#what are you a cop has become a meme but it’s genuinely what it’s like | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mariacallous · 3 months ago

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How Online Is Too Online?

Let’s do a quick thought experiment, just for fun. Read the following quote, and try to picture in what real-life scenario you might encounter it.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs! The people that came in. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there. And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

Devoid of context, you might guess that this was a late-era Simpsons gag, or something blared out of a megaphone on a busy street corner. Or, more likely, you might well assume that you’re unlikely to hear this combination of words in real life at all. Something this fevered, this outrageous, frankly this unhinged, would feel much more at home in a backwoods corner of the internet.

At last night’s presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, it escaped containment. Trump pushed the baseless anti-immigrant conspiracy, likely introducing it to a vast swath of the voting public, along with a handful of notable others. Democrats executing babies. Transgender operations on illegal aliens in prisons. All the fury and paranoia of a nation’s conspiratorial cousins delivered in a highly concentrated dose.

Trump has always been extremely online. He owes his political rise in part to his incessant promotion of Obama birther conspiracies. He has, in the previous two presidential election cycles, consistently given a wink and a nod to the right-wing internet discourse. (His 2020 debate with Joe Biden was peppered with Hunter Biden allegations that required a MAGA Rosetta stone to decipher.) In some ways, Tuesday night’s debate was business as usual.

Although … maybe not. Last night Trump traded a wink and nod for a literal shout. He transmogrified forum shitposting into genuine belief. It was, if nothing else, a deeply strange position to stake out, especially with such fervor. And please don’t take this from me. “YOU STUPID MF’ers JUST GOT TRUMP TO REPEAT YOUR LIE ABOUT THE PETS,” wrote conservative commentator Erick Erickson in a post on X during the debate. “CONGRATS ON SETTING THE NEWS STORIES TOMORROW BY LYING SO TRUMP PICKS IT UP AND SAYS STUPID SHIT.”

It’s telling that Trump’s pet-eating protestations have inspired only a limp defense, outside of his running mate, JD Vance, doubling and tripling down. The ABC moderators are biased for saying it’s not true. One guy told the cops he maybe saw some Haitians holding some geese one time. OK, well.

Trump’s internet addiction is well-documented. He majority-owns the platform Truth Social, where his account constantly posts and reposts, absorbing and amplifying memes with the ferocity of an unemployed edgelord. His online experience is a bubble within a bubble, with a language and reference points unto themselves. Trump is now fully enmeshed in the manosphere, giving audience to influencers like Logan Paul and Adin Ross, a self-perpetuating cycle of bro-dom. The ouroboros tightens to the point that baby executions become an accepted reality rather than an obvious untruth. The more fragmented the internet becomes, the more jarring mass exposure to certain corners of it can be to the uninitiated.

At least, that’s the theory. In truth, we don’t yet know how Trump’s debate performance landed with undecided voters, or whether it will make any difference in the long run. He’s too online, sure, but maybe it’s all relative. Maybe we’re all so inundated with internet garbage that, for a majority of people, conspiracies bleed inexorably into gospel. Maybe the most alarming outcome of a major presidential candidate personifying 4chan is that it works.

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yakuzacanons · 1 year ago

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How To Tell When They Have A Crush On You: Yakuza 0-4

Was only a matter of time before I started busting out the cute romance fluff posts. Also expanding to include yet another boy. Let’s get into it.

Kazuma Kiryu: His Smile

Kiryu is not much of a smile person. It’s not that he doesn’t ever feel happy, he just has for lack of a better phrase “resting bitch face”. It’s probably why he gets into fights randomly so much.

He won’t suddenly be all smiles around his crush but you’ll definitely catch him cracking a little smile. He might also make a satisfied “hmph” sound or chuckle lightly.

He tends to close his eyes and nod a little when he smiles. It’s almost as if having a genuine smile is something his whole body feels. He’s just happy to see you, really.

Majima Goro: His Words

Majima is not good at being subtle. He prefers being upfront anyways so if he’s into you, he’ll say something about it. It won’t be as outright as a confession, unless he knows for sure you’d reciprocate.

Lots of pet names and flirtatious exchanges. Almost every verbal interaction will have him replacing your name with “doll” or “darlin’” instead. He’ll also totally slip in some innuendos if you let him.

Compliments are his thing. Obviously if he’s into you he’ll probably already think you’re just the coolest but he’s not one to keep his thoughts to himself. Also get ready to have the “-chan” honorific permanently attached to the end of your name.

Saejima Taiga: His Eyes

The letter S stands for Saejima and it also stands for shy. Always the polar opposite of his sworn brother, the thought of verbalizing his feelings towards you is enough to make him pass out.

He’s a little like Kiryu with the whole “resting bitch face” issue. However, his eyes will instantly soften upon seeing you. Generally he relaxes more around you but you can really see it in his eyes.

He tends to let our relieved sighs when he sees you. Saejima’s almost like a puppy dog in a way, he’s very much like “oh good, my person is here”.

Akiyama Shun: His Laugh

Akiyama is always chummy with pretty much every girl he knows and it’s super common for him to slap the “-chan” honorific onto pretty much all girls. What can I say, he’s a ladies man.

With you though, he will let out the most genuine laughs you’ve ever heard. It doesn’t matter if you make the worst pun, he’s all smiles and giggles. Just being around you makes him giddy.

He’ll call you silly a lot of the time or tease you to try to get a reaction out of you, which only makes him laugh more.

Tanimura Masayoshi: His Time

He’s a busy boy. A very busy cop boy. So if he’s making time to see you, you REALLY matter to him. Even if at first he gets to know you via something business related, if he’s into you, you will notice quite quickly that he’s visiting you more often but less so for business reasons.

When he��s not able to physically make it out to see you, he’ll avidly text you. Expect lots of “how’s you day?” messages. Will also send you memes or images that he finds online that make him think of you.

He’ll totally send you selfies while he’s at work. Tanimura isn’t exactly a slacker but he does get a kick out of secretly sending you messages on the job. You just mean that much to him.

Ryuji Goda: His Voice

Ryuji has always been a boisterous man but man he gets loud if he knows you’re in the room. All eyes on Ryuji, especially your eyes. Inside, he’s really thinking “notice me!”.

Unlike Tanimura, Ryuji is one for making phone calls. He may be a busy man but he’ll always find some way to call you once a day. He just enjoys talking to you.

When physically near you, especially in group settings, he will try to get your attention. He says “oi” a lot. Will absolutely become the loudest man in a restaurant when speaking to you. Also probably tells dad jokes to try to get you to smile.

Mine Yoshitaka: His Neck

Now this may sound weird at first, but since Mine is not very expressive, his neck is his giveaway. If you walk in, he will suddenly snap his attention up to look at you so fast that you might think he hurt himself doing so.

He tries very hard to hide if he’s flustered. A big tell is if he rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

If he’s taller than you, he will absolutely bend down to your level. He sees that as a close enough form to physical intimacy, at least in the pre-relationship stages. Also very coy and will totally turn his head to look up at you flirtingly. Silent but deadly.

Dojima Daigo: His Manners

Who’s the boss of the Tojo Clan? He is. And who is above him? You. And he will treat you as such. You’re one of the few if not the only person he defers to. He will always bow when he sees you, even if you two are close. He’s not great with words so this is how he can show you and any other potential suitors nearby that he’s interested.

Also is quite a gentleman. He will always hold doors open for you. Are you heading out from Tojo Clan Headquarters and forgot your umbrella? Not only is Daigo ready and waiting but he will personally walk you out to the car, umbrella in hand, and see you off safely.

He will always ask how you’re doing and expresses an active concern for your wellbeing. It doesn’t matter if he’s about to go into a busy meeting, he will find time to greet you properly.

Nishikiyama Akira: His Hands

He’ll start gesturing a lot. It makes him look bigger and grander, at least in his mind. He’s just also generally more excitable around you and it shows physically.

Whenever he’s out with you, he will always usher you in through doorways by simply extending his hand towards the open doorway and saying “after you”.

