#valerie root

[sognareleggiesogna]

REVIEW TOUR: IGNI di Valerie Root

Cari Sognatori, Rosanna ha letto il primo volume della serie mistery romance IGNI, scritta da Valerie Root!!! SERIE: IGNI Series GENERE: Mistery romance DATA DI PUBBLICAZIONE: 19 novembre 2024 EBOOK-KU / CARTACEO Affiliati Amazon Il mio piano era semplice. Frequentare la nuova scuola in anonimato. Non socializzare. Non disfare neppure le valigie. Se c’è una cosa in cui sono brava è non farmi…

[sophiegunnol]

VALERIE HEGARTY

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

The wedding ceremony went about as well as expected which was fine for the family.

[afraidofchange]

Just a girl and her dead friend's motorcycle against the world.

[puppetmaster13u]

Idk I just had the intrusive idea of the JL or some hero investigating the GIW or some other group with suspicions of them keeping merfolk or similar what with the giant tanks and what's shown in their paper trails over the years.

Only for Big Ass realms naga to swim by the observation window in the water.

From top to bottom, left to right: Valerie, Sam, Tucker, Jazz, Danny, Ellie & Dan

Like I am saying 30ft (9.1m) at the least from head to tail, probably bigger in giant rooms. And like, visibly has been there for a while. Like the GIW have been studying them as the only available specimens after they hypothetically destroyed the portals.

The GIW is the ghost investigation ward after all, not extermination. Though that doesn't mean they're exactly treated the best either- more akin to something like a snake or crow, like semi-intelligent animals like dolphins, chained to make taking samples & dragging them from the ecto-infused waters easier.

And maybe they're a little feral, muzzles on save for feedings preventing them from talking, if they even remember how to make noises that aren't in the words of the Zone anymore.

Maybe they've convinced themselves that it could be worse, they could've been killed like Vlad, like an animal that had bit too much, over and over. Maybe they've convinced themselves that this isn't so bad, even if they're treated less than human, even if they've not seen the sun for who knows how long now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Design Thoughts?

-Metal Core Valerie, her scales are literally made from it, in blacks and reds like molten gemstones. Her scales are sharp too, designed for easily cutting through stone. Lots of spikes that glow when channeling energy.

-Plant Core Sam, scales designed for plant seeds to catch hold and take root not unlike a sloth's fur, hiding the sharp thorn-like ones lining her backside. Also, acid. Blacks, greens, and flashes of bright purples & greens that hint at the poisonous nature

-Storm Core Tucker, very thick scales designed for going through the sand with side spikes that help channel electricity. Has both a rattle and a pair of stingers that could hypothetically 'plug in' to things as well. Some of the most bioluminescence of the group.

-Ocean Core Jazz, she is the most aquatically designed out of all of them, with lures all across her body that mimics the lights reflecting off water, tricking the mind from noticing her. Large carp-like scales and several rows of teeth. Lots of blues in coloration with hints of oranges & yellows like a sunrise at the sea

-Space Core Danny, with large amounts of spikes and 'vents' that cover him in an aurora if he were free. Spikes with their own miniature gravity forces, twisting the area around him as he moves. Black iridescence & swirling white-blue patterns like galaxies are painted across his body

-Moon Core Ellie, covered in fine needle-esque scales not unlike how actual moondust is. Very rough like sandpaper and a fin that mimics the tail of a comet tinted ecto-green. Mostly monotone colors otherwise.

-Sun Core Jordan, with similar vents to Danny but with flames and plasma. Thick fur at the end of his tail not unlike how Vlad's was, with thick scales that allow for swimming through molten material that could melt anything and anyone else. Blacks, whites, blues, almost like white-hot coals

[60s-heartshaped-chevrolet]

SPECIFIC MOVIE RECOMMENDATIONS #1

🌙✨ Gothic Fairy-Tale Films with Strong Female Leads ✨🌙

🍒❤️‍🔥Hey lovelies,

If you're like me find endless inspiration in the aesthetics of gothic fairy-tales, then you're in for a treat! I've created a list of enchanting atmospheric films, perfect for a cozy evening with your favorite tea.

To start with, of course, an absolute classic: a folk horror, menstrual tale with possibly the most aesthetically beautiful frames I've ever experienced in cinema. I constantly post something from this film on my blogs.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970): This surreal Czechoslovakian film follows young Valerie as she discovers a dreamlike world filled with vampires and magic. It's a visually stunning exploration of adolescence and awakening womanhood.

2. Daughters of Darkness (1971): This cult classic Belgian horror film features a mysterious, seductive countess who preys on young lovers in a deserted hotel. it’s a hypnotic blend of gothic allure and vampiric intrigue.

3. Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979): Werner Herzog's remake of the classic silent version. The film captures the gothic essence with stunning visuals and a chilling, melancholic tone. It's a mesmerizing exploration of fear and beauty.

4. The Vampire Lovers (1970): This Hammer Horror classic stars Ingrid Pitt as the alluring vampire Carmilla, who preys on young women in a secluded 19th-century village. it’s a captivating blend of horror and sensuality.

5. Beauty and the Beast (1978): This dark fantasy film, directed by Juraj Herz, offers a unique and eerie retelling of the classic fairy tale.Ideal for those who love a blend of dark romance and fairy-tale magic.

