#very shadow coded ...latinos...

[lvnesart]

capitano natlanese enjoyer real

[antispopausandstuff]

my SPOP universe pt. 1 - character bios ( very long, i'm sorry )

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disclaimer // note - it'll be SPOP-focused, but i do take a 'few' things from the original show and implement them here.

preferred style(s) - ATLA // LOK, ROTTMNT, LMK ( s1-s4 ), Spiderverse, or Kill la Kill

( part of the reason for these styles is the VFX, battle coordination, and creature // environmental design, esp with vibrant media like Spiderverse, ROTTMNT, and LMK )

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theme song - something akin to "The Call" by League of Legends or "The World That Ends in Three Days" by Koji Kondo, ROZEN, & Celica Soldream.

rating - PG-15 ( i'm not a writer for young children and don't handle things in a very kid-friendly way )

note - here's some gender // sexuality hcs of the characters, though it isn't all of them.

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established changes:

the runestones don't exist

the cast is 18+ unless stated otherwise

roles will be changed for plot relevance or sense ( for ex, neither perfuma, entrapta, scorpia, spinerella, or netossa are royals )

the first ones are not evil

mara and adora are the only she-ras

most ships will remain noncanon

there's no white people here, sorry

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cast ( pt. 1 ) . . .

Adora - Long Lost Princess of Eternia, Force Captain ( former ), Daughter of Hordak and Shadow Weaver, and She-Ra. 20 yrs old, 5'0, was abducted as an infant, from her home planet, and taught to be a solider for the Horde. raised by Shadow Weaver and Hordak ( it's separate care, not romantically coded ). unofficial caretaker of Catra.

she was raised to be very serious and no-nonsense like, always remaining calm and strategic in drastic situations to prevent the worst case scenario. due to this built-in stoicism, along with other factors, Adora struggles with interpersonal relationships and knowing her own sense of self, including what she is or isn't comfortable with ( such as unnecessary conflict ).

before She-Ra is even a possibility, the weight of the world was already bestowed upon her shoulders, and she sets on carrying out her duty to protect the world from those who wish to harm it.

beneath it all, however, Adora is a young woman who desires connection and peace. she secretly hopes for that to be her reward.

design would be inspired by Cal, Zav 1, Zav 2, Zav 3, and Fern ( blue guy ) by animatorroseoak, Midas by sleeepybacon, and with these details by me! outfit color palette would go from black and red to white, gold, and blue. just to clarify, though she is mythical, she'd still be afro-latino coded.

theme song - Song of Healing by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Glimmer - Princess of Brightmoon, Daughter of Queen Angella and King Micah, and Leader of the Rebellion. 19 yrs old, 5'6, was raised by her widowed mother ever since she was an infant. due to her lineage, she is a demigod and will likely live longer than the average Etherian.

ever since she was born, Glimmer's powers were too great for her body to handle, causing her to lose control very quickly, especially when her emotions were heightened. Angella brought her to Castaspella, her aunt and the greatest sorceress on Etheria, to teach her control and balance.

Glimmer has always been a bright mind with an even brighter personality, striving for excellence and success, and has never let her misfortunes, whether it be her powers going haywire or a plan not going through, weigh on her. at least, that's what she shows to her people and mother.

but, on the inside, she is actually very insecure over her lack of understanding of her own powers, what her mother thinks of her, and how she can handle being future Queen. afraid of change and what fate could hold for her, Glimmer is avoidant of talking about her upcoming role to Brightmoon, seeing Castaspella again ( they haven't talked in years ), or taking a break from her leadership in the Rebellion.

design would be inspired by Ube by kleahvii, Mika by kienan_lafferty, Marlowe & Buwa by sleeepybacon. high focus on the astral theming, with minor details of the angelic theme. i imagine her with either pinkish blonde hair or black hair with pink and blue ombre streaks. her species would be a hybrid of elf ( Micah ) and chimera ( Angella ).

theme song - Termina Field by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

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Bow - Guardian of Whispering Woods, Friend of Madame Razz, Best Friend of Princess Glimmer's, Son of George and Lance, and Co-Leader of the Rebellion. 20 yrs, 6'0, is a runaway from home after a particularly bad argument ensued between himself and his family. he is a pacifist and uses his archery to assist, not to cause harm ( or, at least, irreversible harm ).

his reasons for running away aren't exactly known, even to Glimmer herself, and he always gives half-truths or not-necessarily-lies to anyone who asks about his family and history. but he is very open about his beliefs, his current living situation ( currently resides in the Whispering Woods ), and how he feels.

as the Rebellion's mechanic and stealth strategist, Bow uses his technological intelligence and creativity to aid his allies. he's proven time and time again to be reliable, intuitive, and thinking of just about everything. whether or not that's a good thing.

in contrast to his secrecy, Bow is open-minded, well-meaning, and has a very strong belief in kindness. after living in the Whispering Woods on his own for a few years, and experiencing hardships unbeknownst to anyone else, he aims to be the example for others that people weren't for him.

design would be inspired by Jequ and Agnes by dewfroq, and Earth-42 Miles Morales in Across The Spiderverse. i think i want to make him a cyborg-type of character.

theme song - Goron Lullaby by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Angella - Queen of Brightmoon, Mother of Princess Glimmer, Widowed Wife of King Micah, and Angel of Etheria. 47(?) yrs old, 7'5, her exact origins are unknown, even to her daughter. some speculate that she was born from a star or moon, others guess she is from a different dimension entirely. the only one who even had an idea was the late King Micah.

benevolent, calm, and wise, Angella has been Queen for longer than she has been anything else. in some ways, she considers that a blessing. in others, she considers it a curse. accepting her fate decades ago, the pain has dulled enough to be barely noticeable.

though most don't know it, she has lived way longer than almost any of the Etherians, having experienced more than the Horde's genocide and eventual war. maybe even the universe beyond Despondos.

her abilities align, though not rely on, with the moons and stars, especially with specific constellations. but, as Despondos has a lack of those constellations ( and there are much less stars in the sky ), Angella has not reached her full power in decades.

it's only to Glimmer that she shows her true self, the self that is curious, easily endeared, and overall heartful and passionate, which is a stark contrast to the all-knowing, mysterious, powerful being that is the Queen of Brightmoon. because of this, her daughter has a hard time explaining to others that her mother isn't as stonewalled as she appears.

design would be inspired by Lucifer by fourleafisland, Sera by idolomantises, and Lifegiver and Sold Adopt Design by sleeepybacon. she is a flight-based chimera that has a lot of astral and angel theming, with her facial features obscured by a secondary, smaller set of wings.

theme song - Song of Time by The St. Louis Ocarina Trio

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Hordak - Emperor of the Fright Zone, Father of Adora, The 'Big Boss'. 55 ( appearance wise ), 6'7, his origins are about as unknown as Angella's. it's unknown if he even likes or dislikes to discuss it, as no one has dared to ask him about his life before the Horde.

having brought Etheria to its knees decades ago, Hordak is easily bored or disinterested in his surroundings, often indulging himself in sadism for entertainment. however, he does have a soft spot for his children, Imp and Adora, and finds enjoyment in their company.

when She-Ra comes around, he isn't all that irritated. in the beginning, at least. in fact, he's rather riveted by the new challenge. discovering her identity, however, made all the difference. now, he constantly has to pick between being a father and being an Emperor.

design would be inspired by Fei by cronchy_baguette, Jacks by par0llel, Unnamed OC by crazycomet107, and Miguel O'Hara Illustration by sairasays. his design would definitely be a mix of cyborg and beast, lots of predator and prey metaphors.

theme song - Elegy of Emptiness by The Marcus Hedges Trend Orchestra

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Shadow Weaver - Sorceress of the Fright Zone, Second In Command, Mother of Adora and Catra. 50(?), 5'11, was raised in the Crimson Waste, but ran away and became a student in Mystacor at a young age. after obtaining the dark arts, however, she was banished and considered a freak of nature. soon after, she was found by Hordak.

the 'freak of nature' title didn't leave, however. rather, Shadow Weaver had to embrace it in order to become immune, using her dark magic to protect and provide for herself and whatever or whoever she needs to succeed or gain power.

she keeps most, if not all of her relationships at arms length, paranoia and trust issues running deep. though this doesn't exclude her daughters, Adora and Catra, it's less so with them. even if it's for separate reasons.

after Adora turned on the Horde, this instilled Shadow Weaver's already unstable mindset and kicked it into overdrive. obsessive, aggressive, and erratic in behavior, she eventually becomes a danger to herself and others.

design would be inspired by Peter Pan & Captain Hook Illustrations by sairasays, The Heads and The Witch by kelpible, and Arek ( 3rd form ) by sleeepybacon. her design would be parallel to her life as Light Spinner.

theme song - Midna's Theme by Monsalve

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Catra - Cadet of the Horde ( former ), Force Captain, Daughter of Shadow Weaver. 19 yrs, 5'7, was abducted as a toddler and taught to be a solider, though succession rates are varying. she was originally born in a Kingdom, but her memories are limited and she's rather uninterested ( or unmotivated, it's not clear ) in finding out where she's from.

as she was raised by Shadow Weaver, Catra became an odd mix of codependent, lazy, defiant and aggressive, borderline sadistic, obsessive, and jealous, driving away most people, which only solidified her unhealthy relationships.

once Adora left the Horde, she was no better than her mother, in terms of mental decline, and it was part of the reason why she became Force Captain. unofficially speaking.

design would be inspired by Eralisto by animatorroseoak, Bacon 1 and Bacon 2 by sleeepybacon, Cairo by cronchy_baguette, and Elliot by spam0_llel. i like to think her design becoming more and more feral // unhinged as she develops.

theme song - Majora's Mask by Koji Kondo & ROZEN

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Scorpia ( Lynda ) - Force Captain, Ex-Warrior of the Crimson Waste, Sister of Octavia, Harbinger of Poison. 21 yrs, 6'3, a fighter with a tough exterior, but a gentle soul. once she gets to know you, anyway. in her time in the Horde, she has formed a bond with Octavia and knew of Catra and Adora, but hadn't met them personally until Catra becam Force Captain.

