#was that enough to get my point across

[lunicho]

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSN7P72SC/

Hehe hi - 🧚‍♀️

u think ur so fucking funny don't u. DON'T PLAY WITH ME OMG. no bc im fr gonna bite ur ankles like i said in the tags on that one ask like im really about to explode i can't believe u would do this to me like i cant believe u would treat me like this. this ask just jumped me and beat my ass and called me ugly like???? im so normal like all that other shit i just said wasn't real like i was just playing *eye twitch*

[kaitcake1289]

baby, both arms cradle you now

[cent-scratchnsniff]

I never really realized that the clerks outfits in each department had been based on the Sephirah's beta designs (In Asiyah Upper layer at least) and hadnt been changed when made into the current version. nothing mind blowing but i thought it was interesting to see considering i never played the other version before

[rbtlvr]

'Is this like an Alice in Wonderland thing?' Leo called out, paddling towards Sensei and trying not to swallow water as he moved. 'Did you cry all these tears?' 'The mindscape does love a good metaphor.' Sensei called back, and he sounded fucking wrecked.

old dead bones that don't get theirs (death wish sidefic by @remedyturtles) was written to kill me, specifically, personally, actually. i still think about it Constantly

[crystallizsch]

despite twst being a "villain" game

i love it when i see how certain characters speak to certain people. like how people just relate to their struggles/personalities/etc.

there’s riddle coming to terms that not everything has to be perfect, unlearning from what he has been taught growing up that not everything has to be followed to the letter;

ace who is gungho and earnest about what he believes in and has the natural inclination to defend those he grows to genuinely care about;

deuce always striving to improve himself despite setbacks and being aware of his own shortcomings;

leona who acts like he’s given up from being cast aside his entire life and coming to terms to the fact that there are people that do look to him as a leader, as someone who’s worth something;

floyd who unapologetically just does what he wants, choosing to do things that interests him at the moment;

kalim choosing to be happy and kind always, living life everyday to the fullest knowing what he’s gone through;

jamil with the expectations and obligations to essentially "perform" and do things for others more than for himself, especially when he has the potential to shine by himself with his own abilities;

vil rejecting gender norms and restrictions, while still being confident in his own masculinity, and also wanting other people to bring out their best and truest potential even though he may be strict about it;

rook being able to pick out so meticulously the beauty in everything and everyone whenever no one else is able to;

idia with his introverted yet very passionate energy towards things he cares about;

silver with his love and dedication for those he considers his family;

malleus with his loneliness and bringing out his genuine self with someone he's able to consider a friend;

i know some of these sound pretty surface-level but these are the ones that just came to mind at the moment, these are not my full-on thoughts on each of them

my point overall is i just really love seeing when there’s a character that REALLY speaks to someone that doesn’t particularly speak to me because it gives me a whole new perspective on characters i initially didn’t care about or didn’t like and makes me appreciate them more

also it just shows how how these characters are different enough in that sense so that there are characters for everyone to love and relate to 🥺💕

i could gush more about relationship dynamics as well but this is getting long enough hfdsfjsljlks anyways i would love to see others’ own takes and why a particular character(s) relates to them or why they just like them in general 👉👈 i want to spread some good vibes 💖 but anyways idk these are just my thoughts 🤧

[svgarpills]

Will I get assassinated if I say that lore Olympus and hazbin hotel r in the same category of "badly written & overly praised pieces of media with shitty creators and fandoms who can't accept even slight criticism"

[luck-of-the-drawings]

POOR GABRIEL MONTEZ! YOU NEVER SAW THIS COMING DID YOU? ALL YOU WANTED WAS POWER. SECURITY. SAFETY. & THATS EXACTLY WHAT YOU GOT! JUST IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR BODY. LETS JUST HOPE NO ONE FUCKS THIS UP. LETS JUST HOPE YOU WONT HAVE TO CLEAN UP THE MESS.