6. Viy (1967): This Soviet horror film, based on Nikolai Gogol's novella, follows a young priest who must spend three nights watching over the body of a witch in a haunted church. With its eerie atmosphere, stunning special effects, and deep roots in Slavic folklore, it's a captivating blend of supernatural horror and gothic fantasy.

That's all for today. I have many more films like these saved on my watchlist, so once I find some gems, I'll make another list. You can also look forward to a list of my favorite old fairy tales adaptations.

Kisses 💌💌

[skierisa]

Ninjago character ethnicities headcanons

Kai and Nya

due to many headcanons I've seen through the years I've been in this fandom, I grew very fond of the headcanon of them being Hawaiians (since Kai's name is also a Hawaiian name), but I also really enjoy the idea that they might be Chinese (Nya used to wear a qipao inspired outfit in s1-2). So, Hawaiian Chinese!

Lloyd

Despite being blond, I believe he's half Chinese half Japanese. The reason for that is that Misako has a Japanese name (but an English last name) and, well, his uncle has a Chinese name. That's it. Chinese japanese

Zane

Okay, he's a robot, but mimics a human nonetheless. I like to imagine that Zane is based on some relative (maybe a son) Dr.Julien lost. To me, Zane's father was french with Slavic or Nordic roots, so Zane probably looks like these groups of people mixed in one.

Jay

Half Korean, half European. I like the idea that his mother was already half Korean, and I headcannon Cliff Gordon to be Korean, or at least have Korean ancestry/heritage (not so sure about what word to use here). Unlike some people, I don't like using Jay being ginger as an explanation for him being half korean, because ginger hair is a mutation, it can happen in any group. But anyway, since Jay wasn't raised by his bio parents, I'm including Ed and Edna here, and I believe that they could be Latinos. I also don't have an specific country.

Cole

Hear me out: afro-hindi-brazilian. I have no reason for the Brazilian part besides me being Brazilian and an actors AU I saw that made Cole brazilian. And I LOVE it, so here. I think this would be from his father's side, who I also headcanon to be black, but Lily could be Hindi.

Pixal

I always thought she could have mixed characteristics, so, if she was in some human skin as Zane sometimes is, you wouldn't be able to identify just by looking. And when asked she also wouldn't be able to respond.

I follow the same logic in my 90s au, however, I headcanon her as albino!

Skylor

Very much obviously Chinese, there's not much to discuss here. Like I said, ginger hair is a genetic mutation, but she could be dying it red too. She's one of the few characters I don't envision being mixed.

Morro

Japanese. No reason for that despite him and Taigen from Blue Eye Samurai being SO similar (appearance wise).

Harumi

Also japanese (and also albino). No other reason besides her name.

Vania

I really don't know, specially since Shintaro is a confusing place. She wears an outfit that reminds me a lot o hanfu (chinese traditional wear), but her name is russian and Shintaro is a very japanese inspired name. so maybe russian-japanese? or russian-chinese? or the three together?

OCS!

Valerie, Vanessa and Kenichi (and by extension, their family)

ethnically? french-japanese. however, i write them very brazilian coded, so they're brazilian (but still descent from french and japanese people)

[stoutstoatpress]

I have played every single one of these games and they make up the wiring of my brain. I am not like a mega fan, I can't quote every scene or all the lore, but I enjoyed all of them obsessively in turn

Ryoko Kui - RPG Elves

[honeyjars-sims]

Drag Superstar Episode 5: The Finale

Diamond: Hello and welcome to the finale of Drag Superstar! Tonight we will be catching up with all of the contestants and finding out who will be crowned this season's Ultimate Drag Superstar!

As always, I'm joined by my fantastic panel of judges. Please welcome Diego Lobo, Penny Pizzazz, and Izzy Fabulous! Judges, who do you think will be taking home the crown tonight?

Diego: For me, it has to be Lady Astrid! The artistry she's brought is unmatched!

Penny: I love Lady Astrid, but I haven't been able to get Vapore LaWave out of mind mind since the acting challenge!

Izzy: I'm rooting for Velvet Envy. She's serving up glamour on a silver platter, and I'm eating it up!

Diamond: Thank you, judges! Before we crown our winner, let's see what life has been like for our queens since the season started. First up, it's Kylee Kouture. Kylee, your time on the show was short, but you've had social media buzzing.

Kylee: Yes, the internet can't get enough of my looks--and okay, maybe I've been running my mouth a bit, too!

Diamond: I heard that you and Jacqueline had some beef on Social Bunny. Can you tell me about that?

Kylee: Well, apparently some old, bitter queens can't handle us younger girls getting attention.

Jacqueline: I'll tell you exactly what happened, Diamond. All I've heard from the clubs I've been performing in is how Kylee is always late, she's being a diva, she's cancelling gigs...so yes, I had some words with her on SB about how you have to earn your dues in this business.

Kylee: Yeah, whatever. Jealousy is an ugly trait. Anyway, my follower count shows who the public really loves.

Jacqueline: The followers you bought?

[The other queens laugh]

Diamond: Ok, let's move on. Darla, how has life been for you after the show?

