#undertaker is the villain for now

[plague-of-insomnia]

I don’t know why this is such a difficult concept for the fandom to grasp.

[danwhobrowses]

You know, as much as I would've loved a massive catharsis-led triumph over Athion Zathuda in battle, possibly left at the mercy of the vibrant flames of Fearne's Titan form reiterating herself with aplomb as Fearne Calloway, I actually kinda love how the narrative chose to defeat him. In many ways it is just hilarious, but also ironically in-character. Man talked all about wanting to prove himself, had a grandiose title of 'Sorrowlord' and was looking to be both a physical and mental adversary after threatening to torment Fearne into becoming Exaltant by targeting her loved ones. But then when he is pit against Bells Hells he barely does a thing; he tries to talk his way into turning Fearne again, gets jumpscared by Ira, the 'farm girl' he mocked to Fearne commandeers his dragon, he loses a leg and is thrown off his dragon, and the Hells even opt to keep him alive for some reason in 107 before kinda accidentally offing him in 108.

He thought he was the shit, but enemies of true threat like Ludinus, Otohan and Liliana (a threat before she was turned) looked down on him, and thus his attempts to prove them wrong - while also falling into the same trap as Ashton's father in seeking out a personal destiny and being willing to see their child as a tool to do it - bore no fruit at all, he was practically an afterthought through and through, his dragon really being his entire threat level. In the end, he got killed running (well, hobbling) away, and while Gloamglut's keening was a little sad in a way that a pet cannot fathom the moral complexity of having to kill their owner he still had it coming, plus following his eternal torture in the Tiki Bar of Ligament Manor, the last sorrow he wrought was his own; he achieved nothing, everything he hints he did to get to his position was for naught, and for all the fear and danger he tried to make himself possess he truly had no power over anyone, especially not Fearne - who can only pity him and, as further proof of being better than he ever was, hope that he takes the time to reflect on his sorrows.

[bull-shit-suji]

with the hiatus ending in less than a month i'm casting the dice for kuro finale predictions. a lot of this is based on the manga's narrative style, as well as season one's ending (which, though yana didn't write it, she DID give the production team input). place your bets now!

the manor burns down again. partial credit for Something burning down because yana loves a full circle moment

elizabeth lives and is instrumental for some part of the climax, i.e. crashing out at o!ciel (it's what he deserves).

elizabeth inherits the title of guard dog and maybe funtom. girlboss!

sebastian gets badly injured or nearly dies. i think he needs to suffer a little more (endearing)

the phantomhives' killer is someone we've already met. that's murder mystery ground rule number one baby

bonus points if queen victoria did it! she's the only known character who i can piece together a viable motive for

madam red makes a harrowing return as a bizarre doll

undertaker is a red herring villain BUT knows who orchestrated the phantomhives' murders and/or tried to prevent it from happening. isn't telling o!ciel because that would mean satisfying the contract.

said contract is concluded

r!ciel is definitely dying again. let the kid rest man

tentatively theorizing that rachel phantomhive will be important to the murder reveal in some way. we've seen a lot of vincent thus far and it's suspicious that rachel, who parallels elizabeth in visuals, emotional intelligence, AND moral uprightness hasn't had her moment yet

[autumnmobile12]

7 Ways to Introduce the Villain.

1. The Shadow

A lot of series go with the classic 'ominous shadowy figure in the background.' Here's Silco in Arcane. Sinister voice, sinister dude, sinister intent. Boom, you have your villain.

2. The Slow Reveal

Other variations of the 'shadowy figure' in which the series draws out the reveal of the villain. Avatar: The Last Airbender doesn't reveal the Firelord until the final season, but his presence is felt throughout the series. He's always this looming threat whose will is carried out by his underlings. (General Zhao, Azula, etc.)

3. The Fabulous Entrance!

Okay, so we do hear Ragyo on the phone a couple times before they actually show her face, but goddamn, this entrance. It is impressive and terrifying and, it perfectly suits the utter psycho that she is.

There is no normal expression this woman makes when she's 'happy.' She's always smug or angry or annoyed, but this face with her staring, manic eyes and smile still haunts me. Send help.

4. The Sudden Entrance

Shigaraki kinda comes out of nowhere in My Hero Academia. For the first few episodes, its all lighthearted and fun and dealing with Bakugo's BS and then the class heads off on a field trip and suddenly,

"Oh, shit! Plot is happening!"

This series started off with kids learning to be heroes, and now it's tragedy and social upheaval and people's lives are in danger.

5. The Incognito Entrance

This is when some random nonthreatening dude/lady just kinda sidles into the plot the be the butt of a joke and later turns out to have been one of the villains.

This scene was so weird. Tyki is just minding his own business, scamming people at cards. Then Allen and Lavi show up looking for their friend (the guy currently being scammed), and even though he recognizes them as exorcists and his enemies, Tyki has to sit there and play it off like he doesn't know jack cause if he does anything, he's gonna blow his cover in front of his human buddies. And then he suffers the indignation of being stripped in a poker game in broad daylight because the main protagonist is absolutely evil with a card deck. And then he just walks away from this like it's a totally normal thing, not even really taking vengeance for it. (He went after Allen, sure, but that was more of a job than any personal vendetta.) He's not the main villain, but I couldn't resist pointing out how bizarre this is.

