe down so well, the genre doesn't even matter. it feels so natural. the tasteful autotune sooo late 2000s man i feel that. the features work well too imo! this is all "jewels and drugs" wished it was tbh (we will get into it more in the artpop post tho, havent actually listened to that song in sooo long so i may be wrong once again lol)

BOYS BOYS BOYS - i always think "oh this one yeah ok whatever" but then im always having so much fun with it?? like i will have fun with it, but still not care a lot abt it tbh. it's a pretty straightforward pop track and doesnt really feel like a gaga-exclusive something to me. but i still enjoy it! love the little nod to just dance btw lol

PAPER GANGSTA - a piano hip hop influenced track <3 always love this vibe. still tho, kinda another unusual gaga song imo. out of all the hip hop influenced songs from her, this might be one of my faves. it's also more lowkey than the others. and that bar is not so high tbh lmao. so yeah i like it, nothing too special tho

BROWN EYES - okayyy believe it or not this is one of my most played songs from the album probably. i love gaga balladsssssss!!!! serve the VOCALS. give me everything. i love this one so much so much. also that guitar part in this like im listeningggg <3 this feels like some kind of a prequel to speechless, which is probably my fave gaga ballad ever. ough dont know what to say. this is the most vocals she showed in this album, and i know that this is Nothing compared to her full potential and talent. but!!! still so impressive for me. i just find her voice so (insert every positive adjective here) umm and also on top of that, comforting. so. yeah great great song imo

I LIKE IT ROUGH - futuristic vibes here we gooo i like this one a lot. this is also very signature gaga sound for her future career i feel like. especially the verses, but the chorus too to some extent. also one of the biggest earworms of the album for me

SUMMERBOY - okay this is also a somewhat cute-ish song but this one feels less cute for some reason. it feels more... naughty?? lol maybe that's why i dont find it too out of ordinary for her. but it kinda is when i think abt it! really reminiscent of her older stuff as i said (iirc) for "eh eh" too. but also love the rock influence too! maybe that's why i dont find it too out of the ordinary lmao. anyway this is really such a vibe it makes me so happy and silly i love it

DISCO HEAVEN - this one is probably the one i listen to the least from this album tbh. it's fun! but it doesnt feel that special for me. i love the instrumentals a lot now that i think abt it. but couldve used a stronger closer for the album maybe!! also never paid attention to how this album has so many spelling moments lmao truly 2000s vibes

[saturn-sends-hugs]

For the bad batch ask!!!

17, 24, 34, and/or 48

Feel free to answer only the ones you want to <3<3

oh bestie i am answering ALL OF THEM

17. What are some headcanons you have about Tech?

oooo ok i found a couple in my notes app:

When watching a movie, Tech can get bored pretty quickly and usually ends up finding the space wikipedia page on it and listing off random facts about its production as they watch. Him and Echo often get into debates about how the SFX was done.

Less of a headcanon and more of a “what if”, but if Anakin ever piloted the Marauder, Tech would reluctantly agree that objectively Anakin is a pretty good pilot, but he’d grumble the whole time about him “messing up his systems.”

Tech has tried time and time again to convince Echo to let him weaponize his cybernetics. The strategic benefit of hidden weaponry would give them a backup plan in the event that they were ever without their blasters, and Wrecker of course just wants to see it happen. Echo, however, remains adamant that no, he would prefer not to sleep with a functioning rocket launcher in his scomp arm, thank you very much.

Tech cannot tell directions. He constantly has maps pulled up on his HUD, so he never gets lost, and no one ever questions it. But if he’s ever without his helmet or something? Oh. Oh buddy, he is lost in two seconds. You spin him around once and he has no idea what direction he just came from. Crosshair is more than happy to tease him about it.

Tech cannot dance. While he knows how to dance in that he’s seen tutorials and memorized the motions, he’s just so incredibly stiff that it’s actually abysmal. (It takes Phee a long, long time before she manages to get him to loosen up lol)

aaaaaand that’s probably enough :D

24. Do you have any hot or controversial takes?

oh absolutely and about 70% of them are just my opinions on Hunter.

Fandom thinks he has a ten step skincare routine, tons of hair products, and spends forever getting ready? NOPE. The man uses 5-in-1 shampoo and washes his face with hand soap. He has no clue what the word “exfoliating” means. He dresses like a fisherman grandpa and thinks sunscreen is for fancy people.

Also, the fisherman thing is like my whole concept of Hunter lol. He sends this to Omega no context one day thinking it’s the funniest thing in the world (he is correct)

not really a hot take, but honestly you already said everything about the whole Fandom Drama™️ stuff so this is what I’ve got lol

34. Which Batcher would you like to kick in the shins?

Crosshair. Obviously. (also Echo for being incapable of self care but i feel like it would be hypocritical to get upset about the ways i’m actively choosing to write him bskhkdndndkd)

48. What’s something you wish you could say/tell to each Batcher?

Tech: don’t hold your datapad so close to your face, you’re gonna get a headache. also where have you been girlie i missed you in the last episodes for some reason, you should really hurry up and get back from the podraces!

Crosshair: go suck an egg. btw have you considered piercings because i gotta say i’m imagining you with a septum and some platform boots and it’s incredible.

Wrecker: HELLO SIR HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF A SLUSHY BECAUSE IM ABOUT TO CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE WORLD

Hunter: uh. hi.

Omega: you’re doing amazing sweetie and ur brothers won’t say it but they’re so proud of u mwah

Echo: (regarding slow down) SIT THE FUCK DOWN RIGHT NOW MISTER I SWEAR TO GOD. WTH ARE YOU DOING. WHO IS LETTING YOU CONTINUE TO BE THIS STUPID HOLY SH— (me. it’s me. i’m doing this to myself.) also stop ignoring rex u wet noodle.