Darla: It's been great, Diamond! Despite our conflicts in the girl group challenge, I've gotten close to Vixen and Vapore. And I'm releasing a single!

Diamond: A single???

Darla: Yes, I took some voice lessons and I've really improved!

Jacqueline: I've heard they're doing amazing things with autotune these days!

Darla: [laughing] Okay, I'll admit there was a lot of autotuning, but it's a fun track!

Diamond: I can't wait to hear it! Vixen, how is your ankle?

Vixen: It's doing fine! I had some physical therapy and it's healed well. I'm happy that it hasn't impacted my burlesque act!

Diamond: I'm so happy to hear that! And I want to let you know that you're welcome to rejoin us next season to have another shot at competing!

[The queens applaud]

Vixen: Thank you so much! No more injuries, I promise!

Diamond: I'm going to hold you to that! Valerie, when you left the show, you were dealing with some difficulties at home. How are things going now?

Valerie/David: Well, Diamond, everything has been wonderful! My son was going through a rough time, but he really turned it around. I'm really proud of him! I'm proud of all of my children. My oldest daughter is getting married and touring with her band, and my younger daughter is starting a business.

Diamond: That's fantastic! It seems like you didn't have anything to worry about after all.

Valerie/David: That's right. It's a relief knowing that I've set my kids up with a good foundation. Even when times get tough, they know how to pull through. I've learned I can't control everything, but I also don't need to.

*I forgot to take a solo pic of Jacqueline, oops

Diamond: What a wonderful lesson to learn! Thank you Valerie. Now it's time to catch up with our finalists, starting with Jacqueline Galloway. Has your life changed since the show?

Jacqueline: Well, you've already heard about my conflicts, but there have been a lot of positives as well. I've been booked and busy. It turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks!

Diamond: Tell me about it! Any more social media fights in your future?

Jacqueline: I'm going to try to let my career do the talking from now on.

Diamond: Wise decision. Lady Astrid, how has the show impacted your life?

Lady Astrid: In the best ways, Diamond! I have more time and money to work on new looks and it's really pushed me as an artist. Plus, I've had a lot of trans youth tell me I've inspired them to express themselves freely.

Diamond: That must make you feel good!

Lady Astrid: It really does. It shows how important visibility is to our community.

Diamond: Absolutely! Thank you, Lady Astrid. Next up, Vapore LaWave. How has life after the show surprised you?

Vapore: Well, going into this competition, I never thought of myself as being a funny person. But everyone really loved my campy performance in the acting challenge!

Diamond: You were hysterical!

Vapore: Thank you! Since the show, I've been taking acting lessons. I'm always up for expanding my skill set!

Diamond: That's great! Best of luck to you! And last but not least, it's Velvet Envy! Velvet, how do you feel about your performance on the show?

Velvet: I'm feeling very proud! I didn't know what to expect going in, but I'm happy that I not only won a challenge, but I've made it all the way to the finale.

Diamond: It's well deserved!

Velvet: Thank you! I never thought I would come this far when I started doing drag on a whim years ago!

Diamond: And look at you now! Thank you to all of my queens for making this a season to remember.

Diamond: And now it's the moment you've all been waiting for. I've taking the opinions of the judges and the viewers into consideration, but ultimately this was my decision to make. The winner of this season of Drag Superstar, our Ultimate Drag Superstar, is...

[dramatic pause]

Diamond: Lady Astrid!!!

[confetti falls from the ceiling as everyone applauds]

Condragulations, Lady Astrid! Do you have any words to share?

Lady Astrid: This is for anyone who's ever been told that they can't be who they are. Let our voices of love drown out the hate!

Thank you to @sirianasims for sharing Lady Astrid and Velvet Envy with me, and @invisiblequeen for Vapore LaWave! I enjoyed having them in this project!

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[ranticore]

I thought I'd make a quick "here's how u pronounce" for some names/words in inver & hibernogallic (the french language spoken there)

If I was really hardcore about it I'd post voice clips of me saying the words but if I did then u would know that i am shocking bad at french

Inver - not pronounced like the real world place Inver. It's more like "awn-ver"

Esk - not what you think - try to mash "esk" and "ash" into one word while you say it Comes from the first syllable of Eiscir.

Félix - sorry fellas it's "fay-LEES" as in 'lease'.

Senca - that's "San-ka"

Islin - you can pelt me with sticks and rocks for this one. It's "Ish-la"

Ó Donnchadha [Islin's surname] - irl this is the root of "O Donohue" but it's not spoken that way. "Dun-a-ha" is the best way I can write that without explaining how lenition sounds ('cha')

Erica - short for Ericales so it's like "er-ee-ka", not the feminine form of Eric.

Sionnach [Eri's surname]- "shun-ach" again with the soft ch. You can google how to pronounce that one

Carhaix - no fuckin clue I think it's car-ay

Lough - just say "lock" don't even try anything else

D'Ouilly - it's like Dwilly but ppl in Inver sometimes call them Dawleys.