For those who haven't seen D. Gray Man, the guy in the center is one of the main antagonists, and though this is technically the second time you see him, the first encounter was so short it was practically a cameo and he was a Victorian-era, Dorian Gray dandy gentleman, not this hobo riding a train.

6. The Traitor

Since the Undertaker was more of a neutral party in Black Butler, I don't think he really counts as a traitor. Still, I don't think too many of us were suspecting the morbid jokester Grim Reaper was going to turn out to be a major antagonist later on.

7. The Protagonist

And sometimes the protagonist is the villain!

[deus-sema]

Having read these thought provoking posts in a row by @neyafromfrance95 and @anetherealpoetess , I racked my brain to remember when and how exactly did this drama over villain/heroine pairings start and how did it aggravate to such an extent?

But, before I begin, I want to get this out of the way: The intent of this post is not to generalize. Haters who hate everything fun without discrimination, those who aren't hypocrites, this post is not for you. You are the real deal. Hate and vent away and unless this hatred affects creators and fans adversely, which is when we would need to have serious conversations, we are good to go.

Where were we again? Yes. The heroine and the villain. The good girl and the bad guy. The M/F ship where the male character is not 100% morally upstanding and/or age appropriate. This dynamic goes by many names. Call it whatever you wish to.

Why this dynamic is enjoyed by many has been discussed often. Why it is disliked is also known. To each their own. Anyway, let's get straight to the point. This particular dynamic can result in the female character getting hurt at some point. Be it physically, mentally, or emotionally. It isn't mandatory but the possibility is always there. The villain/adversary with whom she shares a complicated entanglement that may or may not be 'officially' romantic is a challenge she must overcome. Be it by beating him, killing him, fixing him, smooching him or screwing him.

Preferences are one thing. But this vehement pushback specifically against stories that explore such a dynamic as well as against those who enjoy them is rather strange.

Now, why is it easier for some to separate fiction from reality when it comes to toxic m/m pairs as compared to similar m/f pairs? Aren't all these characters fake anyway? Maybe the belief that women are inherently fragile and, thus need to be protected and sheltered from any and all harm, genuine or perceived, still prevails. They aren't allowed to face so much as the slightest adversity or discomfort. They must be kept safe within the boundaries of propriety. If they are to have a partner then he must be a properly vetted 'green flag' who is safe for them in every aspect. Chemistry be damned. While it often stems from genuine, albeit misplaced, concern, it leaves the arcs of these female characters with limited scope.

Strangely enough, the characters in question can belong to any background: Human, demon, alien, witch, elf, warrior, zombie. Their natures might differ. They can all have different backstories, undergo varying experiences, follow rules and belief systems distinct from one another. But, when placed in an equation with a man who has been dubbed 'unsafe', they are all clubbed under one umbrella of victimhood. As long as the link between them and the unsafe male character exists, victims they must remain. Until that connection is severed and they are taken back to safety, all other identities cease to exist. Any conversation with respect to that equation must abritrarily categorize them as victim and the men as their victimizers and there should be nothing more to it. Not even if the narrative wills it. Fans who have different readings of the relationship are to be silenced with slutshaming, accusations of romanticizing abuse, not getting the plot, yada, yada. And, in certain cases, when the female character happens to be a WoC, her entire existence gets overlooked.

As a side effect of this approach, the  commercial creatives who are in the business for the paycheck and want to avoid unnecessary hassle, do not bother to put in effort or  undertake risks while creating female characters, let alone put them in a relationship with the bad guy. They know all it will take to calm the online pearl clutchers with pitchforks is to keep the female characters secure on the sidelines to play a supportive role leaving them free to focus and work hard on male characters who move the plot. The female characters are remembered only when the men have to be depicted in a better or worse light. Afterall, someone needs to be the scapegoat to help move the male character's arc forward.

The general audience, most of whom are in for the entertainment, must definitely notice the difference in importance that female characters hold as compared to their male counterparts but do not give it much thought. Meanwhile, in the online realm, puritantis and incels pat each other on the back after belittling real people who disagree with them for female characters in 'safe' and, possibly, passive roles is what both parties ultimately seek, albeit with different intentions. If a fictional woman doesn't toe the line, then the narrative is expected to set her right by 'humbling' her. As for the real ones deemed 'improper', the Internet is always ready with their pitchforks like we see here in this case highlighted by @problematic-faves-appreciation) concerning the Brontës.

Patriarchy truly is no different from the Hydra. Cut one head off and two more appear in its place wearing faux progressive hoodies.

[seraphinitegames]

The Wayhaven Chronicles - Update 08/Sept/2023 Phew, doing draft after draft of plan is a lot!

I know that putting in all this effort now will pay off  when I actually come to write it (though I may have already loosely drafted a couple of scenes because I can’t help myself… :D) as well as make it a lot smoother when I get to it…but knowing what is coming is making me SO eager to write already, hehe! :D

This week, I spent some time looking at how to add in the villain romance. It’s definitely got a much different feel than the romance-y Unit Bravo ones, lol! But then I want it to be unique with it’s own feel, so it definitely works.