[h-a-unted]

Butcher and Hughie looking at each other in S4E7 The Insider.

Also, notice how Hughie is front and center during this scene. Sweet Butchie crumbs, I consider that a win.

[planetformer-central]

I WISH TO KNOW MORE ABT THE PRETENDER AU. PLS TELL US ABOUT THE PRETENDER AU. IT LOOKS RLLY COOL AND INTERESTING AND IM ALL HERE FOR ELDRICH ABOMINATION OPTIMUS!

I got you buddy. I've been wanting to go nuts with an explanation FOREVER. Of course I won't be giving EVERYTHING away. Just some bits and bobs :)

Let's begin shall we?

Overview

The Pretenders were the result of an experiment. They are not naturally created beings, nor are they the spawn of Unicron. Born in a lab, Optimus was the first of his kind and instilled with the mission that all Pretenders now adhere to without fail. It is hardwired into their genetic code, so much so that they are physically unable to avoid their mission. But with that said, they are not inherently malicious.

Made for a specific purpose, they are beings that wish to fulfill their function. If left alone, they will kill a few to gain a foothold to increase their numbers and then proceed to reproduce without any need for bloodshed. However with the war raging and due to the specifics of their biology, increasing their numbers en masse is impossible. Their lack of safety in numbers combined with the threat to their mission warring around them has forced this normally rather passive species into action.

Meant to be a race of sleeper agents, the Pretenders are only so active and aggressive due to their mission being threatened. Without the fear of annihilation hanging over them, they would largely remain dormant. But as that is not the case, they currently operate under instincts designed to serve them in times of strife. Hence their shortage of empathy and overall lack of care for the lives around them. In short, they will only act if acted upon. Without an external threat to their mission, they act as any other member of the population, excluding their smaller oddities. Bumblebee is an excellent example of what a dormant Pretender may look like, and even he is more active than a dormant one normally would be.

As of the present time in the AU, the Pretenders have made the decision to flee Cybertron to hopefully find a world where they can increase their numbers safely, and in doing so, finally have the numbers to blend into the background and complete their mission without Megatron exterminating them all.

Pretender Development

Optimus was born in a lab, and as such his origins are not going to be discussed. However in normal cases, the development of a Pretender follows this order:

Pretenders capable of spawning, those known as Firstborn, will begin to produce larva no bigger than a digit once they are mature enough and have sufficient resources. These larva develop in a safe location, either in a nest, or in the case of Optimus's young aside from Bumblebee, directly underneath his outer plating where they can feed from his fuel lines directly.

All larva can be genetically altered to a degree when they are young through offerings of CNA from either the dead or energon samples from the living. They do not need to be inserted into a host, however those that are put into a host in their early larval stages develop differently than those who adjust without one.

Larva that grow without a host will lose their more insectoid appearance over the course of a few stellar cycles while under the dutiful care of the resident Firstborn. These larva are better at blending in than their counterparts due to the lack of information fed directly into their processors and slower development. They mimic normal sparklings in their growth, even developing a personality not tied to their CNA donor. The attention from their Sire also inspires a more docile nature in them, ensuring that they are less likely to act on their own. Their more odd Pretender aspects are not nearly as powerful since they were given ample time to grow and receive information without interference. Not having to play a role, have a personality forced on them, or otherwise being shoved into a frame that is not made for them ensures that the normal larva grow up to blend in better than their counterparts ever could.

These unaugmented Pretenders generally do not exhibit many signs of their nature, lacking brute strength even without their disguises. Their organs and structure match the average Cybertronian almost perfectly so long as their coding is dormant, and even then, it is hard to pick them out. The only true giveaway of what they are is their EM field and the slight difference in optical structure, and to notice the first trait requires increadible skill. Megatron has begun to take notice of this fact and has trained many of his agents to sniff out a Pretender without issue. The DJD are his greatest assets in this regard, that with them all being survivors of larva implants.