Sidhe - you know how to pronounce this one

Searrach - if you got Sionnach right then you can work this one out too I believe in you

Amhan - that's "awan" and yes from the same root as avon

Invergorken - from Inbhearr Ceann, locals would scrub out the middle syllable and just say "Inverken". You can tell an outsider by their more careful pronunciation

Síofra - "shee-fra"

Valéry - not like Valerie, heavy stress on the second syllable so it's "vaLERy"

Ye - everyone is wrong about this. It's not "yeh" it's YEE and it's a plural "you". Similar to yous, yeez, or y'all

Wycombe - a real place I've been to multiple times and we'd see the road signs and go ahh it's WHY-CUM-BEE but it is in fact pronounced wiccam or if you prefer, Wickham. Basically the only time I let a character have an English name.

Some additional notes on the language - it's mutually intelligible with hibernian and aquitanian but considered really ugly by native speakers of both those languages. The most common complaint is that it sounds like someone speaking their language through a mouthful of rocks

There are no standalone words for "yes" or "no" - when they are used (and I made sure while writing that they are not used often in dialogue), it's usually as an additional affirmative in a sentence, and not in answer to a question. I slipped up a few times tho

To answer a question in the affirmative or negative instead of saying yes or no, you just repeat the verb from the question - "did you sleep?"/"I did" - "have you seen this?"/"I haven't"

[sweet-vanilla-sims]

Valerie dropped by for a visit and chatted with Matthew.

[elucubrare]

Doctor Valeris gave a quick, cool press of the hand, and gestured me to a chair. “Tell me what happened,” she said, with no further preamble. I closed my eyes — on the insides of my eyelids danced scenes of glory and conquest, as they had for the past three weeks - and tilted my head back. “I’d hired out as a guard to an archaeologist up in the steppes. We spent a week riding around barrows, with nothing more than a couple of wolves to bother us. Then he reread a text or something, and pointed us further north. Have you been up there, doctor? Probably not. It’s so big. The sky, sure, but everything. No trees for a hundred miles, just you and the horse and a few mounds where no one alive has walked for three hundred years, and the wind. I remember there was one tree, though, where it shouldn’t be. It was the tallest thing there, and it felt like a mountain. An oak, tall and straight despite the wind that had scoured anything taller than a barberry bush off the face of the world. The archaeologist bent and scraped some earth off a rock between its roots. He pulled a crowbar off his horse’s equipment and pried it up. ‘After you,’ he said, and I went down. That’s when the ghost entered me.” The doctor nodded. “Let me read the statement back to you. ‘I had been entombed under the strength of oak for centuries. I had begun to fear that I would never again feel a horse surge into a gallop under me, or the wind in my hair; that I had failed the ritual; that the promises of the gods were naught but lies.’” She paused. A muscle in my jaw clenched and then relaxed, but I stayed quiet. “’At last there came a breath of fresh air: a wind from the outside, and with it, a bright spirit. Ah, I thought, the gods spoke true. I am fortunate indeed. She is my kin, and she will serve me well. She is thrice bound to me.’” The doctor waited for a response. “That’s not what I said,” I told her, firmly. “No,” Valeris responded. “But it’s what I heard."

[theworldofotps]

The Chase (Slight NSFW)

Pairing: Finn Balor x Reader Word Counter: 844 Description: Y/n gets chased through the woods on Halloween night.

Got this idea chatting with @madhatterbri and @new-zealand-chic after seeing Finn in the red horned Ghostface mask. I hope you all enjoy and Happy Halloween!

Slight nsfw if you squint his hand just goes in her pants so don’t get your hopes up

_______ Tag list: @omg-im-such-a-masochist @melissahausen @new-zealand-chic @writtingrose @99hook @madhatterbri @sassymox @mrsacklesevansmgk @xladyxfatex @adamcolesbaybay @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @demonqueen29 @itsicantbelievethis666 @lilred91 @rebellious-desires @surdelcielo @letsgivethisonemoreshot @ava-valerie @shortyiceheart @serpantscorpio8497 @thatpanpal @wrestlersownmyheart @vebner37 @seeingstarks @whenimakeitshine1234 @legit9thlunaticwarrior @blaquekitty @ironshamelessyouth @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin @ripleyswhore @moonrosekk @xbreezymeadowsx @terrortwinunicorn @alyyaanna @elevennbloom @melblacc @alliwant456 @mcreignsera @auburnwrites​ @aews-four-pillars @thatnerdwriter​ @sjwrites22​ If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. _______

The chill of the autumn air seemed to cling to her skin, the darkness around her seemed thicker than normal. Y/n ran between the trees, her breathing fast and shallow, doing her best to be silent. She tried to put as much distance between herself and him as possible. The adrenaline coursing through her veins as she continues moving, the moon being the only light she had to see by. Her legs were screaming for her to stop but she couldn’t, not yet.

The sound of her heart beat in her ears was all she could hear apart from her feet stepping on dead leaves and hitting the forest floor. That was until a branch snapped behind her, a spike of fear shot through her as she glanced back. Her eyes filled with fear and excitement when she managed to catch a glimpse of him. Tall and ominous, his body draped in a dark cloak, the red of his Ghostface mask glowing eerily in the darkness.

His head tilted slightly to the side as he watched her, calculating her every move as she continued running. The twist of fear and something else hit her stomach as she turned to the left hoping she could lose him.

She knew it was just Finn under that mask, her boyfriend more than willing to fill her secret fantasy. But the way he moved seemed almost too natural like he was actually hunting her down.