The more I plan in, the more I think it’s a definite that I’ll be adding it.

But I also want to make sure there are points where you can end that romance if you want to, especially because it might get too intense for some people. Definitely want that exit option in there at multiple places!

Planning this romance also means a very different shift in mindset from the vampires’ romances, not only because they’re a not a good person, lol, but also because it is a one book romance. I need to switch from thinking about the romance as a long term thing that can grow over multiple books, to something that needs to start, get involved, and then end in one book! It’s not that it can’t be done, especially with the intensity that’s burning between the MC and the villain if the character goes this route, but I don’t want it to feel like it’s rushed :D

I also spent last weekend, and will be spending all weekends, on starting the spruce up of Book One! That’s been seriously fun to read back through that! It’s not going to be anything major, catching any remaining bugs and spelling errors, matching things up better to later events, etc. But I did realise just how much Book One feels like a different style than Two and Three, so I want to update it to feel more like how I write now, which is a bit of an undertaking. My plan is to make it not too obvious but make the whole series feel more cohesive!

Just shows how much our styles can adapt and change as we evolve as creators!

Hope you all have the most amazing weekend! We’ll be offline as usual, but I’ll talk to you all again on next week!

[therobotmonster]

I'm bringing Hexy back.

Good visual reference on Hexadecimal (And Reboot in general) is shockingly hard to find, so when I found a guy who had done 4k upscales of the series on YT, it was time for some screencaps.

It's a pity the first(ish?) truly all-CG cartoon was probably not preserved in a state that would let it be re-rendered at higher resolution. What was at the time a massive technological undertaking could be rendered real-time on a mid-tier computer now.

Her whole mask-swapping gimmick was, itself, a way of turning tech limitations into an interesting feature. Save time on facial animation and lip synch while making her more memorable.

Every action cartoon series needs a villainous femme fatale, and Hex dispenses with most of the subtlety. She's a dominatrix-witch with a, uh, sprite-tight red leather bodysuit and latex or possibly black painted metal gloves and thigh-boots.

None of us should have been surprised by Blackarachnia is all I'm saying.

And like any good villainess, she's got a full on murder-mode.

And this is going to take more than one post.

Hexadecimal, from Reboot (1994, season 1, Mainframe Entertainment)

[b-skarsgard]

Exclusive Interview: Bill Skarsgård On Making Orlok His Own In NOSFERATU

Bill Skarsgård has been in the Nosferatu loop since writer/director Robert Eggers first began conceiving it almost 10 years ago. This was before Skarsgård had his horror-star-making turn as Pennywise in It, so initially, he auditioned for the part of Friedrich Harding, friend of central couple Thomas and Ellen Hutter. Then he read for and landed the part of Thomas before the project fell apart. Nosferatu, in fact, went through a few stops and starts before finally coming to fruition, with Skarsgård ultimately taking on the titular role of the hundreds-of-years-old vampire Count Orlok.

Eggers’ reimagining of the 1922 silent landmark gives Orlok a new look but the same goal: to possess Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and drain the life from those around her. The film, which also stars Nicholas Hoult as Thomas, Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Harding, and Willem Dafoe as occult expert Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz, presents Orlok as a resuscitated, centuries-old nobleman driven by obsession as much as bloodlust. (You can read more of this interview in FANGORIA #26, on sale very soon.)

read at the link or under the cut

Do you happen to know what Eggers’ change in thinking was, from seeing you in one of the heroic roles to playing the villain?

I don’t know if there are any heroic roles in the movie [laughs], apart from Ellen, in a way. I don’t know what changed in him, but that’s just how it ended up. At one point I was devastated because when it did finally look like Nosferatu was coming around for the third time, he was looking into other actors for Thomas, and then I heard that Nick got the part, and I was like, OK, what about the Harding role?

I also once read for that one. And then Aaron got it, and I was like, OK, I have to divorce myself from the idea of being part of this movie now, even though I felt so, I don’t know, destined to be a part of it. So it was a surprise and shock to me when he approached me with Orlok. In a lot of ways, it was a much more daunting task to undertake as an actor. It was as terrifying as it was exciting.

This is obviously a very different Orlok than we saw in the previous versions of Nosferatu. How did you view the character when you first took the role, and how did you develop him with Eggers?

Robert had obviously done a lot of thinking about what his Orlok would be like. And when he reached out to me about the possibility of playing him, I think he was a lot more confident that I could do it than I was [laughs]. But I was so thrilled for the opportunity, and I told him, “OK, now we’ll have to convince everyone”; we had to submit to the studio and whatnot.

We had this kind of 10-day workshop where he shared with me a lot of the material he had used for inspiration—different performances in different movies, what Orlok would have been like when he was alive, all that kind of stuff. And also how he saw Orlok’s look, which was quite specific. Then I started working on it.

I began with voice memos, and then I would send little clips of myself doing certain things. This was all before the actual screen test; it was all during COVID. Those 10 days were a very deep dive into the process of developing this guy, and proof for myself that I could do it. It was a great sort of dating phase with Robert as well, to see how we would collaborate. Auditions are usually horrible, but with this particular way of doing it, it was quite creative.