Their true forms are not nearly as monstrous as their counterparts and they can easily be mistaken for an Insecticon or a Predacon depending on the circumstances, only adding to their disguise. Often they do not allow their shells to fall away and they remain mostly docile save for the odd fits of hyper vigilance when a potential threat is around. They are not natural born leaders or specialized in any field, instead opting for greater adaptability and disguise over outright strength. Once fully mature and in the event that they are not threatened, these Pretenders largely forget what they are. Their coding falls dormant and they live without any serious differences when compared to natural Cybertronians.

The only time these Pretenders become active while allowed to live normally is when a Firstborn appears. In such a scenario, the Pretenders as a whole will begin to wake. Let it be known that there can only be one Firstborn at a time. However to make up for this weakness, every Pretender also possesses the ability to wake and become a Firstborn, which will in turn lead to conflict resulting in the deaths of all potential heirs until only one remains. For this reason, Optimus made the decision to prematurely select an heir to avoid this outcome.

Now with that said, larva inserted into hosts are a whole other issue. They are all specially chosen for their host beforehand. Their Sire gives them the CNA of the one they are to bond to, and then once they are ready, they are inserted into the host usually through the optics. The larva will then bury into the host's processors and proceed to slowly devour memory and knowledge over the course of a few stellar cycles all while it grows.

It will devour the host as much as it can, resulting in thinness. Then it will begin to expand, spreading out roots like a plant and leading its waste to be execrated as a green fluid from the host's vents. As its roots spread, it forces the host to deteriorate to make way for its developing form. By the time the larva has consumed the host in all but spark, it forces its host to walk toward energon deposits and then forces the host to purge any remaining internals the host may have so that the larva may continue to grow. Once the host is dead, the larva finishes its gestation by consuming energon and turning the external armor of its host into a disguise all while it finishes developing internally. During this state the larva is very susceptible to adaptation and depending on where it finishes it gestation, develops the unique traits that sets every Pretender apart. No two Pretenders are the same after all.

Optimus finished his development underground and he had to crush energon crystals underground, so his jaw is capable of splitting to allow that. Ratchet was given energon crystals whole during his development, so he adapted to have unusual numbers of mandibles in order to facilitate this.

Pretenders who had a host take on many of the traits of their host and are the only ones who always remain active. They do not forget what they are and they are unable to fully adapt. Their empathy is lessened and their focus is on logic over emotion. They are the few who push the mission onward alongside their Hierarch. It is instinctual for a Firstborn to bring a few to his or her side through inserting larva into hosts. It is the most efficient way to obtain information and social status. Perhaps not the most subtle, but indeed effective.

Extra

Generally a larva cannot be removed from a host upon insertion, however a few lucky mecha with unusual processors or frames are able to have the parasite removed before it is too late. They come out scarred and broken more often than not, but due to the partial changes the larva started in them, they are the most brutal of Pretender hunters. No Pretender can hide from them, not when they can find them almost as instinctually as a normal Pretender could.

[the-sunshine-dims]

if i'm honest i was expecting prison duo to win the moment finale bracket started, but i'm still really proud of how far kaleidoscope got, and i think it was a really cool thing that they got to face off in the finales against each other

prison duo is a non-canon ship that started in season one with so much growth and changing in their dynamic, and their relationship itself is just fascinating. they are best friends, and it could be argued that with everything they've been so much more then that for a long time, Prison duo is one of the og non canon ships, built from blood sweat and tears, and its a good one!!!! their relationship is so endlessly complex but Centross will always be the first person Icarus goes to, and that means a lot,

and Kaleidoscope is one of the newest Non-canon ships, with characters who have never met because a couple people thought the dynamic of them would be funny and because they were both colorful, it started as a crackship, and it has definitely grown beyond that i think, there was never anyway they could interact and we all knew it, which gave the fandom- any member that liked them, a lot of creative freedom, we could just decide things that sound right for the characters, and it would be true, at least to us, its been an invitation for creativity and for us to look at other people posting about it and talk with them! because its fun!! ive said it before, but it is the fandom's ship, so many different iterations of what people think their dynamic is, and its so cool

Prison duo won so rightfully, and i'm happy for the prison duo-ers who fought for that win against wet birds and then blew it out of the park against kaleidoscope! and i just think its really cool how one of the oldest non canon ships and one of the newest were in the finale against eachother, oldest of the fandom and newest.

it just shows a lot of the change in the fandom and i just thinks its really cool :]!