after running away from the Crimson Waste after killing the leader, Scorpia was recruited by Hordak for her strength and poison // paralytic touch. though, it wasn't exactly like she had a choice.

when meeting Catra, the two were at arms-length for a while, with Scorpia being a little off-put by the other's intensity in bringing Adora back. but, somehow, they eventually become friends. as much as they could be, anyway, considering the circumstances.

design would be inspired by Gora ( tall, dark-haired goliath ) by pen.lilixeesketche and Tora and Gabu by par0llel. i read up the original character's details and decided to have kind of a 'mish-mash' of the original and reboot ( not quite, though ).

theme song - Bolero of Fire by Giulio Capone

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Entrapta ( Es'Tra ) - The Fae of Entanglement, Lady of Dryll, Heart of Technology. Late 40s ( forgot specific age ), 4'10, works for the Horde as their technician, isolated and muted, but finds comfort in the Emperor's company. when he has time for that.

no one really knows why or how she got there, but it's evident that she's chronically exhausted and has a habit of becoming hostile with those who don't respect her space ( it's how she met Catra one on one ). when she's in a better mood, however, she's more likely to talk, but not guaranteed, and shows to always have more knowledge than anyone would expect.

in the rare instances she's completely happy, Entrapta is very friendly, engaging, and there's an increased percentage she'll share technology // technological-know-how with you.

design would be inspired by Bitten Lady and Faubron by animatorroseoak, Eris by boots.oc, and Remi by par0llel. lots of plant cycle symbolism in her environments and hair.

theme song - Song of Storms by ROZEN

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Double Trouble ( Rebekk ) - Diamond of Mischief, Multi-Mask, Fae of Deceit. Early 20s ( exact age is unknown ), 5'11, a busybody that absolutely hates the Horde, which helps them not give a damn about anything more than bare minimum privacy, and who also happens to be Glimmer's cousin, adopted by Castaspella.

when they're not busying spying on the Horde, Double Trouble spends time working on their own plays and shows or trying to play around with their peers, being a generally needy person that craves attention and validation. it's not hard to make them happy, though. usually, a simple compliment makes their entire day.

none of their family knows of their work, though. and they'd like to keep it that way.

design would be inspired by Rue by lizard_b.rain, Thraniavas by spidertams, Cantaluse by animatorroseoaks, and Original Character Animation by kelapabiru. a random design tidbit that doesn't really matter, i like to think their hair is dyed blonde, but they have brown // black roots.

theme song - Minuet of Forest by Giulio Capone

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not all of the character biographies, not even close, but i'm currently working on pt. 2 as we speak, so that'll be out soon! probably will have a pt. 3 and pt. 4, though, there's a lot to go through.

thank you for reading! this and pt. 2 took forever.

[darkfictionjude]

Etymology nonnie here!

1) About 70s fashion: It has good things, of course (and I must admit I completely ignored female fashion because my mind is filled by hot men), all decades have. But I'm someone who will always choose the first half of the 20th century when it comes to fashion. Sorry.

And I do remember the crop tops and slutty shorts men wore at the time. So it's not like I'm immune to the 70s charms. Yet, if I have to say what decade of the 20th century has the worst fashion, I'll still pick the 70s. And say the best fashion is arguably late 1930s, late 1940s or early 1950s. But that's just me.

Yet, I must also speak about the architecture and interior design of the 70s. Is awful. It may be colorful and bright. But it's an acquired taste. And would you really choose anything built on the 70s over Art deco arquitecture? Yeah, I thought so.

2) About sex: Who says sex is irrelevant, dear Jude? I'm all for fictional sex. The thing is, both the Mafia and Hayes coded Hollywood have a level of restrained lust, secret desires and profound yet in denial homoeroticism. It's more of a matter of what flavour you prefer. And as submissive as I can be, and as alluring as Boss who can take my life or reward me as he wishes may be, I'm significantly more seduced by the idea of being forced into a world of hypocrisy, where I can be an active player, a star with my own shine, even if I have a significant part of who I am lost in the shadows. A word that shines like gold, yet hides what truly is going on. A world that is at once desirable and terrying, where there is always a real chance to simply retire and live in the glory, yet the temptation to stay is ever present. A word of appearances, of masks, of beauty, virtue and sin.

It's just so erotic. Even if there wasn't sex involved, it would be so erotic.

3) About superhero IFs. Did the nonnie mean the IF where one of the RO's cucks the MC? I understand the outrage, even though it was an interesting thing to try and it is really obvious is going to happen. But that IF has multiple other flaws stacking over that problem, the cuck situation is just more evident. I think it's made worse because that specific RO is like the most attractive female RO the game offers. Had I been straight or bisexual I would have considered only her as a romance choice. Although, that game didn't have very interesting RO's in my opinion, since most of the interesting characterizations and dynamics went to non romanceable characters. It saddens me the bad reputation that IF has, given that, if I'm correct about what IF the nonnie was referring to, the author is a fellow Latino.

Also, I understand the need to do something because someone said you couldn't do it. But just due to the decade you wanted to set the IF you would have multiple differences with all of the superhero IFs that I know of. Since most are set in modern times. Often, in regards to time frame, what makes them interesting is that they are an example of alternate history. Like Fallen Hero (God has forsaken me and made me, even if he is non existant, into the fan who brings up Fallen Hero in every conversation).

The thing is, superhero stories do offer a lot of variety. From the themes, the conflicts, the way the powers are relevant to the story or not (for example Unsupervised allows such a variety of powers they are not as central to the narrative as Fallen Hero, in which the story does not work if Sidestep had another variation of super powers).

4) Apologies to Selfie again. I do also think you are cool still. And support you being horny publicly. I'll never be as brave (this is not a backhanded compliment, yet I'm aware it could be understood as such, hence this explanatory parenthesis). I'm too fond of playing around identity, I guess. And anonimity provides something exciting. Weirdly erotic, if you will. A mask. I'm a gray being in the minds of others, a non presence who is also present. It's natural for me to identify more with an actor than to with a mafia member. Even if both include lies, acting and secrets.

5) War can be won, fellow nonnies! I believe in our cause! I may have lost the options I wanted the most, but I will not die on the embarrassment of defeat! No. Yet, I depend on you. May you be the strength I cannot give anymore, and let my spirit fill you with my support. Believe in my smile, my fraternal embrace, the gleeful light in my eyes. Believe on our cause, fellow nonnies! We can win this round!

Ok I do like art deco buttttt I also love sleazy 70s mafia aesthetic the leopard print, the abundance of gold and the smell of cigars

Yeah I heard of that IF it’s always a source of contention on the forums and Reddit 😭

Yeah I think that’s one of the interesting things about the superhero IF it’s not in modern day, it’s 50s Americana

Maybe you can finally get selfie to see the light! They are refusing to leave the cave and prefer to look upon the wall (Plato reference)

I love this IF war going on it invigorates me 😌

[rescuehumans-runtotherescue]

What My Personal Reverse AU Would Look Like:

Pt. 2

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Human Blurr

Name: Blair

Race: Latino

Appearance: He has hazel eyes and dyed short purple hair (natural brunette).

Sexuality: Questioning

Age: 19

He has undiagnosed ADHD. He has a bad relationship with his family. Not that they were awful to him, but he definitely wouldn’t want to move back in with them. He moved to Griffin Rock because Sal was and he’s the only one that puts up with him he totally needed a change of pace! A new scene! Yeah…

How He reacts to people flirting with him: Genuine surprise. He plays it off nonchalantly and maybe gets his hopes too high. Will defiantly brag about it to others.

What he drinks in the morning: Energy drink! Red bull, monster, bang, rockstar, doesn’t matter as long as it’s an energy drink.

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Human Salvage

Name: Saladin (He just goes by Sal though)

Race: White (Arab heritage)

Appearance: He has blue eyes and short fluffy dirty blond hair.

Sexuality: Omnisexual

Age: 19 (Older than Blair by a couple months)

He is autistic. He was originally going to go to college to major in environmental science, but dropped out when he got the opportunity to live at Griffin Rock and work with the doc and engineers there. What’s better than firsthand experience?

How he reacts to people flirting with him: He is very bashful! If he doesn’t reciprocate the feeling, he’ll politely explain he hopes they can still be good friends. If he does like them or doesn’t know if he may like them, he may take their playful flirting a bit too seriously and consider asking them on a date, just to see if there’s a spark. You never know if you don’t try! And he’s always willing to try something at least once.

What he drinks in the morning: It changes almost daily. Sometimes it’s water, sometimes its tea, sometimes juice or milk. He doesn’t really stick to one specific drink.

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Blair and Sal met in high school and have been paling around ever since. Sal likes how Blair gets them into new scenarios he would’ve never thought of before and Blair appreciates Sal’s patience, even if he’s never told him that out loud.

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Human Quickshadow

Name: She’s gone by many different names on many different missions for many different reasons. Let’s keep this simple, shall we? Just call her Quin.

Race: Mixed. Half white, half latina.

Appearance: She has blue eyes and a little shorter than shoulder length black hair.

Sexuality: Demiromantic + Demisexual

Age: 24

She is rather secretive but a trusted friend of the rescue team. Getting information out of her about herself is difficult because she always wants to know why you want that information about her and isn’t satisfied with the ‘getting to know you’ answer.

How she reacts to people flirting with her: Frankly, she’s annoyed. She has better things to do with her time.

What she drinks in the morning: Sometimes tea, sometimes nothing. She’s a very busy woman, you know.

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Human High Tide

Name: Highins Tide (But call him Captain Tide)

Race: Hispanic

Appearance: His short hair has turned salt and pepper, he has a scratchy looking shadow of a beard but he shaves before it grows out. He has green eyes.

Sexuality: Gay

Age: 52

He’s loud and opinionated but has a good heart where it matters. He came to the waters of Griffin Rock on a visit, but decided to stay as it was much more entertaining there than it was back home. He loves the excitement and action! He has a beagle/jack russell terrier mix named Servo that gets into everything and the rescue team petsits frequently. Servo is trained, but listens to High Tide the best and to Code the second best.

How he reacts to people flirting with him: He’s very likely to laugh in your face but might thank you for flattering him. On the occasion, he may flirt back.