Then the movie fell apart again, so when we actually got to shoot it, I believe it had been two and a half years since I did the tape. So I almost had to restudy what I did for the tape in order to start re-prepping for the movie because, at that point, I was at the same place of, how the hell did I do this, or can I do it? I had to go through all that again, you know?

What were some of Eggers’ specific inspirations for Orlok that he shared with you, and were there any you came up with yourself?

There were a lot of different things. There was a Bulgarian movie called Time of Violence—a great movie, over four hours long, set in Bulgaria in the 17th century. And there’s this guy, the antagonist of the movie, taking over a village and forcibly converting Christians, and it’s incredibly violent and horrible. That performance was something Robert talked a lot about in terms of who Orlok could have been when he was alive. We talked about that one a lot, and various different things—little snippets from here and there.

But that was during the very early stages. Once you start delving deeper into a character, hopefully, you start getting inspiration from whatever it is you’re actually working on, and that creates seeds that come out of it. Robert also wrote a backstory for Orlok, just a few pages, that he shared with me, which was also very helpful.

You said before that there aren’t many heroes in Nosferatu except for Ellen. Would you consider Orlok a villain, or do you see him more as a tragic character?

He’s the romantic lead, isn’t he [laughs]? Yeah, it’s tricky. Is he a villain? Yeah, of course; I mean, he’s Nosferatu, he’s Dracula, he’s one of the most, if not the most iconic horror villain there is. But I think the script has nuances that make it more complex, more layered, in the sense that the movie is sort of a love triangle with Ellen in the middle. She’s torn between a good, stable, benevolent, loving husband and something that is very powerful, very destructive, but also very alluring to her, and you watch her being torn between these two forces.

How was it working with the heavy prosthetics that transformed you into Orlok?

David White did the prosthetics and the design, and he’s incredibly talented. And Stuart Richards and his wife were the ones who applied it on me every day. You tend to become very close to those people, because they’re the ones you spend the most time with when you’re playing a character like this. Just immensely talented, and very, very sweet.

And then there’s the process of getting it on for the first time and you’re like, OK, what works and what doesn’t work? How do my face and my expressions translate onto this new face that they’ve glued on top of mine? It becomes a whole process where you need to familiarize yourself with how your performance is being translated through the prosthetics. But I never felt like Orlok without the makeup, so the prosthetics and the costume were all pieces that I needed to perform him.

Since you were attached to the role for a few years, did the concept of Orlok change at all from the beginning to what we see in the final film?

Actually, not too much. Robert shared with me, when I was being considered for the role, a digital drawing he had made of Orlok, and that was pretty close to what he ended up looking like in the actual movie. Obviously, there were little changes here and there, but the essence of it, the mustache and so forth, stayed pretty close.

A lot of the character’s look is, what did a Romanian or Hungarian nobleman look like in the 16th century? As you probably know, Robert does extensive research and tries to be as historically accurate as possible in anything he does. So, the look is a representation of that. It’s a historically accurate Romanian nobleman [laughs]. And the same with the costumes. It was pretty specific, and what Orlok looks like in the movie is pretty close to what Robert initially envisioned.

Can you talk about working with Lily-Rose Depp?

It was an absolute pleasure working with Lily. I haven’t seen many people with such raw talent as she possesses, and how much she gives to the movie. It’s not an easy role at all; it was so emotionally demanding, and the way she could just turn it on every single time, take after take, was awe-inspiring.

The first few scenes I did with her, I wasn’t even acting; I was just a shadow hand behind the camera. And I could just see how gifted she was, and the nuances she brought. Then once we started doing scenes together, I couldn’t appreciate it as much because I was also performing, and we were dancing together. But she’s incredible, and an undeniable force in the movie. •

[lendmyboyfriendahand]

Finwe in the third age part iii

Finwe could tell when information was being kept from him.

To be fair to Elrond, the lord of the valley was not trying very hard to hide that there were secrets. Glorfindel had given history up to the rising of the Sun with only a few obvious elisions - Glorfindel had apparently walked to Middle Earth, but Feanor had gotten there years earlier with his sons. Feanor and Argon had "died fighting Morgoth's servants", while Elenwe and Amrod had died in "accidents". The capture and rescue of Finwe's eldest grandson was covered in two sentences as if Glorfindel hoped that Finwe would miss it. (Though how could he - capture by the Dark Hunter had been the greatest fear of his youth, and one that he had thought his kin safe from in Valinor!) The summary had lacked some details, but it had seemed like a reasonable first pass at history.

Glorfindel casually saying "Gondolin was isolated and I died when it fell, so I didn't witness much of the first or second ages. I was sent to aid Rivendell and the elves around two thousand years of the sun ago..." though was incredibly blatant. "Not much" was far from "none", and the fall of a city seemed newsworthy as well.

Finwe asked outright how Gondolin had fallen, and Glorfindel had said "it's a distressing topic let's wait until you've recovered". Glorfindel said that a lot, and after an hour left the room for his guard duties. Finwe was sadly too weak to follow him and demand answers.