Feeling a burst of speed Y/n continued weaving through the trees ducking under branches. For a moment the moon disappeared behind some clouds and she tripped over a root. Before she even had a chance to regain her footing, a gloved hand grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face him.

“Finn please.”

She whispered, her voice slightly breathy and almost pleading as she tried to calm the racing of her heart. She was panting softly as she called his name again, but his only response was a chuckle. Slightly muffled beneath the mask. He pushed her backwards gently, her shoulders pressing into the rough bark of a large tree. His hand moving upward dancing over her side before his fingers wrap around her neck, not enough to hurt her but just firm enough to hold her in place.

The touch of his gloved hand around her neck causes a heat to rush to her cheeks. Knowing she was completely at his mercy made her heart race. Her fingers curled into the black shirt he had on under the cloak. Trying to ground herself in the moment as her pulse pounded in her throat. The warmth of his fingers around her neck felt slightly comforting despite the menacing mask as he leaned closer to her.

“Are you scared, princess?”

His voice was muffled by the mask as she tried to get her brain to work with her mouth. Finn leaned in closer, she could just barely feel his breath grazing her skin. Her mind felt dizzy as she tried to collect her thoughts.

“Running won’t save you now.”

Finn whispers as his fingers tighten around her throat slightly making her knees weak.Y/n’s heart was racing as she looked up into the hollow eyes of the mask, her hands still clenching his shirt.

“Babe.”

She whispered softly her voice barely audible to her ears, it was breathless and sounded very similar to a plea. Finn said nothing, just a low hum in response as his other hand slid over her hip. The tension between them building as he held her there her body was on edge waiting for something, anything to happen. Finn leaned closer to her his mask grazing her skin as he pressed her just a little harder into the tree. The grip around her neck moved to trace along her jaw, teasing her as he felt the pulse under his finger.

“Who said you could say my name?”

He asked his voice was smooth, laced with a mocking tone, he was enjoying this far more than she could have imagined him too. The adrenaline was still surging through her now combined with a rush of desire as he popped the button on her jeans.

“Doesn’t look like you’re so quick to run now does it?”

Finn’s voice was dark yet playful as he tugged the zipper down, a shiver left her as the cool night air brushed against her exposed skin. Y/n could feel the mix of emotions running through her, she could try and push him away if she really wanted to. But she didn’t, the thrill of being trapped and at his mercy was too intoxicating to resist.

“Maybe I don’t want to run anymore.”

Finn smirked under the mask though she couldn’t see it. His gloved hand slipped into her panties, the cold leather making her gasp. Nudging her legs apart he pushed two fingers into her wet heat, a dark chuckle falling from him.

“Well then looks like I’m going to be the one to decide when this game ends, happy Halloween princess.”

[caligvlasaqvarivm]

I've been reading some of your homestuck essays, I think they're really good! I would like to know what you think about post-retcon homestuck and the interactions between reader and author throughout homestucks publishing. I was not in the fandom at the time of it being published, but I find this to be a very interesting aspect of the comic!

I was only on the fringes of the fandom at the time, but even that was enough to recognize that the fandom was absolutely awful. Every bad story you've heard about the Steven Universe, Voltron, and Undertale fandoms has its roots in the Homestuck fandom.

Pretty much as soon as the webcomic got popular on Tumblr, Hussie was put under intense scrutiny for basically every decision they ever made ever. I'm not going to say that Hussie was a perfect individual who never did anything wrong, because Hussie is a human being and that's how it works, but it's basically impossible to overstate how much the fandom tried to make an enemy out of Hussie.

The fandom was convinced that Hussie was their personal LE, and that attitude continues to this day - like, for an easy example of the fandom harassing Hussie for Literally Anything, when he stated that all trolls were bi/pan, to the point where they didn't have specific words for single-gender attraction, comparing it to a "more exacting preference" like somebody who only dates fat people - but that even within that framework, Kanaya was undoubtedly a lesbian character - people insisted Hussie was being homophobic. Fucking homophobic! For confirming all trolls are bi/pan, except Kanaya, who's a lesbian!

Other examples include: calling Hussie homophobic for John saying he wasn't a homosexual and Karkat literally not knowing what a homosexual was, because again, all trolls are bi/pan. Calling Hussie racist for making the kids aracial but accidentally leaving references to Dave having pale/pink skin in (because Hussie is a biased human person who can't be perfect and who did try to be more inclusive as the comic went on). Deciding that the dancestors served no purpose except for Hussie to be mean to their audience. Like there are valid criticisms to be made of Homestuck, but anything that was valid, nuanced, or thoughtful was drowned under a deluge of incoherent accusations of every -ism and -phobia that the fandom could possibly muster, the fandom as a whole racing to see who could paint Hussie as the biggest monster, even as they were harassing them to make more Homestuck.