Anytime he gets the chance to rest his hand against you, he will. A pat on the head, resting casually on your shoulder, or pressed ever so gently against your back.

Tachibana Tetsu: His Breathing

Tachibana is very good at restraining himself. Sometimes he’s too good at it. Until he can confirm how you feel, he’ll hold his cards close to his chest. But you’ll catch him sighing as you leave or excitedly inhaling when you arrive.

Although he doesn’t talk much, when he does he’s usually so well put together. With you though, he might trip over a word or two. If you flash a smile at him, especially if he for some reason makes an attempt to say something funny, his chest will swell with pride.

His shoulders relax in your presence. Any tenseness from his day at work just melt away and he can breathe easy when he’s near you.

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decepti-thots · 2 years ago

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Prowl for the ask meme? (Obvs)

one aspect about them i love: The thing about Prowl is that I mostly love writing him. I didn't really develop a reputation as The Prowl Person until I accidentally discovered he is the most fun to write. So: what do I love writing about him. I really enjoy the fact that Prowl is someone who simultaneously isolates himself and wants people to still have connections with him, and the friction that comes out of it. The thing that stands out to me most is how genuinely devastated he is when he realises, in exRiD, that Bumblebee could not tell when he wasn't himself- that realisation that he has pushed everyone away so effectively that he has become alien to them. I think of Prowl as someone who has spent a very, very long time breaking himself down to force himself into a new shape, and that jarring realisation that he has succeeded so well he is no longer recognisable as the person he thought he was- that no core of him necessarily remains that people can still see underneath- is fascinating to me. The same when Optimus talks about how Prowl has a long list of people he feels have betrayed him, too. He wants to be free of attachments but when those people leave, he feels it as a loss, because on some level he still wants that. It's such a mess. And that it's a self-directed and unasked for self destruction makes it more interesting.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them: Prowl is not telling the truth about himself. He is not someone who makes decisions fully logically and divorced from his emotions. He is not a Shockwave; I've said it before, but a lot of what he does makes more sense if you understand him as a very strange kind of sentimental, even. And frankly, he's not even the smartest person in the room half the time. (Not with some of the rooms he's in; I mean, he is smart, but he's also still often overestimating himself in relation to others.) Prowl is unreliable as a judge of himself, and anyone who takes him at face value just because he also lies in his own head is wrong to do so. When he claims he did what needed to be done and which noone else is willing to do, that is not a claim that should be accepted at face value!

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character: Prowl did not like his pre-war job as a cop. Oh, he liked parts of it. But mostly he felt it was an obligation and that you should perform your obligations regardless of if you like them or not. He liked finding patterns in things, and doing forensics, and being meticulous about the more abstract parts of his work, and he hated all the parts where it intersected with colleagues and people and politics and the rest; he would have been a good scientist, probably, in another life. He overcompensated for this by being very vicious about people like Whirl who tried to actually leave and go find something better. He's here still forcing himself to do this thing he doesn't want to, they should all put up with it too. For the "greater good". (His idea of what counts as doing 'good' being uhhh. Untrustworthy, here.) He did, however, once take that exam for potential alt mode exemption, without telling anyone. He failed it.

one character i love seeing them interact with: I love his and Arcee's relationship in exRiD. They are such fascinating foils. Arcee is many things, but she is self aware. She's got a limited sense of her own identity, but what she has she knows about herself. And then there's Prowl, who has increasingly lost any sense of who the fuck he even is anymore. Arcee refuses to let him obfuscate; she does the dirty work and makes him acknowledge that's what it is. And then she's the one who does notice he's not himself! Immediately! Prowl is so uncomfortable around her, and refuses to let her in, and it's probably one of the stupidest things he does. Because she's the only person in a position to help him climb out of the hole he's dug himself into, since she herself has had to figure out how the hell you come back from the sort of life that is pretty much impossible to just apologise for.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more: god I would have killed for more Prowl-Kup interactions. I wish we knew more about that relationship. The whole thing of what Prowl did to him with the mind control is so... like. It's so much. Just a whole lot. What would a conversation after that even have LOOKED like. And then at the same time, they have that connection in the form of Prowl giving him Springer, which clearly meant so much to Kup. You have the fact Prowl winds up going through something very similar to what he put Kup through and being completely fucked up by it. I wish there'd been a place for just like. One conversation on neutral ground after... everything. I wanna see if there's anything salvagable or if it's just horrible bitterness all the way down. Why the FUCK did they kill Kup off in a crossover again. >:(

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character: Prowl finds Verity on Earth post-Unicron and they have a talk about what happened to Springer. Enough time has passed that she's willing to meet with him, and also he managed to rally his common sense for five seconds for once and did ask first, like someone with manners. It's not a very pleasant conversation for him, honestly, but it does mean that he finally finds out just what happened, not just to Springer but to Tarantulas and Impactor as well.

#ask meme

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nohoperadio · 4 months ago

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I'm gonna have a crack at @perdvivly's ask meme what I got tagged in now... let's go!!

1. What virtue do you most often see in other people that you feel comparatively deficient in?

A less brave question asker might have built up to the heavy shit and put the lighthearted questions first, I respect it. Okay part of what's tricky here is that to answer this properly I'd have to make some judgment calls about which of my deficiencies are rightly attributed to genuine lack of virtue vs to something like disability, and that's a scary distinction to look at too closely. So my instinct is to avoid any territory close to that border, but the actual true answer probably is close to the border--the below is probably something of a cop-out is what I'm saying.

Here's something I've only relatively recently started conceptualizing as a virtue: the desire and ability to share the enjoyment of the things you're passionate about with other people. The books and music and etc I like, I tend to be content to enjoy them by myself in the corner, whereas for other people experiencing these things alongside others and talking about them and stuff is a large part of the point. This latter tendency is most obvious in what gets called fandom but there are lots of other expressions of it, some more casual/normie, but I don't really do any of it very much. And I used to think this difference was just "people care about different things, whatever" but lately I'm leaning more towards thinking that the more communal approach is just straight-up superior; it looks like some important, richer varieties of experience are available over that way, and I now regret that I didn't try to move myself further in that direction when I was younger.

2. Show us an object in your daily life that you have an emotional attachment to - tell us a little bit about it if you want! (a favourite mug perhaps? socks with a cute pattern? dealers choice)

Mugs (plural) probably is the best answer to this, but I've already tackled that at great length here. What else... well, my main bookmark, given to me by a friend and depicting a scholar I respect very much, has lasted an impressively long time im humble o:

3. If you could choose, what level of fame would you want? How many people would you want to recognise you?

Impossible to imagine strangers randomly approaching me in the street to start conversations being anything other than nightmarish, so the ceiling has to be below that. I guess there's different types of fame that presumably make for very different experiences, a famous actor probably gets a rawer deal than an equivalently famous author, and the type of famous author whose demographic is such that self-promoting on instagram and twitter is part of the job description surely has a worse life than one who doesn't have to do that.

Someone who knows more about the culture than me could probably say exactly what kind of thing you should be famous for to minmax getting all the pleasant-feeling respect and financial rewards while preserving privacy and minimizing unpleasant public obligations, but I'm not sure what the answer is. However this comic still pops into my head occasionally after all this time and it might be a better answer than any of these words:

4. Where do you feel language is least adequate to capture, communicate, or express your experience?

Actually I don't often get the feeling that my difficulties in expressing myself are related to the limitations of language, I tend to run into more mundane constraints before that one becomes an issue, like my embarrassment around talking about myself or my not being in tune with my own mental life or the fact that my brain is very small. I think generally if something's too subtle to put into words it's too subtle for me to think clearly about/have anything worth saying about in the first place.

I guess my other possible answer to this would be "all of my experience of life in its entirety" which is also true in a way.

5. If you had to come up with a question with the following criteria:

a) it should disuade knee-jerk reaction answers (i.e. it shouldn't be something people are likely to have spent a lot of time considering before)

b) it shouldn't be too specialised (the audience should be general, don't ask about people's top 3 byzantine spice merchants opperating between 754AD-816AD)

c) it shouldn't be needlessly emotionally charged or divisive

d) it should be a question you expect people to have lots of varied opinions about

What would your question be?