He would just have to listen, and bide his time while he recovered. Whatever terrible thing had happened to his family, a few more days would not make much difference after the decades or centuries that had passed. (Finwe was not sure he believed that it had been Ages, but such a great undertaking as the Sun was not the work of a year even for the Valar, and Elladan was undoubtedly both his descendant and a fully grown adult. So it was at least fifty years since Finwe had been in Formenos, given none of his children or grandchildren has been expecting a child when Morgoth attacked.)

_____

Over the next week, Finwe learned more. What Feanor had done at Alqualonde was a tragedy, and it sorrowed him that such a great city was known now only for the pain and evil that had been done there. He shared stories of the city as it had been with his great-great-grandsons when they came to visit, and they listened eagerly even though Artanis-called-Galadriel could have told them just as much. Elrohir was unguarded enough in his speech for Finwe to learn a little bit more about the years immediately after his death, though the topic was quickly redirected to the present.

Finwe asked for more people to talk to and to fill his days, but was told that few in the city spoke Quenya, and none spoke Gnomish as he had in his youth. Instead most spoke Sindarin, which Finwe was not enough of a student of languages to follow along with in conversation. Elrond provided him with a Sindarin language history of the so-called Last Alliance to practice reading (written in Feanor's tengwar rather than Rumil's script, he noted), along with a dictionary obviously designed for those fluent in Sindarin reading older texts. That the word "kinslaying" and "unbreakable vow" were each given a paragraph of cultural context was concerning, but it was still a useful exercise. (While figuring out that his old friend Elwe had taken the title Grey-cloak, Finwe skimmed past the word "Therinde" and noticed his own name. He deliberately did not read that entry, as he was gaining plenty of reasons for new pain without reopening old wounds.)

The War of Last Alliance was not easy reading, but it was very informative, and not just about the years described. Finwe learned that even two Ages after his death, he was still seen as the standard for royalty and the authority by which later Noldorin kings derived their title. Elrond was Turgon's great-grandson, but had been taught by Maedhros, who was seen as both a villain and a powerful warrior opposed to Morgoth. (Finwe paused for a moment to boggle at his descendants have children with each other. It was not particularly strange after a few generations, but he did not feel nearly as old as Tatye or Imin!) The Secondborn and Aule's children had been found, and things had not always been easy but they became allies in time. Geography had changed some in these lands since Finwe's youth, both in ways as small as the course of streams and in new mountain ranges to the south.

Oh, and there was Sauron. Morgoth's second in command who had taken on his master's mantle and much of his army. The Valar had apparently not learned from letting Morgoth walk freely in Tirion, as Sauron had the run of a whole continent for many years. And even at the conclusion of the battle, Sauron was only beaten back, due to the difficulty of truly unmaking Maiar by incarnates.

Finwe asked Glorfindel if Sauron was still around, and got the unreassuring answer of "probably yes, but he's still building power and we aren't certain where."

Difficult was not impossible, though. And though Finwe could not get vengeance against Morgoth personally, it was clear that Sauron had done much harm to his family. If Sauron dared show his face again, Finwe would be ready.

[serosblunt]

DekuSquad: Showering with Them (Pt. 2)

DekuSquad x (Gender-neutral) reader

Characters: Iida & Uraraka

Warnings: Mentions of nudity and hints at spicier scenes, struggles with mentla health; negative self-talk and body image issues touched on.

Description: Same as my Bakusquad showering thoughts, just with DekuSquad! Part three is coming for Tsuyu, just having writer’s block :)

—————

Iida loves to shower with you, and I mean LOVES. It’s his favourite part of the day, and you both end up in the shower at the same time everyday thanks to his meticulous extreme planning and schedules.

Duty comes first for Iida, but he finds seperating his work/life balance easier than most. Although some days more than others, it’s draining to be the boss, to detach himself so much that it takes him half the night to break-free of his ‘work’ mindset.

On those occasions, it takes a touch more persuading to get your gentle giant close enough to you to lead him back to his sanctuary, where his heart truly belongs.

After setting the temperature, you manoeuvre so you can both settle under the soft stream of the shower.

If stress was visible, you were sure you would be able to see it rolling off of your boyfriend in waves. It was if each droplet on his skin caused more of his tension to melt away.

He practically fuses to you as you hold him beneath the shower head. He was so different in those few small moments, not that you minded one bit.

He would kiss your shoulder where his forehead now lay, softly and unhurriedly; unobstructed due to his glasses laying just beyond your little haven on the benchtop.

Maybe that was what made your shower-cuddle sessions so special, his complete lack of care for anything that wasn’t you.

You were special to him, beyond that in fact.

A truth clearly demonstrated in that you were the only person on earth allowed to mess up his routine- whether that was in the evenings for your shower, or *cough cough* other business *cough cough*.

By the way, he totally has a code word for when you two are getting it on ;)))

Beyond a post-shave balm, your bespectacled boyfriend wasn’t fussed about skincare, although he often liked to sit and watch you put layer after layer of product on, what in his opinion, was your already beautiful face.

And he definitely doesn’t shy away from asking you relevant questions. However, he always rejected your advances if you came at him with creams or oils.

When you two do eventually begin to unwind for the night, barely a word is spoken.

The simple undertaking of kisses and light touches exchanged on the way to bed help push Tenya over the edge of his relaxation- ensuring he’ll get some proper rest for the next day, rather than staying awake, wracking his brain for solutions to work issues.