Not to mention this was the era of rampant, unchecked ship wars and fandom misogyny. Not that fandom misogyny has gone away, mind you, but it's slightly more in check now. This was the era of fandom where it was normal to be sent death threats for shipping the "wrong" ship, and fandom ship wars were often encouraged by media of the time (love triangles were HOT - think zutara vs. kataang, team jacob/team edward, danny fenton/sam manson vs. danny fenton/valerie grey) because it drove up engagement. Homestuck was not really interested in shipping wars and love triangles - while many characters had circuitous routes and false starts, many were also pretty clearly set up to have specific endgame ships. But the fandom wasn't trained to behave that way, and the troll quadrants + canonical bi/pan trolls + active role of romance in the story meant that the ship wars were brutal - and also, Hussie was getting harassed every step of the way for not making peoples' favorite ships canon, a major part of a larger trend of people constantly ragging on Hussie for things not going the way they wanted plot-wise, to the point where Hussie had to comment on it constantly on his Formspring.

And don't think I forgot about the fandom misogyny! Here's a hot take for the class: Vriska is literally just Girl Zuko. She's ostensibly a noble from an imperialistic, warmongering, fascist society with an abusive parent who raised her with strict expectations, who thinks she has to act much more evil and more tough than she feels in order to earn the approval of her parent/society, and who secretly has misgivings and feels really bad about it and was set up for a redemption arc.

And people HATED Vriska. Vriscourse was so bad that many Homestuck fan spaces banned talking about Vriska at ALL, because just the mere mention of her name would spark massive, endless flame wars as people argued whether or not she deserved her little redemption arc (spoilers: yes, it turns out death is cheap in Homestuck and characters changing, growing, and becoming better is a huge part of the story) or whether or not she was justified in doing the things she did. Genuinely, I think a huge part of this intense hatred and anger was just misogyny. God forbid women have Zuko's character arc.

It was also part of two other large trends in the fandom - the first was that, despite finding every possible reason to call Hussie -ist and -phobic they could, the fandom itself was, ummm... "of its time." For example, the original March Eridan stuff was pretty clearly meant to be funny because, look, man in a dress! Isn't it sooo funny when Eridan wears a dress? (No hate to the artist, this was a long time ago and I'm sure they're a different person now.) The fandom was also constantly goading Hussie on WRT which characters were fat, and while we can argue about whether Hussie is fatphobic because none of the characters are canonically drawn to be fat, I'm going to go to bat for them on this: people treat the Fat Vriska jokes as though Hussie is the creepy weirdo exclusively, but the fandom was goading them on and thought that shit was hilarious, because that was what early internet fandom was like a lot of the time - at the same time as it harassed and decried creators for being problematic, it would turn around and delight in shitting on women, neurodivergent people, POC, and fat people, and Homestuck was rampant with it.

The second trend the Vriscourse was a part of was one that also hasn't fully gone away, but it's better now - wilful ignorance of the actual comic's contents. I'm not talking about the usual fandom fare of noncanon ships or "x character is trans/autistic/etc. even though I know there's no canon basis," which is all pretty damn harmless, but I mean like, memes and fanon would override canon and you would be outright harassed for not playing along. There are STILL places to this day that will call you an actual fascist, genocide liker, evil and irredeemable, etc. if you try to stick up for Eridan, even though Eridan is actually the LEAST casteist highblood and his entire character arc is about how his shitty fascist society makes him deeply anxious and unhappy. Similarly, you can/definitely would be be harassed for saying you don't like March Eridan and/or think it's OOC (it is), and I have nothing but sympathy for Gamzee and Equius fans, who also get it really bad.

The most vocal parts of the fandom, if not the majority, were people who were generally uninterested in engaging with Homestuck on Homestuck's terms, instead dead set on making up a version of it in their head and harassing people who disagreed, including Hussie. Echoes of that persist to this day - Equius, Gamzee, and Eridan get it bad, but practically none of the trolls have fandom interpretations that actually line up with who they are - Kanaya is actually just Eridan's bully (and did nothing to help Tavros after she caught Vriska kissing him), but people portray her as Nice Team Mom. Feferi is a casteist hypocrite who loves classism and calling people the r-slur, but people portray her as bubbly equality lady. So on and so forth. Like, damn, I barely participate in fandom and I'm out here meeting people who think Karkat ACTUALLY hates his friends like he says he does.

And then, of course, these people went and harassed Hussie because actual Homestuck did not match up with the Homestuck that existed only in their own heads.

On top of all the fandom harassment, Hussie was also facing ballooning scope. Most of Homestuck was a single dude drawing, writing, and animating it, and they would update every two or three days, sometimes less. So from the get-go, Homestuck was an INSANE project that demanded an insane amount of work and time from Hussie, and as it went on, it only got worse - and fandom expectations only got bigger. Suddenly, Hussie had to be in charge of merchandise, in charge of vetting, hiring, directing, and paying third-party artists, planning animations months if not years in advance, creating entire sections of the comic that had GAMEPLAY, directing ACTUAL GAMES, etc. ... there's an argument to be made that Hussie should not have taken on a workload they couldn't manage, but at the same time, the fandom certainly wasn't telling them to slow down. If anything, they harassed Hussie for every update, and were furious when hiatuses needed to happen to plan and execute some of the bigger moments later in the comic.

There's a Sarah Z video out there on the creation of the Homestuck game, which I think is OK if you take into account that Sarah kind of has fandom brain and is a little biased against Hussie (and I guess Hussie did send a spurious legal threat which is pretty funny but, y'know, understandable that Sarah would be peeved), where it's really clear that Hussie was not ready for the kind of responsibility, time, and effort needed to manage a whole-ass video game.