Yeah no it's hard, you've done well. My first thought with criteria A (which I think is the hardest one to cover) is to make the question require describing somebody else's perspective on something, because that way even if the answerer has their own knee-jerk opinion about the thing they'd be forced to suspend that in their answer. Maybe something like this would work:

Think of a topic that somebody close to you has very different feelings about from your own--it can be the smallest, most trivial matter of taste or something weightier if you like--what do you think is the relevant difference between you and this person that explains your different takes on that topic?

I would hope that if this question were in an ask meme like this people would tend to focus on fun and/or lighthearted differences but maybe it would turn people's brains towards bitter conflicts, I'm not sure. Anyway I'm glad question 5 doesn't end with "...and what is your answer to that question?" because it looks difficult to me!

---

This was fun imo, some of the questions were more intimidating than is the norm for these things but what's wrong with a little spice you know, I recommend it, thank you @perdvivly for erecting this jungle gym of the soul. I'm following the same coward's strat as last time of picking people sort-of-randomly by tagging the last three mutuals to show up in my notifications, this time excluding the three I tagged last time, so that gives @fregolious, @abodywithorgans and @wellmetmat. I'd like to hear from you! If the random method somehow gave people I didn't want to hear from I would have had no qualms about fudging it until I got people I liked, so don't let that put you off! But also, again, any mutuals who feel like doing this and claiming that I tagged them should do so, because in spirit I have, you understand.

#an ask meme #correspondence #perdvivly

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batmanisagatewaydrug · 1 year ago

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hurling another enrichment pumpkin at you : any thoughts on how Secrets handles its sociopolitical themes? I haven't had the chance to check the podcast out personally so far but from what I've seen on tumblr it seems to take a much less vague approach to those themes than even Unburied did, and considering how multiple people mentioned that the podcast seems a bit rushed, do you think that affected the handling of this too?

one of the things I did really like was removing any ambiguity as to whether or not we're supposed to interpret this version of the Riddler as a Muslim Indian man, and I think it's fair to assume that by extension that this cements Bruce and Barbara as Black and Latina, respectively. I don't think any of those were really controversial opinions, especially per the fandom I see on our glorious hellsite, but the conformation is cool!

I think exploring the way that Eddie's status as a brown man would contribute to his sense of disenfranchisement and resentment for Society is interesting for sure. it's also used to enable some like... COMPELLING bastard behavior that's very specific to him as a man of color, namely misleading the GCPD to arrest some entirely unrelated Indian man that they can't tell apart from Eddie, and the bit where he's having his little tantrum re: his sister's social climbing and insinuates that she probably has a white husband/boyfriend, which is a thing Asian women are FREQUENTLY attacked for in Asian incel communities. interesting move, I applaud.

I was less impressed by how the series handled its humanization of criminals and incarcerated individuals, which I wrote about a lot on this post about the depiction of Azrael. idk, I like that the rogues look out for each other and we get to see the horrors of realizing that you're so dehumanized by society that your vicious murder becomes a meme, that's a perspective on Gotham's rogues that I feel we don't get a lot! but the series seemed to waffle pretty hard on its own stance on this, Batman seems to be operating a pretty different wavelength than he was at the end of Unburied (he's soooo much more of a cop), and I also genuinely don't know what to do with the reveal that this version of King Tut was running a sex cult, especially since literally the only person who criticized him for that was. you know. also responsible for several brutal murders.

at risk of harping on this too much it feels very strange that a series would be so invested in the humanity of villains and then also have an actual antagonist who's as one note as Azrael is made out to be and gets offed with so little fanfare. the series' other big issue seems to be coming down hard on the side of "we hate violent Christian fundamentalists, they're Bad" and like. yeah, I agree, and that obviously ties in very closely with exploring racism and Islamaphobia that the Riddler has grown up experiencing, but as I said in the other post it's also uuuuuh very weird to make Jean-Paul the narrative scapegoat for far right fundie Christians when, in the comics, that's not his bag at all. he's a dangerous and careless Batman, sure, but he's also very much a victim of the Order of St. Dumas, and it feels like both a sloppy use of the character and a WILDLY missed opportunity to explore the church as a corrupt system akin to Strange's medical abuses in Arkham and everything about the GCPD. idk, it feels like Secrets in the Dark just really jettisoned much more interesting potential stories building on Unburied's themes in favor of a much more black and white narrative.

tl;dr I cannot believe that Secrets in the Dark has forced me to point to David S. Goyer as a comparative paragon of nuance and taste!!! what!!!

#we genuinely don't talk about how insane it is that goyer wrote batman unburied #he's spent years shoveling out shit like batman begins and batman v superman and it turns out he had this in him the whole time #all we had to do was take away the visual component and his budget #ANYWAY #secrets in the dark

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luuxxart · 2 years ago

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Terribly sorry about the formatting but that’s what happens when you copy paste from notes haha

* Ok so these ones are kind of angsty but let’s go

* so even tho I state up there that Makoto prefers he/him (because, I think like, during P5R and especially P5S, he’s starting to come into the idea that “oh shit I might be butch?”) I will be using she/her in this piece just so that I’m not constantly repeating names and stuff.

* Makoto is he/him in the same way your car mechanic is a guy. Like. It is the job , the living if you will, and it’s not performative, he’s certainly got his wits about him. He is very knowledgeable about many things

* Akira is also like. Very much into gender. he’s like. A gender collector if you will. But I don’t think makoto would find out about punishment cop for like. A while after they break up.

* Speaking of that I’m ngl. A lot of why I like them so much is because they really are just so fleeting. Imo they only date from the Kaneshiro’s Palace up until sometime mid-Okumura’s. This isn’t so Makoto can get with Haru or Akira Can get with Akechi it’s just. Naturally I think things would come to a boiling point.

* To me, They are like. Yknow. The good ex to each other. The one where they kind of miss the other. Replay events in their head for some fleeting nostalgia. Wonder what could’ve been if they stayed together, but are overall thankful that they didn’t. And, you know, they grew and learned about each other and more importantly themselves through the relationship.

* ((That being said I think Akechi would be flirting with Akira up to the point of the breakup and Akira is taking the stance of “I’m not flirting, just hot and talking.” But ofc when the shumako breakup happens, all the cards are back on the table and Akira becomes a hot mess of awkward funnyman flirting))

* Back to shumako tho

* I gotta talk about the funnyman flirting. I’m sorry but that is just so Akira’s modus of operandi. His whole thing is being an annoying little shit until he wears his partner down. It’s the pushback on his jokes that spurs him on further

* I mean , he’s harmless. It’s nbd at all

* And Makoto certainly enjoys giving him the run around, pretending not to give into his antics. It just brings a bit of light to her otherwise kind of boring world

* Akira, and by extension, the Metaverse is pretty much her only escape . I guess it really is for all of them. But I mean. Looking at Makoto as the Student Council President Vs Makoto as Queen is like. Daylight to dark really. One is obviously more repressed than the other

* She’s like, one character that would probably have benefitted a lot from confronting a shadow P4 style

* I think genuinely. She is just such a motorcycle guy. She is the motorcycle guy. By extension, she dabbles (knows way too much) in cars, especially sports cars.

* Like, if she and Akira end up seeing like. A really cool Maserati on the street she will absolutely just geek out and Akira is so there for it

* Akira is like that meme that’s like “here comes the most specialist boy ever and if you don’t cheer and clap for him I’ll fuckign blow this whole building up”

* I think she genuinely tries to get on Akechi’s level. Like . Outside of the Metaverse she wants to be the prince detective so bad you don’t understand . And Akira is like. Yeah go off queen that’s certainly a goal, while also trying to steer her more into her own thing

* Because for what it’s worth. Her analysis works well in the short term, and works well for what she knows to be true. But she’s not a big fan of change. She secretly assumes the worst in everyone because it’s easier than having to accept the grey undertones of the situation

* And speaking of change, I think Akira absolutely has his bouts of brooding and just overall off-putting silence. Which. Makoto has no idea how to handle. She just kind of dances around it until it goes away.