It also made you feel more loved and significant than you could express. The few minutes you both spent in your cramped apartment ensuite only solidified your bond- your intimacy and connection, surrounded in an unbreakable love and burning reverence.

There is no one better to boost your self-confidence than Ochaco. The woman has never said a derogatory thing to, or about you, nor have you heard of her saying such things through other people.

She was always so uniquely kind, never attacking first, not even out in the field. But if she was provoked enough, that villain would almost certainly be leaving the scene crying.

Your girl was tough as nails when she needed to be, and you loved that fire inside her.

You saw glimpses of this passion if you had slipped a little that day and talked down to yourself, or if you stood in front of the bathroom mirror a little too long.

Everyone has things they don’t like about themselves, Uraraka knew that. And she would be naive to think you were any different.

But aggressive or negative self-talk was banned in your house.

She wanted you to be honest and open about your feelings, yes, but never critical of your thoughts or emotions.

One method your loving girlfriend used to combat this was cute, flirty post-it notes left on your bathroom mirror.

That way whenever you looked at your reflection, you would be seeing what she saw in you too!

You had to admit it was a good system, especially since most mornings she was often through with her shower and out of the house before you were often awake.

Your bubbly girlfriend prided herself on being the loveable rescue hero. The safe, trustworthy looking person children and adults alike could come to and know to look out for.

A part of that look was her signature plump cheeks. You would often find yourself staring at them, marvelling, and wondering how she got her skin to be so bouncy and perfect.

After laughing lovingly at you for the millionth time for that particular occurrence, she finally gave up her secret skincare routine.

Soon after stealing this tightly guarded wisdom, you found yourself poking your own cheeks instead of Ochaco’s; which would soon become the subject of many a post-it note.

You honestly couldn’t ask for a better partner to do skincare with. She always made you try new products together, so neither of you missed out, and she never failed to keep your supplies stocked, even when you forgot yourself.

Uraraka wants you to feel comfortable in your own skin. And while her respect rivals Izuku’s in terms of your privacy, that certainly didn’t stop her from sneaking the odd glance or two when you weren’t looking.

Then again, you aren’t completely innocent of that either ;)

—————

[bumblekastclips]

KYLE CROUSE: We are back with a question from Scurvy Piratehog! “The world in Sonic has had many different names over the years, and now it's settled on Earth. But… just for fun’s sake, what if all the leaders of the world decided to rename the planet ‘Sonic's world’ as a way to show gratitude to all Sonic has done? How does the Sonic cast react to the fact their planet is now literally called ‘Sonic's world’?”

IAN FLYNN: Knuckles starts a club that refuses to acknowledge it. Shadow and Eggman are the first to join. KYLE: [cackles, then as Eggman] “The hedgehog conquered my planet?!” IAN: [chuckles] I mean, it’s not gonna sway Eggman. He’s just even more driven to conquer it and rename it. KYLE: Exactly! IAN: Shadow and Knuckles are a little more restrained. [as Knuckles] “We’re not calling it that.” Which, Sonic will absolutely needle them about. KYLE: [chuckles] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. IAN: Everyone else, I think, would be kind of charmed and amused by it. Sonic especially. Just, like, [as Sonic] “Heh, okay. If that’s what you wanna commit to. I’m still gonna run around it.” KYLE: [as Sonic] “Bunch’a weirdos.” [laughs] I think that’s what Sonic would think. IAN: Surge is actively trying to blow up the core of the world. Just destroy all. [as Surge, with desperation] “Dark Gaia, wake up! You got work to do! Come on!” KYLE: [laughing] IAN: Starline rises from the grave. [as Starline] “Oh HELL no!” KYLE: [laughter escalates to wheezing hysterics] Why is that so funny?! IAN: Like, just straight up, one-handed lifts the rock up. [as Starline] “Mm-mm! No, no, no, no, no!” KYLE: [wheezing, barely coherent] Why? Why is that so funny?! IAN: [chuckles] KYLE: [through tears?] Why can I so easily envision it?! IAN: [laughs] KYLE: Oh no… [makes himself laugh again thinking about it] IAN: [as Starline] “Zavok, all is forgiven. What do you need?” KYLE: [laughing] Starline waking— IAN: [unintelligible, then as Zavok] “I didn’t know we were on speaking terms.” [as Starline] “They’ve called it— they’ve renamed the planet Sonic’s World.” [as Zavok] “Oh hell no!” KYLE: [more laughter] This is like the Undertaker waking up in the coffin! IAN: [laughs] KYLE: All the villains, “aw, hell, no!” Nobody’s happy! IAN: [laughs] KYLE: Oh, outstanding. [chuckles] Oh, wow. Jet would be pissed. IAN: [cackles] KYLE: Everyone’s mad, like— every villain is just- just absolutely losing their crap. [laughing] Oh, man. Thanks, Scurvy. 

—– TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: Please remember that nothing that is said on BumbleKast is canon! It’s just some guys and their opinions occasionally spitballing ideas. If you don’t like an answer, you don’t have to take it as Word of God or anything like that. It’s all just for fun!