What he drinks in the morning: Coffee, black.

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There has to be a balance, however! If these four are humans, then 4 characters that are human in the show now have to be bots.

Hayley —> Hailstorm. Vehicle form: Ambulance.

Priscilla —> Patchwork. Vehicle form: Delivery Van.

Milo —> Metro. Vehicle form: Blimp. (Milo canonically has an air balloon but this makes more sense for a transformation)

Frankie —> Phasewave. Vehicle form: All-Terrain Jeep.

Hailstorm and Patchwork take place of Salvage and Blurr with the whole being found in a spaceship and helping the cave people thing.

Kascade has complicated feelings about Hailstorm. Hailstorm pretends not to notice but is quietly flattered.

Patchwork and Phasewave are sparklings like Code. Patchwork and Code struggle to get along whereas Code and Phasewave get along like a forest fire.

Metro takes place of High Tide, but instead of being a sailor he is just an ‘Agent Of Chaos’ (but not actually an agent). He’s kind of a wildcard and ‘prepares’ the bots to expect the unexpected.

Which means Phasewave takes place of Quickshadow. She is not an agent, but has a bad habit of thinking she can cover more than she really should on her own.

[vega-482]

My Stanley and Narrator refs (plus more info)

Stanley:

Probably born in america but has latine parents (don't ask me which country(ies), i couldn't decide)

He's latino mestizo/mixed race, but doesn't know much else besides that

He can physically speak but he stutters a lot, he's slightly more fluent in spanish than english but still stutters, which caused him to get bullied as a kid, which then gave him severe anxiety, therefore making him develop selective mutism. It became so severe that he had to learn ASL to communicate a bit better, but still has some problems when speaking to strangers 

Not sure if he has ADHD, is autistic, or both, but when he gets sensory overload gets very stressed, he freezes completely and cannot even sign to communicate u_u

Knows english, spanish and ASL

When he gets to know someone better, he speaks more to them and sometimes even without stuttering

Stims by pressing buttons and other similar stuff, he likes the clicking noises :y

Only expressive when he has strong emotions, otherwise his face is very deadpan

Knows he is sexually and aesthetically attracted to men and other genders, but has only had romantic feelings for men

Used to have piercings on his face but had to take em off bc of the dress code, still has some hidden ones tho

The Narrator

Because he's an immortal entity he doesn't care about gender, but in human terms he'd be a man, that's what feels right to him

He didn't know that he was trans (well he didn't ever consider that he was trans or cis) in his human form until he somehow accidentally transformed into human and found out

Doesn't need glasses to see, he just likes the aesthetic :y

Human form is weak (as much as an old man is lol) and can only make? some apendages that look like the adventure line(tm), kinda like weird tentacles, and phase through walls, but that transforms him back into his light form

Light form can be 2d, projected kinda like a shadow, or 3d, it can float and change size, he can be tinyy or big, but only in light form

Light form can grab objects and is usually solid unless he wants to phase thru walls, he cannot phase through organic stuff/bodies

He cannot alter his shape either, just size

His hands feet and head aren't attached to the rest of the body in light form

His glasses do the -anime glowy glasses- thing 🤔

Unsure about sexuality but is gay 4 stanley ahah

Can only shift to human <-> light  by phasing objects

When changing to light form and back, that resets his human body (can cure injuries, hunger, etc)

He's neurodivergent as a human, idk how it works as a god-like entity tho 

Can only read Stanley's thoughts in his light form, in human form he can't 

idk I’ll add more stuff when I remember

[villainous-queen]

Hi i love your blog so much!! I'm a huge fan of toxic romance/problematic ships too so it's really fun seeing other people have similar taste. Anyways i was wondering do you have any recs for villain x heroine ship with a poc heroine? I've been thinking about this and there's a lack of poc female leads in dark/problematic romances.

Do you think race plays a part in making creators more hesitant in writing stories with them? Because i feel like there would definitely be more criticism if a heroine was poc and the villain white. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Thx a lot. Happy to be of service ;)

I definitely think that race plays a part in villainous and problematic portrayals of relationships. I’ve mentioned this before but most of the time “villains” are either white or sometimes Latino, very rarely do you encounter black villains. “Heroines” on the other hand are almost always white. If we think back to the beginning of film even we can see this. Just look at Sessue Hayakawa! He was a Japanese actor in America during the 1910-1920s. 

His "broodingly handsome" good looks and typecasting as a sexually dominant villain made him a heartthrob among American women during a time of racial discrimination and he became one of the first male sex symbols of Hollywood. [Wikipedia]

So sexy! But thanks to racism (and the later 1930s Production Code) he wasn’t allowed to be depicted in a romantic relationship unless the woman was Asian as well. So instead he was typically depicted as the villain. In the 1915 film “The Cheat” he BRANDS a woman! Reportedly women screamed (in a good way) when it played in theaters!

What I think is happening now is a swing back of the 1930s Production Code. We’ve gone too far the other way and now we aren’t allowed to depict non-white people as villains, except Latinos. I can also point directly to the demonetization of “Mexicans” and the racism still expressed towards those of Latin decent as the reason why we are allowed to depict them as villains. I think generally a lot of people are still uncomfortable with “mixed” relationships and I think just on that fact we generally get less of it. Then add to the fact that some people are uncomfortable that the “vulnerable” are being menaced, so although white heroines are much more common when we do get non-white heroines I suppose being menaced by white people makes people uncomfortable. I know various TV series and films get criticism for making another “straight white male attractive killer” such as Joe Goldberg from Netflix’s You or the weird amount of flack the film “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” got for hiring Zac Efron as Ted Bundy because Zac Efron is “attractive” when Ted Bundy was seen as attractive in his time?? That was one of the points of the film?! Still I think the trend is from a desire to show “positive” depictions of non-white people the same way people are reluctant to create negative portrayals of people who happen to be under the LGBTQA+ rainbow. The public wants “strong female” characters, especially strong non-white female characters. I think people forget that “victims” can be strong as well? Still, overall I think people want to just avoid race as much as possible and just make everyone “white” just to avoid any implications. I want to see more non-white villains and heroines! 

Anyway, off the top of my head I recommend Stay (2017), Shadow and Bone (series) and From Dusk Till Dawn (series). Stay (2017) has Devin Books as “Claire”, she has a bit of a mixed ethnic heritage but it includes Mexican and Native American. Her co-star “villain” is white. Shadow and Bone (series) has Jessie Mei Li who is half English, half Chinese; her co-star is English/White. From Dusk Till Dawn (series) is a little odd since I’m including it for Santanico Pandemonium who is played by Eiza González who is Mexican. Santanico was both a villain in the series and later was revealed to be a victim of various bad people. Does she really count? Idk but I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel here. She has various “romantic prospects” (even women) but technically the villain is also Mexican/Latin but I ship her with a white guy (not my OTP but whatever) so idk either. Of course you can always try non-English language shows and films. Again it seems that we only have Latin actors for the most part? It’s hard to think of African American actors for this? Urgh. We need more black actors in this genre!

My followers, anymore suggestions for “villain x heroine ship[s] with a poc heroine”?

[c0ffeebee]

you got any rare kliego fic recs? i’ve probably read the first five pages of most kudos’d results but i know there are a ton that slip thru the cracks

ok, i'm sorry for replying so late, nonny, but i guess looking at the list you'll understand why ❤

i'll be honest with you once i've gotten into kliego i read through their entire tag of ao3 [at least those fics where i was ok with the tags and summary felt intriguing] so now i literally went through it again and picked those of the fics the names of which i remembered, and there's A LOT 😀 some of those are really popular, some not at all, but i remember loving those ❤

at first i thought i would tell you a bit about every fic on the list, but it would take me forever, so i will just give you titles/links, authors and summaries, hope it's fine ❤ look out for the tags tho, to know if you’re fine with everything! and some of those are benkliego ❤

i'm sure i forgot or missed something, but i did my best, trust me ❤

so without further ado i present to you: 

bee's big kliego rec list (in no particular order)

till you can breathe on your own by iwishii

Diego has never been more frightened than he is now, trying to help his brother reach the surface in time.

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practice makes perfect by iwishii

Klaus doesn't want to show up to parties totally inexperienced and virginal, so he asks Diego to help him get some practice in.

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master of my domain by achilleees

“You’re asking five 13-year-old boys not to jerk off for – it can’t be done,” Luther says. “Now that we’re older, it would be different, but back then –”

“Excuse me, I could do it,” Five says. “I could certainly outlast all of you.”

They all look at each other.

“Oh, no,” says Allison.

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the year that wasn't by achilleees

Diego turned to Five. “I’ve already, uh, lived today. This has already happened.”

Everyone went still.

“Ooh, that’s a mind-fuck,” said Klaus.

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The Weight of Himself by sarkywoman

If he could, Diego would unfurl his middle finger.

For the 'can only move the eyes' square at badthingshappenbingo. Reginald's experiments have devastating consequences on Diego, but both he and Klaus refuse to let that be the end.

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Laid Bare by MilenaDaniels

“So,” Five continued matter-of-factly, “you’re in a cramped, human sized box, in a graveyard where you can’t see light or hear sounds. What are the odds that you’re above ground?”

Diego blinked. He thought he’d been smelling the iron of his blood pooling and drying under his head but it was humid in here, and musty.

“Fuck,” Diego said.

Diego and Klaus are buried alive together.

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Flies in the Kitchen by yourfearlessleader

Klaus is sixteen and love is a rot.

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Before, During, and After by yourfearlessleader

Before the apocalypse, life was making the best of a bad situation, and Klaus found that he grew up to be very good at it.

During is, for lack of a better word, hard.

After they try to kill Vanya, after the apocalypse, after they jump through time to avoid it, after they survive and make up and a million and one other things, here they are.

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break it like you're breaking a code by findyourfortunefalling

"Are you planning to sit in a chair like a person today, or are we all eating our breakfast off of you this morning?"

"Kinky," Klaus purrs, but he rolls off the table anyway, and piles himself into a seat near the head of the table. Diego puts the plate of pancakes in front of him; he's put blueberries in them today. "Thank you, chef."

"Eat," says Diego. "Quietly."