* Not that Akira is any better. If Makoto is having a moment where she is absolutely going through it, he will either try to joke through it or just get out of there. Because like. Gentle reminder they are teenagers and have the emotional maturity of a plum

* I think Akira is also super prone to relapses. If he and akechi are having a rough patch, his first thought is to go back to makoto and then she’s like “ok just wait it out bro fr”

* Because by the time he actually gets w Akechi fr, she has had a whole other gender awakening . Like. She has buzzed half of her hair off and now fully exudes “do not fuck with me” energy.

* They were unfortunately passing ships in the night at this point bc Akira would normally be down so bad

* Anyway I think that’s all I’ve got for the kind of angsty hcs

* So in terms of regular old nice and fluffy headcanons,

* I think Akira and Makoto sneak around a lot despite having absolutely no reason to do so. Sae does not give a shit. But Makoto is terrified that she does.

* Which leads to some funny antics like— calling back to Makoto following Akira on her investigation— they would hide in public behind comics and. Makoto is genuinely awkward enough to still be holding hers upside down.

* They always get found by at least one Phantom Thief (or future PT, i.e., Haru or Akechi who are just so confused. why are they doing this. the theatrics involved. it’s too much)

* I think Akira is one of the only non-family people in Makoto’s life who’ve ever heard her genuine laugh. It’s loud and raucous and it’s not pretty but he thinks it’s one of the best sounds in the world.

* Makoto’s sense of humor lies strictly in puns because she thinks she is just so clever. She manages to catch Akira off guard with them sometimes.

* I don’t think originally Makoto is a cat person, but Morgana hanging around kind of helps. Akira is definitely the king of cat cafes. He’s always taking Makoto to one. They joke about the cats being so silent compared to Mona.

* Hold on. I Am thinking. Perceiving . About Makoto trying to have a quiet reading time and Akira literally just pretzeling himself around her. It’s like. Still quiet but. With the added effect of— Akira is there. It’s a soothing thought for her, I think

* Actually fuck it they are like the kings of leg tangling they are never separated when they’re alone together. And Akira is always playing footsie with her in diners and restaurants. It’s like p3 said!!! Want to be close!!! Hell yeah!!

* Very powerful headcanon.

* sometimes I think they just stare up at the ceiling in quiet reflection just to see how long it takes for Akira to HAVE to break the silence with a strange comment

* They never last longer than five seconds.

* I think Akira has encouraged her to steal a car at least once. (It was Sae’s but still.)

* They made it a few blocks before Makoto panicked and put it back.

* Anyway I think Makoto shares increasingly intricate leather jackets with Akira and he shares increasingly weirder button ups with Makoto.

* Akira just walks into Leblanc one day fucking squeaking In this tight ass leather jacket with shoulder spikes up to his glasses and so many bedazzlings that ya boi is basically gleaming and morgana just goes “ok so. Let’s start with the stance.”

* Meanwhile Makoto comes home in a button up that is a little too long for her and is dotted with avacados that have speech bubbles coming out of them saying “holy guacamole” and Sae immediately asks what her GPA is right now currently as they are speaking to each other.

* Akira and Makoto look up apartment listings in their downtime and always speculate on what it would be like to live together. It always ends up with them deciding they’d have to partition of certain parts of the house from each other. And Akira doesn’t really take it seriously . He’ll say he wants a clown room and Makoto’s like “ok I can work with that. So we’ll call that your bedroom.”

* Ok final headcanon. Uh.

* Just. Akira encourages Makoto constantly to just get weird. Just be weirder.

* She keeps this encouragement in her back pocket until she drops out of college in her second year to just become a mechanic who is ripped beyond all human comprehension, and who exclusively drinks “loving your wife (her motorcycle)” juice and zilk that she gets by the caseload from Sendai.

Anyway thank you for coming to my Shumako Ted Talk and bearing with me . I leave you all with this

the colors of your recent shumako piece create such a atmosphere with such an amazing emotional tone !! If you’re up for sharing, would love to hear your shumako head canons? :)

Thank you anon!!! I’ve honestly been saving this ask for a rainy day when I was feelin shumako again so I’m v sorry it took me so long haha

anywayyyy I’ve talked a bit about how I think they got together (and subsequently broke up) in the tags of my first shumako post,,, and since im not super great abt coming up with spur of the moment headcanons,,,,

BAM

which is pretty much all you need to know aha,, (i put the blank bc my sprites obscure some of the text, and here’s the link to the original. also Akira is wearing an OriginalStitch pokemon button up. It’s the magma pattern)

but going off of that uh… yeah I can expand on this meme.

EDIT: Headcanons are in my reblog because this post glitched out bad and the only reason i can deduce that that happened was maybe the readmore function😈☢️

#shumako #ask #hopefully this one doesn’t glitch out #long post

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xb-squaredx · 4 years ago

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Rise of the V-Tuber

As a platform, YouTube has gone through a variety of “eras,” wherein a particular trend catches on and defines the website for some time. In the early days, you had funny cat videos, then Let’s Plays of video games became rather popular, and now we seem to be deeply entrenched into a new era that has exploded in popularity as of late. If you’ve frequented the website at all in the past few months, it is almost inescapable. Cutesy, anime-styled avatars that play games, sing, chat with viewers, or even cook! What does it all mean? Where did they come from? Are they here to stay? Most importantly, how does one crawl out of the rabbit hole once they fall into it? All that and more will be revealed as we delve deep into the wacky, wholesome and sometimes worrying world of V-Tubers. (photo credit YuuGiJoou. Check her out on YouTube, Twitter or Twitch!)

THE ORIGIN

To begin properly, let’s define the subject. A “V-Tuber” is a “Virtual YouTuber,” someone who streams on YouTube (or any other streaming platform) using a digital avatar as a proxy. The streamer in question typically uses face-tracking software so that the avatar can emote (or at least attempt to emote) to match their own reactions as they provide entertainment for their audience. While it may seem as if V-Tubers are rather new, in doing research on the topic, you’d be surprised how far back things go.

For starters, the concept of a virtual celebrity has been around for a while, with one of the most notable efforts being Hatsune Miku, a Vocaloid voicebank program. Hatsune Miku is every bit as famous and beloved as a flesh-and-blood singer or entertainer despite being nothing but voice synthesizer software. Vocaloid got its start back in 2000, eventually being reworked into a commercial product in 2004, though it wasn’t until the programs started receiving anthropomorphic character designs that it took off, with Hatsune Miku’s own debut in 2007, and the rest is history.

Many will consider “Virtual Idol” Kizuna Ai as the true pioneer of what we call a V-Tuber today, making her debut in 2016, however one could make an argument that Ami Yamato, a 3D-animated vlogging channel debuting in 2013, beat her to the punch. Honorable mention of course goes to Any Malu, a Brazilian animated YouTube vlogger who debuted in 2015 and eventually gained her own show on Cartoon Network Brazil. While Ai may not be the first, she is undoubtedly considered to be the codifier that many later V-Tubers would follow. Ai’s entire shtick was being an AI program that wanted to connect with humans, playing games, singing or interacting with fans. Following her explosive popularity, it was clear that other companies would follow the model established by Ai, with their own spins on it of course.

Nijisanji, established in 2018, proved that this trend could be incredibly profitable, becoming trailblazers in their own right as they established various “branches” of their company in several countries with their own unique performers that could cater to a wider range of viewers. As of this writing, Nijisanji employs over 164 “Virtual Livers,” most of which come from their Japan branch, alongside their Korean, Chinese, Indian and Indonesian branches. Similarly, there is the Hololive corporation, which saw substantial growth throughout 2020 in particular. Established in 2016 originally as Cover Corporation, at first Hololive was the name of an app meant for use in 3D motion capture, though following Nijisanji’s success, Hololive was rebranded as a V-Tuber competitor and also features a variety of colorful characters spread across many different main branches. There is of course the Japanese branch, as well as Hololive Indonesia, the relatively new (and highly successful) Hololive English, a defunct Chinese branch and an all-male Holostar branch in Japan.