[goodstuffhappenedtoday]

10 years ago, Batkid was battling bad guys and cancer — now he's 15 and healthy

Today, Miles Scott is a healthy teenager with a passion for baseball. He plays catcher for his high school in Tulelake, Calif. "I wear all-black in baseball," Miles said. "So the dugout's always screaming 'Batkid! Batkid!'" Ten years ago, the then-5-year-old Miles won hearts both in his hometown and around the world when he transformed into the black-clad superhero Batkid for a day, becoming an instant media sensation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit that grants wishes to children who are seriously ill, partnered with the City of San Francisco to organize the adventure for Miles, who had been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia since he was just 18 months old. According to the Yale School of Medicine, the disease is the most common type of childhood cancer. Survival rates used to be low, but these days children with the disease have up to a 90% chance of going on to lead a healthy life. Granting the wish Make-A-Wish went to elaborate lengths to make Miles' dream of becoming Batman's sidekick Batkid true. The foundation enlisted the help of The Mayor of San Francisco (the late Ed Lee), the San Francisco Police and Fire Departments, the San Francisco Giants and many other individuals and entities. San Francisco was re-dubbed "Gotham City" — Batman's fictional home — for the day. Clad in his Batkid costume and accompanied by a grownup Batman (played by Eric Johnston), the pair zipped around in their Batmobile thwarting villains — they prevented The Riddler from robbing a bank vault — and undertaking daring rescues, including freeing the San Francisco Giants' mascot Lou Seal from The Penguin's clutches.

Thousands of people descended on San Francisco to cheer Miles on. He earned a key to the city. The San Francisco Chronicle published a special edition of its daily newspaper to mark the occasion. Then-U.S. President Barack Obama sent Miles words of encouragement via a video message on social media. "The feeling was palpable; you could just feel the positiveness and how the community came together," said Miles' mom, Natalie Scott. "People flew in from everywhere and it just gave everyone some sense of peace almost." The event was covered by many mainstream media organizations, including NPR. And millions of people around the world followed the #Batkid hashtag on social media. Batkid lives on Batkid's legacy didn't end on that day.

The wish was the subject of the 2015 Warner Bros. documentary, Batkid Begins. Media organizations have revisited the story over the years. "He plays Little League, attends fifth grade, helps on his family's farm and sold his first market goat at the fair over the summer," reported his hometown California paper, The Siskyou Daily News, on Batkid's fifth anniversary in 2018.

And Miles himself has been free of cancer for the past few years. "Every year he goes for a checkup, and everything's been on the straight and narrow, so, we hope to keep it that way," said Nick Scott, Miles' dad. Miles has grown out of his Batkid costume. But his kid brother Ben donned it last Halloween. Miles is now in high school and is looking ahead to the future. "Right now, he's dead set on going to Alaska and being a 'pack mule' for his cousin's husband's guide business," said Natalie Scott. "And he has a lot of interest in welding. So we'll see!"

[monstersdownthepath]

How do you feel about the new Rakshasa lore in 2e?

------

I... I don't know, to be honest. In 1e, Rakshasa were the results of mortals binding their souls to totems and nature spirits, living on the world as parasites. Whenever they died, through violence or through time, they would push a newborn soul from its vessel and take its place, being reborn again and again. It exemplified how terribly selfish they were, so awful and twisted that it physically twisted their bodies. A good rakshasa is practically unheard of, because the ritual to become one is so vile and the method to remain one so terrible that no soul with any goodness in it would dare to undertake it! Much like with Hags, a rakshasa isn't evil because it's a fiend, it's a fiend BECAUSE it's evil, its monstrous behavior transforming it into a literal monster.

But in 2e, this is no longer the case at all. In 2e, Rakshasa are primordial spirits born at the moment the gods decided what was Good and what was Evil. They were born, created by the gods, to specifically fulfill the purpose of enacting Evil in its every form, to give solid and unambiguous definition to the question of "what is Evil?" They do evil because they're supposed to exemplify it, to serve as an example to mortals of what not to do. They literally exist to be evil until good rises to stop them! They're directly compared to actors forced into their role, with some Rakshasa even growing to detest it (though most revel in it), but performing it nonetheless because it's all they've known to do. They rise, they act the part of the villain, they perish at the hands of heroes risen to stop them, and then they are reborn to do so again and again and again.

It's a cool idea, certainly, but with so much solid and interesting lore already dedicated to them, it feels... bad? to just throw it all out? Rakshasa felt special in that they all used to be a mortal who was willing to perform the ultimate profanity in order to secure immortality. That each one, from the lowly Raktavarna to the highest of the Immortals, was born because someone was terrified of what death held for them. Now they just... literally exist to be the villain of whatever story NEEDS a villain. It could be good, but I wish that doing it didn't come at the cost of everything else before it, which was ALSO good.

[idkfitememate]

Tired of normal guy readers, where are my fucked up little guy readers? Where are my psychopaths and yandere readers? My monster readers??

I’m tired of being the damsel in distress I wanna be the one who kidnaps the princess- I don’t give a shit if I win I wanna be a silly little guy who killed millions just so a silly man in overalls can come beat my ass!