Instead of replying, Klaus picks up a pancake with his fingers, stuffs the entire thing into his mouth at once, and chews noisily.

Diego sighs, and goes back to the stove. "Man, I remember a time when you were house trained."

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two boys emerging from shadowed hallways by spikeymarshmallows

After Ben dies, Diego drags a broken Klaus out of the Academy. They're both determined to never return, to find their own way out in the world.

Things are not as easy as they would like.

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the things i can't say by  spikeymarshmallows

"Diego, wait!" Klaus shouted, clutching Diego's arm.

"You look like Antonio Banderas with long hair," he choked.

*

Five times Klaus doesn't say 'I love you'.

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Into the Night by  spikeymarshmallows

"Hey," Klaus whispered, "hey, Diego, wake up." Diego grumbled, dragging his blanket higher up his body before settling again. "Hey." Klaus tried again, voice a little louder. "Hey, wake up." He poked at Diego's arm insistently.

*

The Hargreeves siblings go on late night adventure to get doughnuts

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all tangled close by spikeymarshmallows

They were all going to have to deal with the pheromones for however long Klaus' first heat lasted.

Diego was, in a word, screwed.

*

Five times Diego and Klaus have heat sex; and one time they don't.

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the kliego genderswap/sexswap by spikeymarshmallows

The name speaks for itself.

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The Fools' Journey by sweetstuff

After his release from prison on a manslaughter charge, Diego tries to leave behind the life he adapted to survive on the inside. He finds himself drawn to a beautiful and peculiar sex worker named Klaus in a local bar, and when danger strikes Diego makes a decision that will have them both running for their lives.

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and death i think is no parenthesis by laiqualaurelote

“You guys seem really chill about all this,” observed Ben. “By this point most people are running around screaming.”

“Occupational hazard,” said Klaus.

“I’ve lost a lot of blood,” said Diego. “I’m just accepting everything at face value right now.”

Allison is the best damn realtor in the business, and she is going to sell the Hargreeves Mansion if it kills her. Never mind that it’s packed to the rafters with the ghastly relics of grisly murders, or that there’s a vampire in the basement who looks like a 13-year-old, or that the medium she hired to exorcise its inhabitants keeps flirting with some of them, i.e. the one with the knives and the one with the tentacles. Or that if they all spend enough time together, they just might cause the apocalypse.

NotSiblings!AU that is basically The Umbrella Academy as American Horror Story: Murder House, though you need not have seen any AHS to read this.

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i got troubles (they won't let me be) by antipathy

“I don’t understand why you’re hung up on this.” Five didn’t bother to mask his scowl. “Let me spell it out for you: either you two fuck, or we all die.”

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Eye Of The Storm by shadowhive

Diego decides to surprises Klaus by taking them on a weekend trip, but it doesn’t go as planned.

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Mine, All Mine by Electra_XT

“No!” Klaus said. “Move the other way.”

“What are you trying to get a good look at, exactly?” Diego said.

Klaus blinked at him. His eyes were wide and kohl-rimmed, as fetching and alluring as the rest of him. “Why, your ass,” he said. “That thing is fine.”

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On Sight by Electra_XT

“Oh,” Klaus said, stopping in his tracks with his hand on the mouse.

Ben leaned over his shoulder. “‘Cute Latino camboy gives a show’?”

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Practice Makes Perfect Sense by punk_rock_yuppie

“Practice… kissing?” Diego asks.

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Aftershocks by punk_rock_yuppie

Saving the world is hard work, is Klaus’ last thought before succumbing to the heat of the puppy pile he and his other siblings have formed.

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Passenger by Cunninglinguist

“And you’re sure that’s okay?”

“I mean, yeah. It’s fine with me. All we have to do is ask Diego.”

“And you think he’ll be...cool with it?”

“Dunno.” Klaus shrugs and stirs his smoothie with his straw. “But I’m on board with it, and he usually gets on board with whatever I’m on board with, so. I’d say it’s at least worth an ask.”

Klaus feels Ben’s eyes burning into him as he sips his beverage. Sure, the idea of Ben possessing him had initially been about as appealing as a coffee enema, and the first few times in practice had been more than slightly traumatizing. But once they’d established ground rules and worked to get more in tune with one another, Klaus had come to find the experience to be...interesting. It could be pleasant, almost zen—there is no sensation in the world quite like being a passenger in one's own body. And to be privy to both his own sensations as well as Ben’s? Well, that’s something else entirely.

Which is why the idea of Ben possessing his body during sex both freaks him out and turns him on in equal measure.

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i am a dark and wicked thing by Cunninglinguist

Klaus is staring at Diego with hollow eyes, straw still perched between his lips. No reaction, not even a spark of joy or schadenfreude as he watches Diego disrupt breakfast. Diego shifts. He’s seen corpses before, and were Klaus not sitting close enough to touch, chest rising and falling visibly with his breath, Diego could easily mistake him for one.

Vampire!Klaus AU

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The Diamond Sinners by Cunninglinguist

Another drink and a half later, he’s finally back on the right side of numb. The house lights dim and a new dancer is announced. He’s gazing across the club, eyeing the buffet with semi-tipsy hunger, thinking that it’s probably time to call it a night, when suddenly, his heart stops dead in his chest.

There, onstage, rolling his lithe body sensuously against the pole like he was summoned out of one of Diego’s wet dreams, is Klaus.

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Broken Like Me by Starrstruck_64

“This s-s-stuff will kill you,” he says plucking the cigarette out of Klaus’ fingers, delighting slightly in the fact that he’d only partially stumbled through the sentence.

Klaus smirks and it’s such a far cry from his fun loving brother he had two weeks ago that Diego nearly flinches.

“Ever stop and think that’s the plan,” Klaus says moving to stand and reaching to snag the cigarette back.

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sing it out, hard as you can by plingo_kat

The first time it happens, Klaus doesn’t notice.

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Soft by Dirty_Corza

Sometimes, between the boxing matches and vigilante business, Diego likes to be soft.

Klaus and Ben surprise him by liking the softer side of him, too.

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Wait for it by nishiki

A mission gone wrong, a dream shattered.

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all that i have to lose by UnrememberedSkies

Diego does some good, and Klaus pays the price. 

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wasp by Chelseylovesllamas

Diego is scared of bugs, Klaus saves the day.

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Friday at Four by Kliegology

Diego's life takes a nosedive when he's forced out of work and into an art therapy class. He's clinging to his last shred of normality when he meets Klaus, who takes one look at him and threatens to tear it away.

“I think you’ll find you have a lot in common with the other people there,” The Therapist said, watching him shrewdly.

Diego was vividly reminded of the jittery, barefoot man in the pink fluffy cardigan. He snorted. “I don’t think so.”

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[atypicality]

Edye, Kira, Clovette, Vix, and Rufion

Edye

Full Name: okay so none of my OCs have last names,, embarrassing i know. he’s named after a neopet as that’s how i formed his character (this is progressively getting more embarrassing). his name is pronounced “eddie,” and an interesting fact about his name is that the part “dye” (pronounced “die”) is a nickname for dionysus, a god that has definitely influenced his character.

Gender and Sexuality: male, he’s bisexual

Pronouns: he/him

Ethnicity/Species: he’s latino and he’s human(??)

Birthplace and Birthdate: i literally have no idea (i feel like i should look into astrology and choose his birthday according to his personality…he’s probably a leo or a gemini and he was clearly born somewhere in latin america. i was thinking ecuador but i’m biased bc i lived there lmao),, he’s 22 though

Guilty Pleasures: reality t.v. and romcoms

Phobias: (i’m not putting the names of each phobia bc no one knows what that means) emotional intimacy, being buried alive, and abandonment

What They Would Be Famous For: i could see him being an actor with a horrible reputation

What They Would Get Arrested For: anything ranging from drug dealing to kidnapping (he was supposed to return vera to the shadow realm, for example). i wouldn’t put much past him

OC You Ship Them With: aliah and rufion (i like him with vera platonically)

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: nora bc she has to deal with his bullshit

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: action and comedy

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: pointless sacrifices. they died, dammit! let that count for something!

Talents and/or Powers: he’s an illusionist, meaning he can warp reality (or one’s perception of reality) and trick people. he can also make portals and fly/hover to some extent.

Why Someone Might Love Them: he’s a party animal and he’s fun to be around. he’s also pretty loyal to the people he cares about.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: he’s a no strings attached kind of person. he can be very apathetic and insensitive.

How They Change: he goes from being a villain to being the sidekick of the MC (vera),, i’m so proud of him

Why You Love Them: he’s the classic asshole/misunderstood bad boy turned good…he’s a huge loser that accidentally became cursed and now has a cult following and he’s just hilarious to think about.

here’s a mix i made for him

and his three shipping mixes lmao (aliah)(rufion)(vera)

here’s the cult mix if you want to listen to that  😂😂😂

alsoo i have a sidekick mix

and i’m literally developing two more for him (villain / hero arc, respectively)

can you tell that he’s my favorite

Kira

Full Name: just kira (hi, just. i’m nina)

Gender and Sexuality: female, heterosexual

Pronouns: she/her

Ethnicity/Species: she’s mixed: japanese and black. she’s a human

Birthplace and Birthdate: she was born in japan (city whomst) and she’s 27. probably a gemini or a scorpio

Guilty Pleasures: chocolate/sweets in general and creeping on social media if that counts

Phobias: she suffers from body dysmorphic disorder and suffers from fears that accompany that, such as not being good enough, etc. she also hates bugs, especially spiders.

What They Would Be Famous For: despite her bdd, she’d definitely become famous for being a beauty vlogger/youtuber. her ‘mask’ (aka whatever it is people with bdd do to help themselves cope with their body’s appearance/perceived flaw) would be makeup and she uses her powers to give herself the illusion that she’s someone else (in terms of appearance, if that makes any sense).