Other, smaller V-Tuber groups have sprung up alongside the corporate powerhouses, such as VOMS Project, established in March of 2020, as an independent trio of streamers, and more recently at the tail-end of 2020 with V-Shojo, featuring a group of Western streamers (who ironically mostly stick to Twitch). Outside of this of course are the countless independent streamers who utilize avatars for one reason or another across many different platforms. Even prominent Twitch streamers seem to be getting in on the act, such as Pokimane, though that one has not come without some backlash. So consider that a rough history of how V-Tubers got started in Japan but how did they gain a more global fanbase? Well, in a word…”memes.”

GOING INTERNATIONAL

I won’t deny there had to be at least SOME overseas fans who enjoyed watching V-Tubers before they became more well-known, but for many Western fans their introductions to V-Tubers in general typically came from viral videos taken from various streams that spread like wildfire, eventually getting people curious enough to check them out. For Kizuna Ai, her playthrough of Resident Evil 7 gained notoriety for her mimicking the cursing of the English-speaking player character, and for Hololive, arguably the first real Western breakthrough for the company came from a now infamous moment from Sakura Miko’s stream of Grand Theft Auto 5.

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Also from Hololive, Inugami Korone in particular had a variety of memes spread about her due to playthroughs from various games that even got acknowledged by the developers themselves. Her playthrough of DOOM 2016 resulted in a short-lived Easter egg implanted into DOOM Eternal, and her video on Banjo-Kazooie (and the animated Eekum Bokum fan video that spawned from that) got the attention of Rare, Xbox and even Grant Kirkhope, the composer for the original game.

Honestly, the real unsung heroes of sorts for V-Tuber popularity might just come from foreign fans that would clip and translate various moments from streams that helped to build an international audience. There are dozens of Twitter handles and YouTube channels that specialize in spreading these clips around and if you factor in the YouTube algorithm, once you see one video your feed will be flooded with similar videos. It is no surprise fans call getting into the fandom “falling into the rabbit hole.” When you look at the more popular members of Hololive, often the ones with various viral clips have the higher subscription counts. In the case of Aki Rosenthal, one of the older members, her sub count exploded after a fan translated a section from a then-recent stream in which she talked candidly about her less-than-stellar growth as well as the difficulties of standing out in general. While at one point having the lowest amount of subscribers (well below 200,000), in the months since that video her sub count has more than doubled going past 400,000. Sometimes the talent needs a little push.

Now, within Hololive itself, I think Kiryu Coco is also partially responsible for expanding the fanbase, being one of the few employed talents with the ability to speak English (likely a native speaker), she gained a large international fanbase as she would work to translate what she or other members were talking about on the fly, and later on established an ongoing series where she would directly engage with fans over websites like Reddit and “rate” the various memes they would send in. Coco also pushed for establishing what would become Hololive English, which has proven to be a gigantic success, each member of that branch blowing past more established talent’s subscriber counts, with Gawr Gura becoming the first Hololive V-Tuber to pass one million subscribers and just recently passed the two million mark. So yeah, V-Tubers are a big deal now but…what is about them that makes people want to watch them in the first place?

THE APPEAL

So, right off the bat, if we’re going to ask why someone would want to watch a V-Tuber I think it’s fair to ask that of virtually ANY internet personality. The reason why someone would watch Game Grumps or Pokimane or Jojo Siwa or whoever else is the same reason they’d watch Kizuna Ai or Inugami Korone or Ironmouse: they’re entertaining. I guess that seems like a bit of a cop-out answer, right? There MUST be a reason why V-Tubers have blown up in popularity over the last few years, so are there things that make these particular Internet entertainers stand out from the crowd?

Undoubtedly, the fact that these streamers are playing a character is a deviation from the norm, though the dedication to staying “in character” seems to vary from person to person, and over time many V-Tubers tend to open up and are far more genuine. At any rate, even the best actor out there can’t possibly make up various daily happenings or childhood stories for their characters on the fly, day after day, stream after stream. Still, I’d imagine the decision to use a proxy as opposed to their real self can be liberating, a mask they can wear to speak more freely or a role they can play up for entertainment. For the most part, I think the persona aspect is mostly harmless fun that makes the streamer seem more distinct; ask yourself which is more eye-catching: some normal human playing a game and occasionally cracking a joke, or a one-eyed pirate girl discussing her raunchy past? Or maybe you’d rather watch the grim reaper practice her raps? Even talent that don’t really play up their character much still often have interesting character designs; we have princesses, dragons, devils, robots and more. A little something for everyone!

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Speaking a bit more personally, I find it interesting to watch streamers from an entirely different culture and how they interact with fans or engage with games. I find it funny when Inugami Korone or Sakura Miko plays more Western-oriented games like the DOOM series or Grand Theft Auto V respectively. Often times they’re blown away by the culture clash, or they view these games through a different lens since it’s so different from what they’re used to. In particular, those two are just genuine goofballs that are funny all on their own. More chat-focused streams are an interesting view into daily life in Japan, such as the stories Houshou Marine tells, though obviously a given V-Tuber’s viewpoint isn’t a metric you can apply to the whole country, but she’s still interesting to listen to. Takanashi Kiara is also notable for her multilingual skills, which has helped her bridge the gap a bit more between the various Hololive members through her Holotalk segments where she interviews other V-Tubers. Outside of Hololive, Amano Pikamee from VOMS Project is just a bundle of energy that’s fun to watch as she rages in Super Mario 64 or Super Mario Sunshine. Her tea-kettle laugh is also just kinda charming. The V-Shojo group stands out for being super vulgar compared to the more corporate V-Tubers and while I don’t watch them all that much, there’s still some fun chaos to be had. Still though, I think there’s one big elephant in the room that would also help explain V-Tubers catching on at this specific point in time: the pandemic. Streaming is one of the few jobs not really affected by the pandemic, and with people stuck inside, they’re more likely to scroll through YouTube or Twitter and find a funny clip and then…well, you know… It’s one bright spot in an otherwise dark time…but I’d be lying if I said it was all sunshine and rainbows.

THE DARK UNDERBELLY

The overall idea behind V-Tubers, at least in Japan, seems to be an extension of Idol Culture…and uh…if you know anything about Idol Culture in Japan, it is all kinds of scummy. Exploitative, filled to the brim with harmful rules and regulations and largely catering to some vary unsavory “fans,” I’ll make it no mystery that I find it incredibly distasteful. Look no further than what happened to Minegishi Minami from the idol group AKB48. To keep a long story short, the obsession with “purity” and being this idealized Japanese beauty means idols are effectively locked into their work, unable to discuss or in many cases partake in romantic relationships, as that would make them less “desirable” to their audience. This unfortunately does at times extend to V-Tubers.

Take Tokoyami Towa, who was suspended for some time and forced to make an apology video for…having some male voices briefly heard over Discord during an Apex Legend stream. She even lost a lot of subscribers and support from Japanese fans following this, though once learning of this, Western fans flocked to her as a show of support. Hololive has also dealt with a variety of issues coming from Chinese fans; though that’s a particular hornet’s nest I don’t want to delve into here too much. To sum it up, fans can get obsessive and toxic, which can lead to the talent being harassed. It is for this reason, it is generally agreed upon by fans to not delve too deep into the personal lives of the V-Tubers, for fear of being doxxed and the illusion being broken. These kinds of issues certainly bring up some interesting questions regarding how talent should be treated moving forward.

Are these V-Tubers characters or just alternate sides of real people? Where does the fantasy end and reality begin? Ultimately, the lines are somewhat blurred. Talent certainly brings some of their own personality into the performance, but they are forced to remain anonymous and as can be seen in the case of Kizuna Ai, they are not always in control of the character they’ve been given. Kizuna Ai’s initial actress was for a time replaced, and “clones” of the character with different voices and personalities started to spring up, likely as an attempt to compete with the likes of Nijisanji and Hololive. In cases where V-Tubers retire from the industry, or “graduate” as some call it, all of their hard work cultivating a fanbase might end up being for nothing as they were forced behind a proxy that isn’t truly themselves and I imagine it can be hard to start over again from square one. Never mind the attempts to step out of the shadow of your older work. Man, Perfect Blue was downright prophetic at times, huh?