From a Kaleidoscope guy, congrats Prison Duo!!!

[arohuacheng]

what people don't get about hualian is that they're literally like. jock and alternative art student. xie lian lives like a frat boy (mattress on the floor and nothing else in his room, no standards for his own well-being, can't cook and ends up eating what could be classified as biohazards) and is really enthusiastic about fighting as a hobby. meanwhile hua cheng rocks up to the function in his cunty little outfits every day of the week, bells on his boots and the red eyeliner slayed, obviously has taste but is soooo in love with his boyfriend who only ever wears cargo shorts and the most fucked up questionable hoodies you've ever seen. hua cheng wants xie lian to have nice things but it's always like. "babe i promise it's no trouble can we please get you a bedframe??" nd xie lian is obviously so enamored with his cool alt boyfriend who wears skirts sometimes and never misses a beat on a bitchy comment that's just the way it is. basically if your hualian concept doesn't have hua cheng as the hot goth gf you just don't get it

[jesuis-assez]

Popping in with another #Chenford Chat! We know The Rookie likes to throw in little winks or callbacks to previous episodes. What do you most hope to see a parallel to at some point?? 👀

Brace yourself, reader. I'm going in-depth with this one.

And then going off topic to eventually come back around to the question 🤭 Talking points outside of the question are: the different dynamics they've had + doors.

Trigger warning: Partial mention of 6x06 break-up + gifs (for those of you who are still traumatized 🤣) or still affected by it, as a result of personal circumstances (which I understand whole-heartedly)

1. I would like to see a callback to Day of Death ft. the necklace Tim gave Lucy.

But, I'm not going to hold my breath for it 🤣If they were to ever do anything similar to that… I'd be over the moon. If it does happen... The legend was foretold in this post. Apart from the aftermath of it in episodes: 2x12, 2x14, 2x17 and 4x17 .. we barely acknowledge its existence.

We get small glimpses of it every time Lucy touches the tattoo (Tim's words echoing on her fingertips as she lingers over the writing) and I clock it every time she does it. ESPECIALLY when she does it around Tim, or when it's about Tim. The person who helped her view that tattoo\traumatic experience differently. He is the reason she kept the tattoo. D.O.D was such a significant episode and I probably won't ever stop eluding to that.

I've said this before somewhere on a post (I think) that @thesassywitchofthenortheast made some time ago. I'd link it in a cute (x) but I can't find it 🙃 It'd be a nice way of them finding their way back to each other.

The necklace instead of the ring this time to lead Tim to Lucy.

It feels like it's something you're more likely to see in a fanfic (That I would probably propel myself to write, for I have grown tired of them wrapping that storyline up and never mentioning it again, when there is so much more they could

tell or do with it.) Especially with everything they've been through and how different their dynamic is now. I don't think it met its conclusion yet. Not if Lucy keeps touching that tattoo. But, who knows? fanfics have come to life before. Maybe I can manifest this into existence, too 👀🤭

The end of 6x10 also has SO MUCH potential, though. The feeling of it bringing their story full circle with Lucy being the one with her walls up and Tim having the role of lowering the walls by returning her kindness. * Fingers crossed * that they really deliver this new beginning. 'Cause that would be one mighty callback.

As exciting as it was when they eventually got together in 5x10 and we got to see them as a couple and watch that unfold. Watch that transition of them growing into romantic territory. I feel like this could be everything that journey wasn't.