What They Would Get Arrested For: shoplifting (idk if you can be arrested for this but it’s the only thing she would do)

OC You Ship Them With: will a lil bit tbh. they’re the mom-dad pair

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: no one lmao

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: romcoms and horror

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: white people doing stupid things in horror movies, the most aggravating definitely being having sex/making out while danger is imminent

Talents and/or Powers: she’s an illusionist and can make portals like edye. she’s also a makeup artist

Why Someone Might Love Them: she’s super sweet and a good listener.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: people misinterpret her as shallow

How They Change: she betrays the Good Guys for her benefit but is forgiven. she also seeks help for her bdd and stops using her powers to alter her appearance (her makeup still serves as a mask though, her insecurities and anxiety don’t disappear overnight)

Why You Love Them: her struggle with self-love is so heartbreaking and she’s so strong and admirable.

Clovette

Full Name: clovette. some people call her clover. she’s also a neopet.

Gender and Sexuality: female, pansexual

Pronouns: she/her

Ethnicity/Species: she’s asian and a human

Birthplace and Birthdate: she was born somewhere in southeast asia. she’s 20 and probably an aquarius

Guilty Pleasures: sleeping in and staying home all day

Phobias: she has a fear of flying and the ocean. she suffers from social anxiety and is afraid of large crowds.

What They Would Be Famous For: she’d be a kickass video game developer

What They Would Get Arrested For: probably doing something illegal online (piracy maybe?)

OC You Ship Them With: maybe with nora

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: no one!!!

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: science fiction and fantasy

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: white savior trope

Talents and/or Powers: she doesn’t have any powers but she’s great at coding and game design and she’s a talented artist.

Why Someone Might Love Them: she’s really funny when you get to know her.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: she comes off as judgmental but she’s really not

How They Change: she’s initially scared of travelling from her island (boats? Horrifying. airplanes? Terrifying.) but then she’s forced to move and has to face that fear plus the fear that comes when you don’t know anyone and have to form new relationships.

Why You Love Them: she has so much potential for growth and she’s so cute and inspiring

Vix

Full Name: i have to pick out a really basic white girl name for her but she goes by vix and vixen is her villain name (edye doesn’t deserve a villain name).

Gender and Sexuality: female, heterosexual but the kind of straight girl that will kiss other girls for male attention.

Pronouns: she/her

Ethnicity/Species: she’s white and a human

Birthplace and Birthdate: she was born in paris, she’s 21, and she’s probably a pisces.

Guilty Pleasures: kissing girls uwu, eating way too many tubs of cookie dough ice cream, and erotica.

Phobias: she’s scared of birds and the deep sea. she’ll enjoy going to the beach but she won’t go in the water because then she thinks of sea monsters and other unknown terrors hidden in the unexplored ocean. she’ll go to a pool, though.

What They Would Be Famous For: she’d be an actress or a journalist

What They Would Get Arrested For: robbery, possibly arson

OC You Ship Them With: no one

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: edye

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: film noir and slasher films/thrillers

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: love triangles

Talents and/or Powers: she uses love magic and mental manipulation.

Why Someone Might Love Them: she’s clever and really determined.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: she’s a bitch.

How They Change: she’s initially shy, awkward, trying to make her way through life. then she falls in love with someone (*coughs* edye *coughs*) and gives herself a makeover. she goes from innocent civilian investigating something to villainess and cult leader. 10/10 transformation

Why You Love Them: i don’t lmao. i like that she fits the femme fatale archetype. she’s a really interesting character. she also unironically calls herself vixen, so there’s that.

here’s her mix

Rufion

Full Name: rufion (pronounced rough-ee-an). he’s also a neopet (he looks so ugly rn because he’s my lab rat).

Gender and Sexuality: male, homosexual

Pronouns: he/him and they/them

Ethnicity/Species: honestly i have not thought about where he’s from at all but he’s brown (we love ethnically ambiguous characters in this house! /s). he’s a human.

Birthplace and Birthdate: [me seeing birthplace: owo what’s this?] he’s 23 and he’s probably a capricorn.

Guilty Pleasures: does ordering a lot of takeout food count? he stays up all night playing video games and loves reading comic books. he also really likes baking sweets (he’d probably be a really good cook but tbh he’s too lazy)

Phobias: he’s scared he’s going to die in his sleep and stays up all night as a result. if someone told him the effects of lack of sleep on his health he would definitely panic

What They Would Be Famous For: he would definitely be in a band. fuck

What They Would Get Arrested For: He Would Never Be Arrested. Next 

OC You Ship Them With: edye

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: vix

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: he doesn’t really like watching tv/movies but superhero films

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: bury your gays

Talents and/or Powers: he’s good at fighting.

Why Someone Might Love Them: he’s really nice, super optimistic, and honest. he’s hard working and responsible. he’s a huge nerd basically

Why Someone Might Hate Them: people might view him as naive and annoying.

How They Change: he’s a sort of private investigator but then he takes a…peculiar case and then………………..he catches feelings lmfao. there’s definitely some side-switching/ambiguity in his future

Why You Love Them: he’s just trying his best honestly. idk how to articulate it but he’s kind of like xD as a human being.

[maes--story]

CONCEPT: Choose an original character you have created. All questions must be answered from the character's perspective. The character should remain "in character" throughout the interview. The character may refuse to answer a given question, but must say something in reply to it. The character must answer truthfully, but that does not necessarily mean that their answers must be true, only that the character believes them to be true. Have fun.

CHARACTER: Mae valentine

SETTING:

CATEGORIES: . DESCRIPTION . VITAL STATISTICS . FAMILY . PERSONALITY . ABILITIES AND TRAITS . RELATIONSHIPS . HISTORY AND INFLUENCES . BELIEFS . PERSONAL TASTES AND OPINIONS . SELF IMAGE . KEY SOCIAL INFLUENCE . GOALS AND DREAMS

DESCRIPTION:

1: What is your full name? Mae valentine

2: Do you have a nickname, pseudonym, or alternate identity? dazy(because she tend to daze off when she works a little to much)

3: How tall are you? 6.0(as tall as the fearsome 4)

4: How much do you weigh? n.a

5: What kind of build do you have (are you thin, fat, gangly, muscular, etc.)? thin

6: Describe your hair. What colour is it? What style do you keep it in? pig tails;brown

7: What colour are your eyes? hazel

8: What is your ethnicity? n,a has a mom that is latino and speaks spanish/english

9: Do you have any unusual physical features? no,but inside it something else

10: Are you considered to be attractive? *shrugs*

11: What does your voice sound like? haven't found a voice for her yet

12: What kind of accent do you have? n.a

13: Do you have a favourite quote or commonly used saying? mae keeps in mind from what her father said "who are you and what do you see? despite everything,its still you)

14: Is there any particular facial expression that you are known to wear often (dour glare, cheeky grin, etc.)? confused,yet aware look

15: Are you known for having any particular mannerisms (gestures, habits, or ways of doing things)? somewhat goofy

16: Do you have any allergies, diseases, debilitating injuries, or other physical weaknesses? depression

17: Do you have any scars, tattoos or birthmarks? no

18: How good is your personal hygiene? good

19: Do you wear perfume or cologne? no

20: What is your preferred style of dress? casual,but with a lab coat

21: Do you wear glasses or contact lenses? If so, are you nearsighted or farsighted? glasses;farsighted

22: Do you wear jewellery or other accessories? no

23: Are you left or right-handed? right

VITAL STATISTICS:

24: How old are you exactly? 37

25: When is your birthday? may,14

26: Where were you born? in a small town where its not so welcomed

27: Where do you live now? st. canard

28: What is your nationality? no

29: What is your occupation? lab-tech

30: Do you belong to any exclusive groups (guilds, clubs, teams, religious sects, etc.)? no

31: Do you hold any rank or special position within your occupation or group (team captain, chairman, chief engineer, head nurse, treasurer, etc.)? no

32: What social class do you belong to? no

33: Do you hold any noble titles or estates? no

34: Do you have a criminal record? it wasn't her fault,but yes-ish

FAMILY:

35: Who are/were your parents? Tell us about them. loving and caring people that helped others along the way,even their daughter that had issues with others.father musical,mother teacher

36: Do you have any siblings? If so, tell us about them. no

37: Who are/were your grandparents? no

38: Do you have any aunts, uncles, or cousins? no

39: Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, tell us how their legacy affects you. no

40: How close are you to your family in general? very close

PERSONALITY:

41: Are you basically an optimist, a realist, or a pessimist? optimist,but a little bit with a realist

42: Are you spontaneous or do you always need to have a plan? knows what to do,but if the situation is at dire,mae needs to have one and fast

43: Do you like to take risks or do you prefer to play it safe? both

44: Are you generally laid back or are you inclined to worry? in bewteen

45: Do you like to make jokes or do you prefer to keep things serious? in between,but mostly serious

46: How well do you work under pressure/to a deadline? n.a

47: Do you prefer to work with your head or your hands? both

48: Would you call yourself a perfectionist? yes and its a must or else it might get massy

49: What makes you happy, and why? when ever she helps others because she wants to continue like her parents did! and also it gets her at least some connection with people

50: What makes you sad, and why? death of her parents

51: What makes you angry, and why? betrayal because it feels like they never cared for her in the first place.the lonesome feeling like someone has left her

52: What gets you excited, and why? being apart of something because she feels like shes needed for something important(also wants to because she wants to talk to people,even though social communicationis very little to her personality)

53: What makes you stressed, and why? when people are endangered or hurt because she does no want to let them feel the same way she did

54: What makes you frustrated, and why? shadow blight because of their actions torward others

55: Are you short tempered? How well do you keep your cool? she keeps it cool,until something unsettles her

56: How easily do you get depressed or discouraged? shes already depressed but she keeps it inside like everything is just fine

57: When was the last time you cried? when her parents died and when shadow blight took over

58: Do you have any fears or phobias? What is your greatest fear? being lost in shadow blight forever and cant find her way out

59: What gives you a feeling of satisfaction or fulfilment? that she was able to help/make a friend

60: Do you adhere to a code of conduct which guides or restricts your actions? not that i know of

61: Do you make promises or oaths? If so, do you keep them? she promises to stay and be with them and make everything okay

62: Do people consider you to be trustworthy? yes and no(because of shadow blight,so she lies about whats wrong with her)

63: Do you have any secrets? If so, does anybody know about them, and how did they find out? shadow blight,depression

64: List three of your quirks or other defining characteristics. a bit out there,playing along to get a little closer,awkward when having social connections

65: Do you have any bad habits? If so, have you tried to kick them? n.a

66: Do you have any good habits? n.a

67: Do you have any vices? n.a

68: Describe what would be a typical day/week for you? perky,yet,out of breath

(something for ideas)

credit idea post to:https://www.deviantart.com/fifteenthapostle/art/Interview-Your-Character-267273852

[slowlydriftingdream]

~Top 17 books of 2017~

I read 80 books in 2017 (yay I reached my Goodreads goal!!) and these are my favorites from this year! (Not all of these were published in 2017, I just read them this year)

1-3) ACOTAR, ACOMAF, ACOWAR

The A Court of Thorns and Roses series stole my heart and knocked my breath out.