I don’t want to dwell on the negatives too much though. It’s worth noting for one thing that Nijisanji seems relatively lax regarding how their talent operates, whereas it seems Hololive is the standout for adhering to the idol ideal, though considering how some of the talent acts (in particular Kiryu Coco), one has to wonder if they’re softening their stances a bit. Many V-Tubers generally talk about the positive aspects of the industry and being given the opportunity to reach people from all over the world. Shortly after Ina’s debut in Hololive English, she was actually brought to tears when told her art streams convinced people to get into (or back into) the hobby, which had been one of her goals for becoming a V-Tuber in the first place. Ironmouse, now a member of V-Shojo, has an immune system disorder that keeps her bedridden and forced to stay inside, so the opportunities afforded by this particular type of streaming has allowed her to reach out to others and as per her own words, has changed her life for the better. While there are definitely “fans” that go too far, corporate practices that are outdated, or harmful and a slew of potential unfortunate implications, ultimately I think most people out there are just looking for quality entertainment, and these digital proxies give these entertainers an outlet to connect with fans in a way that they might not have otherwise.

CONCLUSION

V-Tubers are in a bit of a boom at the moment, though I can’t imagine it’ll last forever. We’re quickly approaching market saturation and after a point, people can only follow so many streamers at once. Hell, as I was editing this up, it seems as if prominent YouTuber Pewdiepie is about to step into the ring, so who knows what kind of shake-up that could bring. The bubble will undoubtedly burst and what becomes of V-Tubers then is still up in the air. Or who knows, maybe V-Tubers will endure and replace all entertainment and we’re just watching the beginning of a cyberpunk dystopia. Stranger things have happened! Considering the world is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, that should largely have an impact on the popularity of V-Tubers for some time to come, though as we emerge into a “new normal” in the world, it’ll be interesting to see how these entertainers continue to evolve. Now, I suppose there is one question I never quite went over before now, isn’t there? How does one escape the V-Tuber rabbit hole? Well, I’m sorry to say but there is no escape.

Enjoy your new home!

-B

#xb-squaredx #blog #vtuber #v-tuber #hololive #nijisanji #VOMS project #korone #sakura miko #pikamee #kizuna ai #youtube #twitch #v-shojo #ironmouse #houshou marine #eekum bokum

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asknarashikari · 4 years ago

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Minific idea: Ryu has to guard the prime minister’s son, when the latter suddenly transforms into Kamen Rider Rogue. As Shoutaro does a meme face, he asks when the hell did Gentoku become a Kamen Rider... when he suddenly hears Sento lets out a sheepish laugh

Ryu wondered how the hell he got roped into this assignment. He was part of the Paranormal Crimes department, why was he on the security detail of the prime minister’s son, of all people?

Well, he thought grudgingly, at least he doesn’t seem all that bad. In truth he was very impressed by the aide, who was in town for a clean energy summit. He seemed to know his stuff, speaking with the engineers and scientists and asking them genuinely thoughtful questions, and he fielded questions from prowling reporters and random citizens with just as much consideration. Ryu, not being much of a conversationalist himself, was appreciative that he didn’t try to make small talk with him.

The police captain accompanied Himuro along with one of his men throughout the convention hall. They hadn’t even been there half a day when all hell broke loose.

Ryu and the other cop put themselves between the gang of Dopants who’d invaded the summit and wreaked havoc and Himuro and some of the scientists he’d been conversing with when they were cornered. The scientists cowered, but Himuro watched the Dopants with a calculating glare. Nonetheless, Ryu raised his pistol, and firmly told his partner, “Go. I’ll handle this. You get them out of here.”

The junior cop’s eyes widened. “But... Terui-san...”

“Go, that’s an order.” Ryu reiterated, and the other man nodded hesitantly as he ushered the scientists and Himuro to a nearby exit. But-

“I won’t leave you here alone, officer,” Himuro stated, his eyes hard. “Let me help you fight them.”

Ryu gaped at him. “Sir, with all due respect, you’re an idiot if you think you can take these things on.”

Himuro grinned at him, the first time Ryu had seen the other man’s formal facade break. Then, to Ryu’s great surprise, he pulled out an object that he instinctively recognized, even if he had never seen it before.

The Prime Minister’s son.... has a Driver?

Danger! Crocodile! The Driver called out as Himuro put in his trinket- which looked awfully familiar this time. “Henshin!” Himuro pushed down the wrench-like lever on the Driver, and Ryu backed away in shock as the transformation started. And a moment later...

There stood a Kamen Rider, where the Prime Minister’s son once was.

Ryu couldn’t help his jaw dropping as Himuro jumped into the fray, fighting off the Dopants with ease. He couldn’t help think, Why did this man need a protection detail if he was a fucking Kamen Rider?

He was still staring in shock when he heard footsteps running toward them and a gasp of shock.

“Gen-san?!” Ryu tore his gaze away from the sight to see Sento gawping at the other Rider. “What’s he doing here?!” exclaimed the mad scientist.

“Huh? Sento, you knew the Prime Minister’s son was a Kamen Rider?” Ryu demanded.

“Wait, hold up, that’s the Himuro guy you were supposed to be guarding?!” Shoutaro comically exclaimed. “And he’s a Kamen Rider you know, Sento?!”

Sento laughed sheepishly. “Eh... well, see, he’s one of my friends from the old world. And yeah, he’s a Kamen Rider- Kamen Rider Rogue.”

��The Prime Minister’s son is a Kamen Rider. From your world.” Shoutaro deadpanned. He sighed as he watched Kamen Rider Rogue fighting. “You’re going to owe us an explanation, rabbit boy,” he said as he pulled out his own Driver. “For now, let’s kick some Dopant ass.”

#kamen rider build #himuro gentoku #Kiryuu Sento #kamen rider w #terui ryu #hidari shoutaro #ask #askrikkaiandhyotei

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coldshrugs · 4 years ago

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thank you for this blessed template, @possumsunshine. this was so fun and cute, i couldn't resist after seeing it on my dash 💗

pulled a couple of answers from oc asks i've done recently because oof this got long.

QUICK READ OF YOUR DETECTIVE

Name: alma greene

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: bisexual

Love interest: mason

Best friend: felix but also nate

Main skill: science/tech

Secondary skill: people/psychology

Main personality trait: tied for impulsive and sarcastic

Secondary personality trait: stubborn

Why did they join the Wayhaven PD?: she’s not a detective, but science skills

Relationship with Rebecca: very close, even with absences, but waning

Relationship with Bobby: college friend, currently hates him

Verda or Tina?: both

Murphy bite?: wrist

Murphy’s fate?: at large, babyyy

Rescue LI or Rescue Sanja?: sanja

GENERAL

Name: alma eloise greene

Nickname: sweetheart/space girl by mason; sweetie by rebecca

Birthday: june 12th

Age: 29

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: bisexual (demiromantic??)

Hair color: dark brown

Eye color: dark brown, nearly black

Height: 5’1”

Piercings: ears, former nostril piercings

Tattoos: a small snail on her right arm, super cartoony spaceship and tractor beam over the words “i want to believe” on the back of her left calf

Clothing Style: “modern” i guess, according to the game. tbh i usually describe it as “too old to be an e-girl but too cute to care.” bleached denim, dark plaid, graphic crop tops, black vans or converse, thigh-high tights, etc etc

Apartment Style: cozy. did she find it on the side of the road or goodwill or an estate sale? if not, it’s probably not in her apartment.

STATS

Personality:

Charming | Intimidating

Impulsive | Cautious

Sarcastic | Genuine

Friendly | Stoic

Easygoing | Stubborn

Traits:

Heart | Mind

Optimist | Pessimist

Team Player | Independent

Skills:

Main Skill: science/tech

Second Skill: people/psychology

By the Book | Bend the Rules

KEY DECISIONS

Reason for joining the Wayhaven PD: alma is wayhaven’s only forensic analyst because i refuse to let my black oc be a cop

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ in-game, she’s 100% there for her scientific prowess.