'Cause don't get me wrong... The moments that we got? I'm happy about. I really am. I'm not at all ungrateful. We just missed a shit ton of their relationship. Almost like it got glossed over. Like, what do you mean we didn't get to see Tim's reaction to her having kept the D.O.D tattoo?

Picture Tim's small doses of kindness that Lucy allows + mutual pining + what their relationship could look like with them coming home to each other. What that reunion could look like after those moments of kindness and mending. Because Tim isn't expecting any of that to happen. That's not possible in his mind, he ruined that. But, he's still hoping for a second chance to mend what he broke.

That chance to really show her how much he appreciated that beacon of light she gave him in some not so bright moments in his life. Because she was at the centre of so many of those right from the beginning of their journey. From the moment they met and were Rookie\T.O to each other, she was in the midst of his past issues. She saw him through those. My mind has now made the leap to 6x06 - the break up. Lucy being at the centre of something from Tim's past again and Tim trying to keep her away from it. That's a whole other topic, though. I won't talk about it here 🤣

There wasn't much of a build-up in terms of the pining arc. It was just 4x22 - 5x08 They just danced around it. Perhaps, it seemed as though it didn't need to be drawn out? If that's the case.... Well, I would've liked it to be drawn out a little more or at least more of it being explored in those episodes during that arc. But, I wouldn't trade those moments we did get, for anything.

If we take into account the different dynamics they've had + all the tropes... You can see their journey. How far they've come. You're able to see a build up there.

( Which is where I am kinda going with this )

Rookie\ T.O [ & them becoming friends through-out that ]

That shot of them looking at each other in 1x01? Ooh. It has that feeling of something about to brew from this. Something beyond their understanding. They have no idea of what's to come from this, of how important the other person is going to be to them. How this will grow into something so beautifully tangible. And that jaw clench from Tim... Even that has growth 🤣

Friends (during the aforementioned above)

The romantic feelings gradually stirring up within them through-out and otherwise being unaware of due to many factors. i.e Tim's suppression (king of suppression) and not being in the place (given what their relationship was) to weigh-out the gravity of those feelings and how deep they are. And unless therapy helped with that, I'm willing to wager that he could still be in that state of mind to some extent.

In terms of when those feelings started to shift, it definitely already had evolved by the end of their dynamic as Rookie\T.O

That barrier between them coming down , despite those feelings having evolved while the barrier was present. Those feelings existed, while she was his rookie. And I don't know if he acknowledged it or is aware of that much, hence my use of the "Unless therapy helped with that, he may still be in that state of mind to some extent" Or if he even allowed himself to accept that. And I don't know whether the show will ever make that known or if it'll just be left to interpretation, that's how I interpreted it, at least.

[x] <- I made a gif-set that focused on this a bit, awhile ago. Shameless plug 🤭

Sergeant\aide

Feelings realisation \ Pining :

Tim did acknowledge and come to accept those feelings rather quickly after the kiss in 4x22. That kiss really opened the door to those feelings that he buried, all that was left was his mind coming to terms with it. The almost kiss in 4x01? the catalyst to opening that door. The spark. Just needed that kiss to open his eyes, for him to completely walk through that door. That door being Lucy's door in 5x01 and the door in his mind that was closed to the idea that there could be something more. It brought all those feelings back up to the surface for him to finally address them, in place of him just having those feelings. Feeling what he does for Lucy and not allowing his mind to determine what he's feeling.

After the kiss, he couldn't just repress the feelings down again, like he had always done, nor could he deny it the way he had after the almost kiss. Now he has that awareness that he felt something from that kiss and that's hard to deny. And it's that same thing he felt, after he comforted her. Only this time... he can't shake it. Even more so, while you're undercover and you're meant to be 'pretending', except it's not pretend and the flood gate has been opened and all your very REAL feelings are pouring out.

He closes the door to those feelings and himself in 4x01 and then walks through the door to Lucy in 5x01.