E M O T I O N S like crazy but a super lovable cast and a badass main character whom I loved, envied, and wanted as my best friend. I literally do not have words to describe how much I loved these books ESPECIALLY ACOMAF. They really made me feel not alone at a time I needed that most, and I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE AHHHH.

4-5) Code Name Verity, Rose Under Fire

I listened to the audiobooks for these books and they were absolutely fantastic. The narrators brought the characters to life in such a lovable and energized manner, and the stories were so heartwrenching and REAL. I tend to get bored reading historical fiction, but this duology has made its way into my heart as one of my ~Forever Favorites~.

6-7) An Ember in the Ashes, A Torch Against the Night

This series is another one that I listened to, and I was honestly not expecting to like them at all--boy did they prove me wrong and then some. The voices of these narrators were perfect for giving life to the characters, and I loved how intricate the story became at times, and how the plots only ever seemed to get more and more interesting!! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. (Also Elias is everything I have ever wanted in a man please and t h a n k y o u)

8) Rebel of the Sands

I really loved this book because of the legends and myths it incorporated from a culture I am admittedly unfamiliar with. While I have heard that others disliked it for the very reason that I enjoyed it, I also felt empowered by the strength of the main character, and I loved that her talents and abilities are so different from my own. I am currently reading the second book in this series, and anxiously awaiting the release of the third!

9) Eliza and Her Monsters

OKAY. This book made my heart melt over, and over, and over again. I enjoyed reading about the artistry and creativity that surrounded the main characters, again because they were talents different than my own. I also LOVED loved loved the romance in this book. LOVED. I finished this book in one sitting and was instantly dying to reread it for those FEELS.

10) The Raven King

I read the entire Raven Cycle series this year, and while I thought they were all good, this one really stuck out to me in the end. I thought it was a fantastic ending to the series, and solidified my feelings for the characters and the relationship dynamics in the story. I heard that some people did not like that a new important character was introduced to the story in this book, but I really loved the character and how he fit into the group dynamic, so if anything, I would say he added to my love of this book.

11) On the Jellicoe Road

I won't lie, I listened to the audiobook for this, and the Australian accents may have biased my love for this story just a teensy bit. I listened to this story over the summer, and I felt that it was the perfect summer read (listen?) because of how the scenery was described, and how light the story was, even when addressing darker topics. I loved how two stories were told throughout the book, and I loved how the mystery of the two stories' relationship unfolded. This book also reminded me of feels I got from We Were Liars, which I listened to in summer '16.

12) Legend- Marie Lu

This is one of the first books I read in 2017, so I honestly don't remember much about the details that made me love it. I do remember finishing it within a couple of days though, which is really hard for me to do when I'm at school. I also loved the "beat the system" themes and plans that created the story, as I too see myself as a rather rebellious person *hair flips* *punches "the man"* *eats badassery for breakfast*

13-15) Heir of fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms

Sarah J. Maas making her second appearance on this list with some of the books from the Throne of Glass series. Unfortunately, I didn't love TOG as much as ACOTAR, mostly because I felt like the story was choppier, and I was less crazy about the characters and their dynamics. That being said, I obviously still loved parts of it (I mean, REALLY loved parts of it) that made these three books some of my favorites of the year.

16) Caraval

This book I felt so conflicted about when I read it, but here I am two months later still thinking about it, so it clearly did its job. If I'm being honest, I wasn't crazy about the way the story was written, and how it unfurled. The first few chapters leading up to the characters arriving to the game were kind of awkward and choppy?? I really felt that they were unnecessary. BUT THE PREMISE OF THE GAME. Wow. I essentially only rated it on how the game was explained and how it played out, because it was such a creative, whimsical, and DARK telling. I also loved the Hispanic elements that were thrown in since Latino culture is not something I have ever seen in a fantasy book and this little Latina girl was here. for. it. I am so excited to read the second one to see if I learn more about how the game is at is it, because I still think about some of those twists after all this time. (After all this time? Always. *I'll see myself out*)

17) A List of Cages

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, this book. This book melted my heart, made me laugh, then made me SOB, then rebuilt my heart only to SHATTER IT, then left me in a puddle of tears and excess love for these characters. 9/10 times, if you give me a story about brotherly/sisterly love, I'm going to love it way too much. This is absolutely one of those times. This book does discuss some really heartbreaking and potentially triggering themes, but I felt it did so leaving such a positive feeling in my heart, and if a heavy book can end lightly, I feel that an important message is told that the entire world should learn.

TY FOR READING THIS SUPER LONG POST ABOUT ALL OF MY 2017 FEELS!!!

If you read any of these books and loved or hated them, I would LOVE to discuss with you about them, and if you have any recommendations for me for 2018 PLEASE SHARE!!

Happy New Year everyone!! ☺️🎉

[jazzviewswithcjshearn]

Ambrose Akinmusire: on the tender spot of each calloused moment (Blue Note, 2020)

Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Fender Rhodes: Sam Harris: piano; Harish Raghavan: bass; Justin Brown: drums; Genevieve Artadi: vocals (track 3) Jesus Diaz: vocals, percussion (track 1)

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has been on the scene for over two decades, first debuting with Prelude... For Cora (Fresh Sound, 2008) but really making a splash with his Blue Note debut, When The Heart Emerges Glistening in 2010. For that recording, he enlisted Walter Smith, III on tenor saxophone, pianist Gerald Clayton (soon to make his own Blue Note debut), Harish Raghavan on bass and Justin Brown on drums-- what was immediately apparent on that recording was the striking individual trumpet sound, quite heady writing which shared a lot in common with the  jazz tradition both American and European, the provocative, poetic tune titles that also dealt with the experience of being black in America.  With on the tender spot of each calloused moment, the trumpeter makes perhaps his deepest statement to date, finding him back in the quartet format that dominated 2017's double disc A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard and eschewing the more album length concept of Origami Harvest last year.

Before anything is said of the music which is excellent, haunting, and relentlessly challenging the album speaks to the trouble social climate that our world is currently in.  Not only is the society dealing with COVID-19, but the senselessly brutal May 26. 2020 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, in which the officer drove a knee into Floyd's neck for an appalling 8:46 and killing him.  The riots in direct response to this atrocity have lead America to a breaking point, no longer are people dealing with racial injustice, and with a gleam of hope Americans, black, white, Asian and Latino are joining together to say enough is enough. Akinmusire appears on the cover in a stark black and white portrait, his hair in cornrows, shadow and light playing off each other, bearded, and in a black hoodie, bringing to mind Trayvon Martin.    The trumpeter has always aimed to present his music in extremes, on Origami Harvest the use of cliched misogynistic hip hop phrases, at times in completed random places were rendered with an almost darkly humored absurdity, but  on the tender spot of each calloused moment serves as a not so frank wake up call to society to look at what it's doing.

For the album which Akinmusire considers a sequel to his initial Blue Note offering, he brings back his long standing quartet.  The group includes pianist Sam Harris (not to be confused with 80's Star Search winner and 80's pop, R&B singer) Harish Raghavan on bass, and drummer Justin Brown whom appeared on 2017's A Rift  In Decorum, augmented by special guests including Knower's Genevieve Artadi  and percussionist Jesus Diaz.  The trumpeter presents perhaps his most ambitious social and artistic statement to date, that pulls on subtle touches of contemporary pop production, new music, R&B and the avant garde into a mixture purely his own.  While the music does indeed feel a bit similar in tone and mood to When The Heart Emerges Glistening, it draws more upon the uncompromising nature that marked the double live album, which is in no small part to how in tune the quartet is.  As they embark on the suite like  “Tide of Hyacinth”, they deftly demonstrate how the trumpeter works at extremes.  The first section of the three part tune is a busy, roaring collective avant improvisation, the trumpet spattering Jackson Pollack like fragments into the atmosphere, with Raghavan's extended bowing techniques, and Brown's treated cymbals and thwacking dead toms.  The second section is more driving, Brown's cymbals acting as flowing waves, with Akinmusire's intense winding melody setting the stage for Harris' piano, focusing on color and texture.  The third section throws something that at first seems like a non sequitir, but makes complete sense when one keeps in mind the concept of extremes.  The voice of percussionist Jesus Diaz joins the fray, singing in the Yoruba dialect that initially the trumpeter wanted his father to sing.  Diaz' section adds a grooving, joyous Afro-Latin element, the 2-3 clave an intriguing feature, and the piece closes on this joyous note. “Yessss” seems to be a reflection on the history of the African American struggle, Akinmusire's varying vocal inflections and deep blues undercurrent lament the seeming progress, but the longing in his tone appears to be saying “What progress have we made really? there's much more to be done”.  The gradual solo build over synthesizers and a back beat from Brown's dead snare bring the track into a more contemporary vein reminiscent of D'Angelo, and a nice send off.

“Cynical Sideliners” with Akinmusire on Rhodes, and the child like vocals of Genevieve Artadi, is a bizarre lullaby.  The track could be seen as a subtle indictment of those who are sitting and complaining  about the current social upheavals but ultimately doing nothing.  Artadi delivers the lyrics with a detached naivete that is disconcerting against the pillowy Rhodes chords, but it also is because of this exact mood that makes it such a striking piece on the album.  “Mr. Roscoe (consider the simultaneous” is a reflection on the great Art Ensemble of Chicago co founder, multi instrumentalist, Roscoe Mitchell, and in this piece, Akinmusire who was a member of Mitchell's quartet balances the essence of the unique composed and improvised structures the multinstrumentalist oft employed.