Murphy bite: Wrist | Neck | None

Murphy’s Fate: Captured | Escaped

Rescued: Love Interest | Sanja

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP

Love Interest: mason

Why them?: on a meta level: oh no he’s hot

but alma’s reasoning is that he’s very upfront about what he wants in the beginning and she’s never been pursued in such a way. It’s a bit of a rush and an ego boost for her at first. but mason’s loyalty very quickly becomes the steadiness alma’s been missing for most of her life and she latches on to that. she’s not had someone so dependable around in… well, ever. and her physical attraction becomes emotional VERY quickly.

Bold, shy, or mixed?: shy until they sleep together, then a mix of bold and genuine afterward.

What were their first impressions of each other?:

alma on mason: thought he was super attractive but that was quickly pushed aside by “holy shit, this guy’s an ass.” she thinks he’s an uncooperative jerk that only cares about himself for quite a while, honestly. she asks him along for things she wants to do alone precisely because she thinks he’ll be the most likely to just stay out of her way. she’s surprised by his attitudes and opinions, and her incorrect assumptions about them, during those times.

mason on alma: would never, ever, ever admit that his first thought upon meeting Alma was simply “cute.” he quickly found parts of her to assess individually. those first few days were mostly spent appraising her physical attributes and watching her back when she needed it. mason did find her funny right away, but he wasn’t willing to trust someone new, regardless of that person being their handler’s daughter or not.

What do they find attractive about each other, mentally or physically?:

alma on mason: his eyes, freckles, and every single version of his smile. his decisiveness, differentially, and willingness to stab as a warning.

mason on alma: her hair tbh, there’s just… a lot of it. her hips, her eyelashes. He also likes her adaptability, sense of humor, and the warmth she gives with no expectation of reciprocation.

What do they do to spend time together?: lots of stargazing, lots of watching tv very quietly and making fun of the storylines they don’t understand until they get bored and make out instead, walking around the quieter parts of wayhaven or taking late-night drives.

What is their favorite memory together?: i like to think mason finds the carnival photo of them after the place has been sacked and gives it to alma sometime later. both the taking of the photo and the giving of it are very fond memories for both of them.

What are their love languages?: touch, quality time.

How do they handle being apart from one another?: badly. mason absolutely hates it after a time. if alma’s out of town, he’s in her apartment with the excuse of feeding her cat, but it’s 100% just to sleep in her bed and be around all the things that make her, her. alma does a little better. she’s used to having folks sort of come and go and come again, but she gets almost hyper-insecure?? it’s nothing she’d admit openly, but she’s second-guessing herself in totally unrelated aspects of her life until they’re reunited.

Do they argue? How do they handle arguments and disagreements? How do they make up?: they don’t necessarily argue, but they disagree with the intent to problem solve. alma is pretty flexible and as long as she can understand why someone might feel the way they feel, she’s willing to hear them out or go along with their plan. if an argument does get out of hand, they need space from it for a while. they each have places to retreat for those times, and they wait for the “hey” text to come through to know it’s time to talk about it.

What does their future look like?: alma becomes a vampire two years into their relationship. they move into a quiet, old house on the edge of town until the whole team moves elsewhere. mason has to get used to having a cat because october has several years left in him. they don’t get married, but they’re inseparable.

Anything else you’d like to share: in the time before alma turns, mason learns to perfect making grilled cheese because it’s what alma craves when she’s not feeling well. He makes the grilled cheese then he immediately showers to get the smell off him but he makes it regardless.

BEST FRIEND RELATIONSHIP

Best friend: depending on the playthrough it swaps between felix and nate, but felix feels more in character

Why them?: alma loves felix’s sense of adventure and nosiness. Most of all she loves that he won’t judge her for pulling the same shit every now and then.

What were their first impressions of each other?: alma was super thrown off by that hand kiss. “who the fuck is this mischief-maker?” while nate was very kind and warm, felix (surprisingly) was the UB teammate that really humanized the rest of the team for alma. he’s fun and genuine and wants everyone else to be happy together. felix was incredibly interested to learn more about alma, as a human, as his boss’s daughter, and then as a friend when she readily accepted the supernatural and, by extension, him as a vampire. The fact that she’s easily flustered or surprised really works in his favor because he lives for being the most shocking person in the room.

What do they do to spend time together?: they share music, they dance, and they text A LOT. lots of memes, lots of “what does [x] mean?” “oh nice” “[proceeds to use the thing they just learned incorrectly]”. they also compare and share hair products.

Anything else you’d like to share: they each have a tamagotchi named after the other (baby felix and baby alma) and they compete to see who can keep theirs alive the longest. everyone loses.

OTHER RELATIONSHIPS (Feel free to go in-depth!)

Relationship with Rebecca: oof okay. alma seeks rebecca’s approval and depends on her for a sense of safety and “stability.” in some ways, she wants to be exactly like her mom: strong, independent, unbothered, worldly. but a lot of that shatters the longer alma works professionally with rebecca and with the revelations surrounding rook. alma sees how much rebecca uses her as a crutch, projects her perceived failures onto alma’s life, and over-shelters her.

Relationship with Rook: alma doesn’t remember him and tries not to think of him often or fondly or at all BUT she has so many of his things. his flannels, his detective badge, his ancient comic book collection (which is the only reason she has her own). she has his eyes and his impulsive streak, his care for people of all varieties. she IS rook’s daughter and she ignores that fact so it doesn’t hurt her.

Relationship with Bobby: they used to be very close, slightly flirty friends but there’s no way in hell alma can trust him now. (i originally had bobby as alma’s ex but it was all getting a little too Bella Swan for me. like bobby, douglas, the werewolves, falk, and mason like????? it was a bit much so bobby’s just an old ex-friend)

Relationship with Verda: alma fucking loves verda. that’s her mentor, that’s her dad friend. she feels a sense of Pride and Accomplishment when she can make verda laugh or impress him in the lab, or both. alma’s fond of spending evenings over his place with eric and the kids, making dinner, or just hanging out.

Relationship with Tina: tina was alma’s first friend as a kid. they lost touch in high school because tina was bubbly and cute and popular, while alma was… not. but the summer before they left for college they ran into each other at a house party and since that reconnection, they’ve been thick as thieves. it was like nothing had changed. tina is a light in alma’s life, and alma lets tina lean into the stranger parts of herself without judgment.

Relationship with the Mayor: thinks he’s a creep and a bad parent.

Relationship with Capt. Sung: appreciates how he prioritizes the town and its people, but thinks he could loosen up a bit.

Relationship with Haley: haley is a couple of years older than alma but they’ve known each other forever. alma admires haley’s work ethic and cheery attitude.

Relationship with Elidor: oh man, alma is absolutely stunned by elidor. he’s beautiful, kind, and knowledgeable. in those early days, elidor is responsible for quite a bit of her supernatural education. alma grills him while he nurses her back to health. her curiosity is refreshing to him.

Relationship with Tapeesa/Vieno: alma thinks vieno is cute and funny, says hi when she sees them around, but they’re not best friends or anything. she can’t shake the thought that they’re basically a fae version of danny devito.

Relationship with Unit Alpha: absolutely smitten with lesedi. she’s never seen a more beautiful woman. tamiko ends up being a pretty good friend. the twins are on her social periphery but alma’s not close with them.

Relationship with the Maa-alused: alma sincerely wants to help them adjust to life in this world and takes that goal very seriously. at the same time she really really wishes falk hadn’t developed this weird attachment to her.

Do they have any other important relationships, past or present? (Relatives, friends, etc.?): YES. i’ve thrown another oc in wayhaven for the express purpose of being The Detective. His name is javi. alma met him in college and they were fast friends. alma convinced him to try out wayhaven after graduation. They lived together for a while and now they, along with tina, can often be seen in the corner booth of chen’s pub.

she was also very close with her maternal grandmother before she died. she was raised by her while rebecca was absent, but i need to develop this more.

her cat, october, whom she’s had for five years. he’s a sweet, mostly black tortie that can hardly meow. alma adopted him as an adult when she got her own place.