He gives in to his feelings this time. The way Lucy went to and he didn't give in the way he wanted to.

He stared at the closed door longing to go to her, but didn't give in to that desire, unlike he did with Lucy opening the door to him in 5x01. Just like the story she told of their undercover doppelgangers. He was very intrigued with the " I opened the door for you" answer she gave, too. And he lingers there, because he 'shouldn't' want to come in, but he does. It's written all over his face, how much he wants her, wants to be with her.

5x01 was his mind doing back-flips, trying to connect the dots and wonder where these feelings came from. He was THAT unawakened to these feelings, even when they were emerging during 'day of death' and while she was undercover in 3x14. That same episode he was undressing her with his eyes in her green dress.

He gave in more than once (honorable mention):

That WHOLE episode was them giving into their feelings and feeling them under the guise of this is ' work '

[ Relationship upgrade - Them getting together ]

End of relationship - Exes

New beginning - ???

- [ B a c k - t o - t h e - q u e s t i o n ] -

I don't want them to be put together without building that up, of telling that story (them finding their way back to each other) There's so much history here. And to circle back to all of it? One mighty callback. I want to see Tim mend what is broken through being there for Lucy, the way she was for him at the start of their foundation. I want to see him earn Lucy's trust back. I want to see that unfold. And I'd like for it to be told by calling back all those moments that shaped that beautiful foundation. That friendship.

I.want.to.see.that.journey. You know? 🤣 'Cause it'll look hella dumb and albeit… incredibly disappointing, if they don't show that after ending season 6 on that footnote. I mean, they had small moments of angst before 5x08 came around, but I don't know…I wanted to see more of it. It's what makes them getting back together all the more satisfying. Ideally, It'd be great if they work on their individual issues, as well. Since those issues were affecting their relationship, it wasn't just Tim's issues.

2.) Perhaps Tim is training his assigned rookie… he's getting blasted with reminders of when Lucy was his rookie. Which would be a good way of reminding the audience (Like we could forget the early days) of their foundation. Also showing just how broken it is now. Not just how BROKEN but how IMPORTANT. The contrast of what was and what is now leading to what could be.

And since I talked so much (wasn't anticipating on doing that) about doors. . .

3.) Doors. 🚪🤣 That'd be neat.

Thank you for sending me this ask ^_^! This question was fun to answer. Very thought-provoking. When I first read the question, I only had one thought in mind: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ( This has been my go-to response for things lately )

After sitting with the question for some time.. I eventually came to this essay ✌ (Does anyone actually like reading these detailed responses ? 🤣 Be honest. )

[hinamie]

scribbled out another comic draft bc apparently i have masochistic tendencies or some shit smile :) i am Not confident in it but i also am spent fr the day so fr once i am calling it here i will attempt to wrangle it in2 submission tomorrow :'>

[mosspapi]

There's like a 90% chance this will not make sense to anyone else but let me indulge in a little autistic crackposting abt Fall Out Boy for a second

I genuinely love the use of violins/classical instruments in Folie and the way it contrasts with their use in SMFS. Like in Folie, their inclusion gives it a sense of discordance, almost desperation. "I am ripping everything apart and trying everything in my power to get through to you, to get my head above water, to scream for help. This is so far out of left field but I don't feel like I have any other options left." But in SMFS, they almost feel like they're doing the exact opposite. "I am staring down at the pieces of the mess I've made and gingerly sewing it back together. I'm trying to soothe the chaos and rawness and show you that even when things seem so far gone, they can always be reeled in and thrown a life raft." It's just. Idk. Something about the musical similarities being used to create polar opposite emotional states gets me. "I was not ok, and expressing that in the only way I knew how, but I can take that and put myself back together again in the same way I tore myself apart."

[lurkingshan]

Kiyoi: *stares at Hira with longing*

Hira: He must be thinking about dumping me

[yume-fanfare]

good old-fashioned lover boy