Still, Akinmusire's aim through all the music with trademark poetic titling is to reach for the heart.  Harish Raghavan's double stops and extended solo set the mood for “Interlude (that get more intense) featuring Harris' tornado of pianism, and another deeply emotional trumpet solo, that finds Akinmusire considering the thematic possibilities of a triplet repeating in morse code as the tumult dies down.  What really touches the emotions deeply however is the closing “Hooded Procession (read the names aloud) which continues a series beginning with “My Name is Oscar” on the first Blue Note. The pieces evoke serious thought about the horrors of all the black men and women falling victim to police violence as well as the senseless mass shootings over the past decade.  The “Hooded Procession” of the  title is almost an answer to that of “a blooming bloodfruit in a hoodie” on Origami Harvest, and the trumpeter's solitary Rhodes chords this time, with no spoken word as the listener thinks of names like Ahmad Arbury, George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Elijah McClain, the list goes on and on is heart wrenching and chilling.  The tribute to Roy Hargrove, simply titled “Roy” is also a sobering reminder of one of the greatest trumpeters of the modern era, and the fostering of talent that he so nurtured.  Ambrose Akinmusire now carries the mantle for those of his generation.

Sound:

on the tender spot of each calloused moment is very realistic tonally, Akinmusire's trumpet is full of body, with a warm glow.  Listening to the album using the Schiit Modius DAC enhances the stereo image, and the Modius' warmer than neutral character is an advantage.  On pieces like “4623” which use effects, the bathroom  tile type reverb is quite palpable. Occasionally though, Raghavan's bass is so rich in depth of tone that it occasionally fights with Justin Brown's resonant bass drum, in the audio space.  Brown's effects treated toms with their thudding attack and dead snare have a particular presence, and Sam Harris' piano is weighty, realistic and accurate.

Concluding thoughts:

Ambrose Akinmusire is a true artist whose work challenges the viewpoints and thoughts of the listener.  As an improviser he remains fearless creating lines that grab attention, and with his quartet, he has a band that is so in tune with his aesthetic, that it's clear from the first note it can be no one but Akinmusire, his tone and ideas so distinctive.   on the tender spot of each calloused moment is the most realized chapter to date in the trumpeter's discography from his political and societal stance, to the group interplay and impassioned improvisation.

Music: 9/10

Sound: 8/10

Equipment used:

HP Pavilion Laptop

Focal Chorus 716 Floor Standing Speakers

Schiit Modius DAC

Musicbee (for WAV file playback)

[thisdaynews]

Did Republicans Lose Orange County for Good?

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/did-republicans-lose-orange-county-for-good/

Did Republicans Lose Orange County for Good?

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif.—Harley Rouda knows he is a statistical anomaly. All the research says people don’t switch political affiliations, even when they disagree with their party on key issues. It’s one of the inexorable truths of American partisanship.

“Your religious and political identity is given to you at birth, right?” Rouda, 57, told me recently, recounting his upbringing in a conservative, Christian household. “I don’t think anybody holds their hand up and says at 6, 7 or 8 years old, ‘Hey, Mom and Dad, I’m not feeling Christian or Republican. I’m thinking about making a switch.’ And that was true for me as well.”

Story Continued Below

Until one day it wasn’t true any longer.

In 2017, Rouda, a one-time Reagan and Bush voter who had quietly severed his Republican ties to identify as an independent, made the rarest of transformations. He registered as a Democrat with the express purpose of running against a 15-term Republican congressman in Orange County, a place famous as a redoubt of the California GOP. He won by 7 points.

Rouda won because Orange County has changed dramatically, too. What was once an 18-point Republican advantage in voter registration just a decade ago evaporated, permitting the unthinkable to happen in 2016 when Hillary Clinton won the county by nearly 5 points, becoming the first Democratic presidential nominee to win here since 1936.

And then last year, Rouda and three other Democrats swept the congressional races, eradicating the GOP from the electoral map in a place that Ronald Reagan once described as the place “where good Republicans go to die.” Democrats’ blue wave in 2018 was more like a blue tsunami in this affluent and scenic sanctuary nestled between the urban sprawls of Los Angeles and San Diego.

The mortification of the GOP on its home turf came due to two primary factors: an influx of young and Latino voters who have diluted the power of the white conservatives who long defined the county, anda split inside the Republican party itself, driven by its nominal leader, President Donald Trump. Rouda defeated longtime Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) in no small part because of the incumbent’s close ties to Trump and his longtime support of the Vladimir Putin regime in Russia.

“It’s not that Orange County’s values have changed; it’s that the Republican party’s values have changed. And they’ve completely lost touch with reality and the vast majority of voters,” Rouda told me as he sipped a Starbucks iced latte with soy milk just 15 miles from Richard Nixon’s “Western White House.”

While the demographic trends show no hint of weakening, it’s an open question whether those disaffected Republicans are, like Rouda, permanently done with the GOP—or whether they can be coaxed back in a post-Trump world. There is a fierce battle already underway, from the marble halls of the Capitol to the beaches of southern California, to decide Orange County’s fate—and, in turn, that of the House majority post-2020.

Recently, I spent time in Rouda’s district—which he gleefully touts as the “most beautiful congressional district in the country”—and Orange County’s three other congressional districts. On the day I shadowed Rouda, he was dressed almost as if we were walking in a hallway inside the Capitol—navy blue suit and leather shoes, the lack of necktie the only concession to the balmy weather. More than once during the day, the kind of Orange County voter that Reagan would have recognized—white retirees walking their dogs on the beach—approached Rouda. Some just wanted to shake his hand. Others simply shouted, “I voted for you!”

Politicians in Orange County, like in many American suburbs, are becoming less dependent on these older white voters for their coalition. Orange County, in a very short time, has become younger and less white—and when paired with Trump’s election in 2016, that shift cemented Orange County’s status as ground zero for Republicans’ struggle to attract young voters, moderates and minorities, especially in suburban America.

“Since Donald Trump came into the picture, we have seen this huge uprising,” Ada Briceño, who chairs the Orange County Democratic Party, told me.

But there is another salient truth about that might prove just as consequential in 2020: Voters who left the Republican party in the last cycle didn’t register as Democrats; they overwhelmingly became independents. In short, they were up for grabs in 2018 and they’re still up for grabs a year later.

That’s one of the reasons that despite positioning himself as a fiscally conservative moderate in an increasingly progressive Democratic party, Rouda will face a difficult race in 2020 to keep his job. A recent poll commissioned by a Republican super PAC, for example, shows a neck-and-neck race between Rouda and his presumed GOP opponent. He’s not alone; all four lawmakers who represent parts of Orange County—Rouda, Gil Cisneros, Katie Porter and Mike Levin—are at the top of Republicans’ list of lawmakers they consider most vulnerable as the GOP tries to wrest back control of the House.

As unpopular as Trump is here, Democrats worry they could blow it. As the party’s loudest voices embrace progressive agenda items like Medicare for All and tuition-free college, the four freshman lawmakers who edged out Republican opponents, in part by portraying themselves as moderates who would stand up to their own party when necessary, will have to convince crossover voters that they’ve been true to their word. That tightrope will become even more difficult to walk as the House Democrats, emboldened by the latest allegations involving Ukraine, march toward impeaching the president.

“It wasn’t easy to win this seat,” Levin warned sternly at a recent town hall in the beachside city of Del Mar. “And it won’t be easy to hold this seat.”

***

Rouda’s break-up with the partyhe had grown up in didn’t happen overnight.

The first breach came in the late 1990s. He blamed then-Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia) for ushering in a new era of conservatism that Rouda felt was “not recognizable” to Reagan’s GOP—in particular, its drift away from fiscal responsibility and compassionate immigration policies, and the party’s preoccupation with social issues like same-sex marriage. (Gingrich, no fan of Rouda’s either, has already endorsed Rouda’s opponent, Michelle Steel. Steel was not available for an interview.) At first, he simply described himself as an independent.

“Up until 1997, you had a Republican party that believed in environmental stewardship, believed in the right of everyone to vote, believed in reducing deficits,” Rouda said. “And that’s certainly not the case now. At best, all of those issues are on the backburner if not off the stovetop altogether.”

A frustrated Rouda then threw his hands up.

“I mean, does anybody really think Ronald Reagan could get elected [today]?” he said. “I liked the way he saw the city on the hill and how he talked about everyone in our country having a fair economic opportunity, that immigration is a positive thing.”

Around the same time that he contemplated leaving the GOP altogether, he married Kaira Sturdivant, a liberal Democrat who supported Jimmy Carter. They sparred occasionally over politics, but in the end, Rouda joked: “Apparently she had more influence on me than I had on her.”

He voted for George W. Bush in 2000—but that was the last time he voted for a Republican at the top of the ticket.Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 angered Rouda. “[That] kind of sealed the deal. Like, I’m done with this party,” he said.

Rouda moved to Orange County from Ohio in 2007, managing his real estate law practice from one of the priciest zip codes in all of California. Still, he continued donating to Republican candidates even after leaving the GOP. In 2016, he contributed $1,000 to then-Ohio Governor John Kasich’s presidential campaign, citing his friendship with Kasich and his desire to see Trump defeated in the GOP primary. When Kasich inevitably dropped out, Rouda was faced with a choice between Trump and Clinton. He lamented that the 2016 election “almost came down to who you disliked more.” He chose Clinton and, in 2017, registered as a Democrat for the first time in his life. Shortly thereafter, he announced his candidacy to take on Rohrabacher.

Some progressives took issue with Rouda’s past as a Republican. But they also saw it as a boon—an opportunity to appeal to conservatives disaffected with Trump in a district that Clinton won by nearly 5 points (39,000 votes) in 2016. Rouda’s seven-point victory over Rohrabacher validated their instincts.

Both political parties are trying to figure out whether political shapeshifters like Rouda are outliers—or, if they’re bellwethers for a more dramatic shift to come.

***

The last time Orange County recorded a Democratic voterregistration advantage was Oct. 13, 1978—a brief response to the Watergate scandal, as Republicans dominated for decades before. Mike Levin was born seven days later. It took 41 years for Democrats to re-gain that advantage.