So by the time Game Over and the Retcon roll around, you basically have to imagine that Hussie has so many irons in the fire that the furnace is about to pop like a balloon, and the people they were making the damn things for in the first place have been relentlessly harassing them for YEARS, and weren't even that interested in engaging with the actual story in the first place. I'd say the majority of the fandom to this day STILL does not understand Eridan - how do you think they would've taken his redemption arc, and especially the fact that he was set up to date Karkat and Roxy? Given the pattern of their behavior up to that point... they'd probably harass Hussie and call them homophobic.

This is why I genuinely cannot blame Hussie for turning on the fandom and truncating their story. Vriska got upgraded to main character and had her character development reset because fuck you, fandom, you couldn't understand her redemption arc in the first place so now you don't get one. DaveKat got (kind of) made canon but as a weird throuple with the Mayor because fuck you, fandom, you didn't appreciate any of the actual gay ships that were set up so now you're stuck with brutally OOC DaveKatMayor. Karkat and Jake have their plot threads left hanging because fuck you, fandom, you never even noticed all the prophecies and symbolism and character arcs because you were all too obsessed with screaming at women and took the dancestors as a personal insult, so now the guy who's supposed to defeat LE and the guy who's supposed to bring equality and forgiveness to all bloodlines don't even get to participate in any of the important boss battles.

People call Hussie a troll, and they really aren't. If you read their old Formspring, they're clearly deeply fucking passionate about the art of storytelling, and switch between bafflement, mild indignation, and playing along when people ask them stupid questions. But back then, they were always very serious and genuine when they answered questions asked in good faith, and I'm being 100% genuine when I say that I've learned about how to tell stories better by reading Hussie's Formspring. Over time, however, those stupid questions became more common, and often morphed into outright harassment, and in response to that, Hussie's answers became more humorous and facetious, and the fandom - who was already trying to find ANY reason to hate Hussie - started to paint Hussie as an unreliable trickster and liar who got their jollies by shitting on the fandom.

Honestly, in doing so, the fandom was what turned Hussie into exactly that. Again, I'm not saying Hussie was a perfect baby who did nothing wrong - there's a lot of stuff to critique and scrutinize about their writing, their biases, and what topics they found appropriate to joke about. However, I AM saying that they were also just a human fucking being who was trying to write a good story, who was harassed at every turn, mostly for things that actually weren't problematic at all, whose words and actions were always taken in the absolute worst possible faith, and that the fandom is not fucking faultless, and if there's anyone that I'm mad at for how bad Homestuck ended, it's the fans.

That's my hottest Homestuck take.

[papesatan]

Trovo che nulla parli di noi come le nostre lacrime. Di conseguenza, ho deciso di trascrivere qui una lista di eventi e situazioni che mi fanno piangere inconsolabilmente:

le lettere scritte da mia madre e nascoste in un vecchio diario di scuola, quando andavo ancora alle medie. Le ho scoperte soltanto pochi mesi fa, riaprendolo casualmente, e sono scoppiato a piangere,

il finale di Mary Poppins, quando dopo essere stato licenziato, il signor Banks torna a casa con l’aquilone finalmente riparato e comincia a giocare coi figli, correndo fuori con loro per farlo volare nel parco (scena tuttora inguardabile per me senza cominciare a frignare),

gli abbracci alla stazione,

l’episodio di Doraemon in cui Nobita vorrebbe ringraziare la persona che, durante una gita all’asilo, lo aiutò a rialzarsi, scacciando i bruchi pelosi che lo ricoprivano. Tuttavia, Nobita non riesce a ricordare il suo volto, così Doraemon gli offre l’opportunità d’incontrare chiunque voglia nella Stanza del Rivedersi,

la perduta innocenza,

il finale dell’Uomo dei Sogni, quando Ray incontra suo padre, morto da tempo, e prima che questi svanisca gli chiede: “Ehi papà, vuoi giocare un po’ con me?” (tema a quanto pare ricorrente, dovrei forse dedurne qualcosa?),

l’inesorabile decadimento fisico e psichico dei miei genitori, ormai pressoché anziani,

la tenerezza del mio cagnolino e la consapevolezza della sua ineluttabile caducità, 

questo mio talento letterario negletto e sprecato, gettato ormai ad appassire come giardino incolto,

il finale della terza stagione di Person of Interest, quando Samaritan sembra aver ormai vinto, ma il monologo di Root ci ricorda che nonostante tutto il male che ci opprime, non dobbiamo mai smettere di sperare,