I want to be the villain!! I wanna be the bad guy!! Wanna write some crazy readers…

In the same vein, better insane rep! Sure the crazy psychopathic laugh this is always great, a tried and true method, but what about my quiet crazies? The ones who use pretty privilege to get away with stuff? My calm crazies? I want more variety!!

Let the inane have no sad backstory, let the crazies do their stuff while knowing full well that what they are doing is perfectly wrong, POS (pieces of shit) who do the things they do just because it’s fun! I’m gonna write readers like that one day just you wait… just gotta stick with chaotic ones for now - ease into it…

And before anyone says anything, I love BSD - Nikolai is BBG, Danganronpa was one of the first fandoms I was truly in - Junko/Monokuma are two of my highest kins, Mahito is my favorite character in JJK, Toga and Twice were the only things keeping me with MHA, I would die for Undertaker in general, Dottore & Douma, Beam from ChainsawMan was one of my first introductions to that franchise. I know my crazies and I’d push them into oil fires. I love them very much.

Now if you excuse me I’m gonna go nurse my insane and psychopathic readers until the time is right to release them into the world. Also I need to go to sleep-

[zackprincebooks]

Golden Hour Snippets

I did some snippets of Golden Hour, the first in my Messmer-Maedhros transmigration fic series for a challenge on Discord and I decided to share them here!

Tag list:

@wyked-ao3 @chaoticfallenangel @lizurich @the-golden-comet @crashedrocket12750

@burntblanc @katenewmanwrites @glasshouses-and-stones @lorifragolina

@nczaversnick @thatuselesshuman @phoenixofthegreenwood @mushroommanchanterelle

@ilovevewritingfanfic @t0ul0ser @jev-urisk @villain-lover7899 @rivenantiqnerd

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“This, Nelyafinwë, is the forge."

Messmer walks into the forge, briefly closing his eyes as he's hit by a blast of heat. Taking the initiative, Fëanáro stands in front of him to protect him from the blast. "You'll get used to the heat in time. The fire is your friend, Nelyafinwë, and it will drive your creativity just as it drives mine."

Fire is your friend. How long did Messmer fight against the fire that threatened to consume him? How long did he use it to burn and destroy?

And now he was being told to create with it?

……..

The path in Prince Ingwion's garden is made of white stones so highly polished, they gleam under the gentle light of the crystal lanterns hanging from the fence posts. Yellow flowers climb up the walls, made of the same polished stone, and fill the night air with their fragrance. A fountain in the middle sends its water into the air, and the tinkling sound as it splashes into the pool mixes harmoniously with the sounds of the evening.

Sitting in the middle of the garden is Prince Ingwion himself, adorned with the circlet of his station. Confusingly, though his circlet implies a business meeting, his attire suggests an intimate meeting between two close friends: a soft white robe with yellow lace trim and a deep green sash. The emeralds in his ears match the emerald comb holding his golden braid into place.

Messmer has misread his invitation entirely.

........

"I became aware of my existence around the time of my first begetting day, though I know not the reason why," Messmer explains. "The name of my first self was Messmer the Impaler." Even saying his old name makes Messmer shudder, but Nerdanel squeezes his hand. "I was born the son of Queen Marika the Eternal. I died undertaking a crusade under her command. When she no longer needed me, she abandoned me to my fate."

There is silence as Nerdanel absorbs the information that the fëa occupying her son is that of a stranger. But she does not let go of his hand.

"Ever you have been my son, even if I have not always been your mother," she speaks. Messmer dares to lift his head. "And if your mother has abandoned you, then let me be your mother forevermore."

........

"You're holding your breath again. Keep up your breathing rhythm. In and out."

Messmer forces himself to take in a shaky breath as Rog moves his new arm back and forth. He's laying at an angle on a padded bench with Rog behind him, bracing himself with one hand on Messmer's back. Messmer's new arm is stretched behind him, his fingers twined with Rog's free hand.

Part of the healing process, he said. They needed to make sure Messmer's new arm had the same elasticity as the old one, which was always tricky with metal limbs no matter how finely wrought they were. This involved Messmer coming into Rog's workshop multiple times a week to bend and stretch his arm in new positions. He was getting better each day and found himself using his new limb with greater ease. Soon he'll be able to wield a spear again.

But now all Messmer can focus on is Rog's hand, big and firm, pressed between his shoulder blades. He whimpers as Rog presses harder, and Rog's murmured, "you're doing so well" is not helping.

[abybweisse]

I'm starting to hate undertaker after this chapter,like is he behind all of this? Doing this to innocent children just for the sake of blood? I know he is bad because of the campania and all,but this just pure evil( I really hope he is not behind this and it turns out that someone else is doing all of this)

This was also originally submitted in August of 2023 (sorry!), so it's from many chapters ago.

Behind the curtains

He and real Ciel do seem to be behind it all, as far as the orphanage is concerned, though what Sebastian says brought the place to his attention was a donor associated with the Aurora Society. I wonder who that is, though it might not matter too much right now -- it's likely someone Undertaker dupes into helping, just like with Stoker, Ada (to an extent), and Heathfield.

It's not just about blood, even though that's what we mostly expected. Now it's blood and organs... and potentially their somewhat malleable souls.

I don't call him evil. Yana-san has said Undertaker isn't the villain. I call him misguided and morally grey.