Even before Rouda arrived here, Levin — who represents southern Orange County and parts of San Diego County — could see the trend from his perch atop the Orange County Democratic party, which he ran in 2006 and 2007. At the time, Republicans had an 18-point advantage over Democrats in voter registration.

In the 12 years since he ran the local Democratic party, the demographics in Orange County have undergone sweeping changes. Latino voters make up 21 percent of Orange County’s electorate, up more than a third since 2016 as more have gained American citizenship. Hispanic voter turnout sharply increased, in what was likely a response to Trump’s hardline immigration rhetoric. Clinton’s 2016 victory here shocked Republicans—and just two years later, the county’s GOP lawmakers were wiped out completely.

“The Asian population is growing. The Latino population is growing. And with that demographic change, you also see a change in the way people vote,” said Gil Cisneros, 48, a lifelong resident of Orange County who, like Rouda is also a former Republican.

Cisneros, whose district also includes parts of Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County, voted for Ross Perot in the 1990s and John McCain in 2008 but turned away from the Republican party shortly after that election, when he watched fringe voices push racist conspiracy theories about whether Barack Obama was a Muslim who was born in Kenya.

“A lot of racist tendencies were coming out. And it just wasn’t something that I wanted to be associated with,” Cisneros told me defiantly over coffee in Buena Park. “By 2008, you could really see the tides moving. The direction the Republican party was moving in was not the Republican Party that it was 20 years ago.”

Democrats have also seen gains here among voters ages 18 to 34. In 2002, 42 percent of them were registered Republicans, compared to 29 percent for Democrats. This year, 38 percent of those voters are registered as Democrats, and just 20 percent as Republicans. The share of independent voters also sharply increased during that same time period, from 22 percent to 42 percent.

While the Latino boom in Orange County has helped Democrats, the surge of Asian-Americans has been less conclusive. While Asian-American share of the electorate has ballooned to 16 percent, registration numbers show that 29 percent are Republicans and 30 percent are Democrats. Forty-one percent are registered with neither party.

Today, Orange County has the third-largest Asian-American population in the country, and it’s particularly visible in Irvine, where Katie Porter’s district falls. Asian-American voters tend to be more conservative, but some analysts have pointed to Trump’s immigration rhetoric as the key reason why turnout in favor of Democrats has increased for this key group.

Two of the likely GOP nominees in Orange County’s four congressional districts are Asian-American women. Cisneros will have a rematch in 2020 against his 2018 GOP opponent, Young Kim, a Korean-born businesswoman and former state legislator; Rouda will likely face off against Steel, a county supervisor who was also born in South Korea.

Steel, Rouda’s opponent, is largely aligned with Trump, which the Rouda campaign plans to drill into voters’ minds here. She co-chairs his presidential advisory commission on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. Steel was also the only elected official to greet the president when Air Force One landed at Los Angeles International Airport last March, his first official visit to California.

Kim, too, supports the president’s policies, telling me that Trump deserves credit for the strength of the U.S. economy. She has praised him for slashing federal regulations and signing a sweeping tax-overhaul bill into law—one that many California Republicans actually opposed in part because it capped the state and local tax deduction at $10,000.

“The bottom line is that these economic policies are woefully unpopular, these environmental policies are woefully unpopular, the immigration policies are woefully unpopular,” Levin added. “Hence the president’s approval here is in the 30s.”

“California Republicans are not like Alabama and Mississippi Republicans. They tend to be a little bit more liberal when it comes to social issues,” Cisneros said.

Rouda cited one of the key local Orange County issues — the threat of climate change — as one of the reasons he left the GOP. The Trump administration has rolled back several Obama-era emissions and air-quality standards—part of what Levin said is the president waging a “policy war on the state of California” with its efforts to restrict the state’s more progressive environmental and immigration standards. He believes it’s helping to drive voters here away from the GOP.

“We care about clean air, clean water, clean beaches. Because we live here. Because we see the impact of climate change,” Levin said, pointing to the beach 50 feet behind him as we sat on a picnic table. “Because we understand what it’s like when you don’t have those strict air quality requirements because we grew up here at a time when we had far worse emission standards.”

Randall Avila, the Orange County Republican party’s executive director, agrees with Democrats on one thing: Trump has driven suburban Republicans away. “He’s definitely a two-sided coin,” Avila said. “But his presidency and the passion on one side or another has accelerated that process.”

To reclaim its voter registration advantage, Avila said his organization will focus on Republicans who left the party to become independents. Some Orange County residents who left the GOP actually support the president, Avila said, and only did so in protest of the establishment wing of the party.

But Republicans who jumped ship over their dissatisfaction with Trump pose the biggest challenge for Avila, who said he plans to focus on local economic issues—rather than the beltway-driven Trump controversies that might push Republicans away from the president—in order to win them back.

***

Rouda’s own party has dubbed hima so-called “frontliner,” a list of several lawmakers whom the national party says are the most vulnerable in 2020. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), too, has Rouda near the top of its list, and the GOP still has a seven-point voter registration advantage in Rouda’s district, which includes more conservative pockets like Newport Beach.

The GOP’s argument to Rouda’s constituents is simple: You were swindled. The NRCC has already dinged him for supporting an impeachment inquiry into the president, and they’ve referred to Rouda as a “Socialist Democrat.” Moreover, Republicans say Rouda’s victory in 2018 was a fluke because Rohrabacher, notoriously apologetic for the Putin regime, was an unpopular and flawed incumbent. Translation: A level-headed Republican would fare better.

The “socialist” moniker won’t go away any time soon. Republicans are seeking to tie Democratic lawmakers to members of the so-called progressive “squad” like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). In particular, they’ve seized on Omar’s recent anti-Semitic comments that have sparked intense backlash among members of her own party, including Democratic leaders and frontliners.

“Most voters also know that the ‘squad’ is not the leadership of the Democratic party. That may play well with the Republican base, but they’re not voting for us anyway,” Rouda said. “We got the majority back not by keeping blue seats blue; we got the majority by flipping red seats blue. And the people who did that are moderates—left-leaning moderates.”

But if one of the more progressive presidential candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders or Sen. Elizabeth Warren emerges as the party’s 2020 nominee, it could be more difficult for vulnerable lawmakers like Rouda to distinguish themselves from the party’s left flank. Perhaps even more problematic, Democrats like Rouda will have a tougher time arguing for fiscal responsibility when the top of the Democratic ticket is calling for Medicare for All and tuition-free public colleges.

Both Rouda and Levin made impassioned pleas for fiscal responsibility. Rouda told me that Californians are over-taxed at the local, state and federal level; Levin brought up the national debt unprompted. Indeed, they believe that fiscal conservatism can help them continue to peel away Republicans who are disenchanted with the way Trump has presided over a runaway deficit.

“We’re ballooning our deficit and our debt, which I care very deeply about—not all Democrats do. I do,” he said. “I’m not a proponent of modern monetary theory. I am a proponent of fiscal responsibility and investment, and understanding the difference between an investment and a cost.”

Republicans are particularly keen on portraying Porter—who represents Irvine, Calif., and defeated incumbent GOP Rep. Mimi Walters last year—as a liberal Democrat who ran as a centrist. Porter has become somewhat of a progressive hero for her relentless questioning of witnesses at House Financial Services Committee hearings, including a viral grilling of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon over employee compensation. She has leaned heavily into that persona, joking at a recent town hall that Dimon has become her “pen pal.”

Avila, who runs the Orange County GOP, said both his organization as well as the national party apparatus plan to highlight that apparent dissonance, calling Porter a “national sensation” among progressives and citing her appearances on television shows like Bill Maher’s HBO program.

“While she’s attracted a lot of attention through online small donations from Democrats across the country, it’s putting her in a very awkward position here in Orange County with her constituents. She campaigned as a moderate,” Avila said. “And she said she was going to be a moderate voice in Congress, but she’s outing herself and giving us a lot of material to work with to show that she is very much far-left.”

Republicans also see a prime pickup opportunity in Cisneros’ district, which will feature a rematch of his 2018 contest against Kim. She is already seeking to tie Cisneros to Ocasio-Cortez, noting that he is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“He said he would try to be a moderate person, yet he goes on to join the Progressive Caucus, whose agenda and policies are leaning further and further to the left,” Kim said in an interview. “And he votes with the likes of Progressive Caucus members like AOC over 90 percent of the time. So I don’t know what he has accomplished so far. I would like to see it.”

Still, Cisneros plans to highlight the national debt in order to woo Republicans disaffected with Trump.

“This is something that we Democrats need to communicate and that we need to do a better job and let people know that we are the party of fiscal responsibility, we are the party where the economy has thrived under us, and this is the party where workers have also had success and where they thrive,” he said. “We’re the party of the American worker.”

Kim described herself as an “independent voice” and noted that while Republican registration has declined in Orange County, the number of self-described independents has grown. That pool of voters will be critical for all candidates in the county’s four congressional districts in 2020.

While she supports the president, she tipped her hat to the steep decline in GOP registration by acknowledging that Trump’s personal behavior often turns voters off.

“People can say whatever they want to say about our president. I think they are talking about his style of speaking, his rhetoric, his attitude or whatever,” Kim said. “They may not like him as a person, but I hear that they do appreciate the policies that have made our economy really stronger.”

But for the Democrats now commanding the electoral high ground in Orange County, there is a belief that the disintegrating Republican party cannot reform around a single issue like the economy; there are too many other factors working against it, and most of them are exacerbated by the presence of Trump at the top of the ticket.

“I didn’t think Trump would get elected, and I thought he would potentially cause the demise of the Republican Party as we know it,” Rouda added. “I was wrong in one sense—he got elected. But I may still be right in the other sense, that the Republican Party as we know it may not exist after the Trump era.”

Cisneros concurs with his fellow ex-Republican, both of whom will be the Democrats’ anchors here in 2020 as the party defends its majority.

“If the [Republican] party continues to go down that route, I don’t see how it could survive,” Cisneros said of his former political affiliation. “I certainly don’t see how it could survive here in California. It’s going to continue to get smaller and smaller.”

He added, somewhat optimistically: “I always like to think that what happens in California eventually happens throughout the rest of the country.”

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