Exit music for a film dei Radiohead, dal minuto 2:50, ovvero lo smanioso desiderio di rivalsa che da sempre m’avvampa e mi corrode animo e viscere dopo ogni mortificante derisione, al pensiero che sì, un giorno tutti sapranno, e allora, beh, gliela farò vedere io… (me ne rendo conto, di solito è così che nascono i serial killer). Questa parte, ad ogni modo, mi emoziona a tal punto da avermi spinto a scrivere il finale della mia storia: “Un ventoso mattino di settembre, i servi del marchese  avrebbero forzato le porte dello studio, ove il misero scrittore soleva rinchiudersi di notte, e lo avrebbero trovato morto, riverso fra le sue carte in una pozza di vomito. Spalancate le finestre a lutto, i poveri disgraziati sarebbero stati travolti allora dall'empia ferocia di quegli astiosi fogli sdegnati dal tempo e, così finalmente libere, pagine e pagine d'inchiostro si sarebbero riversate in strada, pronte a prender d'assalto case e negozi, scuole e caserme, mulinando burrascose sulla città, fra le strida dei borghesi impazziti e le urla dei bambini accalcati contro i vetri, fino a seppellire il mondo, terra e cielo, sotto cumuli di scritti dissotterati dal fuoco e dagli abissi”,

la morte di Due Calzini in Balla coi lupi (e il tema ad esso collegato), quando il lupo segue fedelmente Dunbar ormai prigioniero e i soldati gli sparano addosso per dimostrare la loro tonitruante possenza di coraggiosissimi esseri umani supercazzuti, finché non l’ammazzano senza pietà. 

la lettera di Valerie da V per Vendetta, (credo non occorrano spiegazioni né commenti qui),

la mia sciagurata impotenza dinanzi al dolore degli amici,

la morte del commissario Ginz ne Il dottor Živago: “Soldati armati di fucili lo seguivano. ‘Cosa vorranno?’ pensò Ginz e accelerò il passo. Lo stesso fecero i suoi inseguitori. [...] Dalla stazione gli facevano segno di entrare, lo avrebbero messo in salvo. Ma di nuovo il senso dell’onore, educato attraverso generazioni, [...] gli sbarrò la via della salvezza. Con uno sforzo sovrumano cercò di calmare il tremito del cuore in tumulto. Pensò: ‘Bisognerebbe gridargli: - Fratelli, tornate in voi, come volete che sia una spia! - Qualcosa di sincero, capace di svelenirli, di fermarli.’ [...] Davanti all’ingresso della stazione si trovava un’alta botte chiusa da un coperchio. Ginz vi balzò sopra e rivolse ai soldati alcune parole sconvolgenti, fuori dell’umano. Il folle ardire del suo appello, a due passi dalle porte della stazione, dove avrebbe potuto rifugiarsi, sbigottì gli inseguitori. I soldati abbassarono i fucili. Ma Ginz si spostò sull’orlo del coperchio della botte e lo ribaltò. Una gamba gli scivolò nell’acqua, l’altra rimase penzoloni fuori della botte. [...] I soldati accolsero la sua goffa caduta con uno scroscio di risate: il primo lo colpì al collo, uccidendolo. Gli altri gli si gettarono sopra per trafiggere il morto a baionettate”. Non riesco a dire come questa fine mi commuova, ma credo abbia a che fare con goffaggine, spietatezza e umiliazione, cose che mi colpiscono tutte enormemente,

l’episodio de La casa nella prateria, in cui il signor Ingalls realizza una scarpa speciale per la piccola Olga che zoppica a causa di un’asimmetria nelle gambe. Il padre però non vuole che giochi con le altre bambine perché teme possano deriderla o che, ancor peggio, possa farsi male. Aggredisce così il signor Ingalls per essersi intromesso, ma all’improvviso vedendo la figlia giocare felice in cortile, muta espressione commuovendosi profondamente, ed io con lui. È la gioia d’un padre che comprende che sua figlia è finalmente felice. 

la vittoria dell’Italia alle olimpiadi di Torino 2006 nel pattinaggio di velocità, inseguimento a squadre maschile. Avevo 17 anni, avevo finito da poco i compiti e non so perché, restai paralizzato di fronte alla tv ad ammirare l’impresa di Enrico Fabris e compagni, esplodendo poi in un inspiegabile pianto liberatorio che ancora oggi sa per me d’imponderabile (disciplina mai più seguita, che quel giorno però mi regalò un’emozione eguagliata solo dall’oro di Jacobs nel ‘21 - senza lacrime),

la canzone Ave Maria, donna dell’attesa: dal matrimonio di mia sorella ad oggi son passati sette mesi, eppure questa canzone mi fa ancora lo stesso perturbante effetto, scuotendomi ogni santa volta.

Isengard Unleashed dalla colonna sonora del Signore degli Anelli, in particolare, il momento coincidente con la marcia degli Ent (vedi sogni di furiosa rivalsa), dal minuto 2:18,

la comprensione altrui,

ogniqualvolta ho dovuto accompagnare qualcuno all’Eterna Porta e dirgli addio in Spiritfarer,

trovare ricci spiaccicati sulla strada,

gli immarcescibili sensi di colpa per la morte del gattino Figaro, quando avevo cinque anni,

le storie di grandi insegnanti, capaci di lasciare tracce di sé nei loro alunni.

[guinea-pig-enthusiast]

I will never be over Valerie's backstory.

It's not a "she's popular and bullies a less popular person" thing. It's not an "I'm going to hunt ghosts because they ruined my make-up one time" thing. It's a "this ghost ruined my life and now I have to fight for everything I want and I want him to be held accountable, no matter the cost"

They gave her such a compelling reason to be a ghost hunter! Obviously, we still root for Danny because he's trying his best, but it's refreshing to have a major antagonist who could have been just another mean girl be someone with real complexity, especially for a children's show