PERSONAL BIO

Describe their personality: alma is so open and ready to accept new possibilities. she’s the sort of person that embraces what scares her, finds beauty in it, and loves it intensely. she’s sharp and resourceful. i wouldn’t exactly describe her as hard-working, but she’s knowledgeable about her field and tries to be helpful when she has a goal in mind.

she’s quite tactile. touchy with other people. likes to use her hands for work or hobbies. she doesn’t really mind being alone for long stretches of time but would prefer not to be. she wants others to want to be around her.

she’s also terrible at being honest about her trauma. everything is fine, she’s fine, she doesn’t need to talk about this :) :) :) she will handle the breakdown when it happens and not one second before. also, with quick wit comes uncontrollable sarcasm and it does not always hit well.

Strengths: the only person in unit bravo that knows how to use google

Weaknesses: squishy

Where in the world is their Wayhaven?: super torn here because wayhaven feels inland to me, but i think i’ve finally settled on the north carolina coast but not like the outer banks area. If not there, then maybe virginia, closer to the chesapeake bay.

What is their personal history?: alma is born to rook and rebecca in wayhaven. spends her childhood being raised mostly by her grandmother, idolizes rebecca. academic success comes easily for her; a heavy interest in science leads to a scholarship at a university just far away enough to feel like she’s Leaving The Nest. alma dates a bit in college but she’s the type to end up becoming friends with everyone she sleeps with and romance is difficult for her to cultivate. when she does date, the relationships are short-lived. she returns to wayhaven after school and puts her degree to work in wayhaven’s police department. she wishes she’d applied for a position in the city but craves the comfort (and tbh, the low stakes) of home.

If they weren’t a detective, what would their dream job be?: she’s a forensic analyst and honestly?? it’s a pretty dreamy job for her. she loves being a scientist, loves helping people, and isn’t easily grossed out.

Anything else you’d like to share: has tried to stay overnight in an ikea. did not succeed.

RANDOM FACTS

Zodiac sign: gemini

Hobbies: reading peer-reviewed journals, watching terrible sci-fi, collecting comic books and mugs, thrift shopping

Likes: good hair days, denim jackets, vanilla candles, halloween, unflavored lipbalm, driving at night, that warm “surrounded by love” feeling, snails, fuzzy socks

Dislikes: the lights while driving at night, winter, dry skin, minimalist decor, smudged glasses, being overwhelmed with choices

Drink of choice: white wine usually, white russians if she’s out at chen’s, or shots of jaeger if she’s feeling trashy

Starbucks order: grande flat white with 3 pumps of toffee nut syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon

Favorite food: a simple, fresh spaghetti pomodoro OR lemon meringue pie

Favorite color: golden mustard yellow

Favorite music: she loves just about everything and it’s heavily dependant on her mood. (this is actually really difficult to think about without feeling like i'm giving her my exact taste in music but here's a little playlist that fits her vibe)

Favorite genre (and favorite movie/book/etc): science fiction or psychological thrillers, but her favorite movie is oliver and company.

Favorite season: fall

Anything else you’d like to share: has a stupid amount of blankets stashed around her apartment. she really does not like being cold.

#alma greene #twc #i uhhh i spent a very long time on this and i'm still like #who is this person #but it's fine it's fine #i can rest

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all-things-mlqc · 4 years ago

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The five boys react to an overweight MC that works as a nutritionist but struggles a lot to lose weight? It might be strange but it happens sometimes. PLEASE!!! Btw, I love your work❤️

This was really fun to write about. Knowing that these guys are so supportive of MC and want to help her in any way possible with whatever she’s struggling with is just so sweet.

Thank you for the love and support as well! 😭 I’m usually just memeing it up out here so writing HCs is very new for me but your support helps so much! I did meme a lot while writing this as well because what’s life without memes, so you can find all of my inner thoughts crossed out~ Hope you enjoy!

HC below the cut~

Gavin:

Gavin loves and supports MC through everything. He’s constantly watching and confronts her whenever he believes something is wrong.

After noticing her sulking at herself in the mirror, he asks what’s troubling her.

“Nothing really! You don’t need to worry about me.”

She gives him a small smile and turns away from the mirror.

He figured it had something to do with her figure given the way she was looking at herself.

He remembered her mentioning how even though she’s a nutritionist, she still struggled with her own weight.

She didn’t seem all that down back when mentioning it, but the expression she had in the mirror said otherwise.

He stood up from the sofa and asked if she wanted to go with him during his morning jog.

“Why would you want me to do that? I’d only slow you down.”

Gavin: I don’t mind. If it’ll help, then I’ll do anything I can.

This man isn’t one for small talk. He gets straight to the point. He observes, finds the problem and seeks out a solution. There was no need for MC to confirm his suspicions about wanting to lose weight; It was all in her expression.

“I don’t really want you to go out of your way for me... Besides, it’s important you don’t slack off with your training.”

Gavin: I wouldn’t be slacking off. Training with you would only make me work harder.

A NATURAL ROMANTIC BUT ALSO A FUCKING MORON WHO GAVE HER A BLOOD SOAKED LETTER. IM GONNA BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF YOU YA DUMBASS

MC takes up on Gavin’s offer considering how adamant he was. He also didn’t seem concerned in the slightest about MC being a burden BECAUSE SHES LITERALLY THE LIGHT IN HIS LIFE AND WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR HER

After they go jogging, they stop for a healthy meal of MCs choice because Gavin doesn’t know what food is. Have you seen his kitchen? INSTA NOODLES EVERYWHERE. Boy is literally the type to throw a lunchables on the dinner table and give thanks for his beloved meal. Omg nononono I’m thinking of all these sad things now about how Gavin was literally homeless for a while as a kid so he probably just got used to eating something small and simple every day. BYE IMMA GO CRY NOW

While eating, Gavin comes up with a few more ideas to help and offers to take her to his gym every other day.

They come up with a plausible schedule that could seem efficient to MC’s wish of losing weight.

This also gives MC the chance to make sure Gavin is taking care of himself as well.

Kiro:

Kiro and MC meet up when he finally has free time and manages to escape from Savin.

Like their normal days together, they end up walking around Loveland City, going to some sightseeing locations. They just enjoy each other’s company.

When stopping to buy a snack, Kiro grabs two bags of chips and beams up at MC only to see her forced smile. He immediately gets concerned given how positive she always is.

Kiro: Are you ok? What’s on your mind?

“No, it’s nothing. I’m just trying to narrow down on the amount of junk food I eat.”

Kiro: Why is that? You’ve always told me to live to the fullest.

“Well... I’m trying to lose some weight but it seems more problematic than I had originally thought.”

With MC looking ashamed of how little progress she has made thus far, Kiro places both bags back on the shelf with a bright smile.

Kiro: Well if we both work together then there’s no chance we could lose this fight! Besides, Savin has been at my throat lately considering the mount of junk food I’ve been eating recently too.

“Kiro...”

MC stared at Kiro, dumbfounded, who seemed so positive. This gave MC a boost of confidence, herself.

She quietly thanked him while giving him a genuine smile.

They spent the whole day doing fun activities. In a way, this was part of Kiro’s plan to help MC. He knew how much this mattered to her so he wanted to keep a smile on her face while secretly help her from the shadows.

It’s honestly what he does best. It’s hard to tell in the game since we don’t get to see every expression he makes or how he reacts to things, but take a good look at his reactions in the anime. You can see how serious he really is behind his happy facade.

He continues to silently help her every time they spend time together as well as send her encouraging texts and reminders.

Nobody is more positive and encouraging than Kiro~

Lucien:

Lucien knows everything nutritionists know, let’s be real. This man was a child prodigy who skipped half of his school life, going straight to college.

He knows EXACTLY what MC needs. The one problem is, so does MC.

She knows what she needs to do but doesn’t have the kind of support she needs. She easily becomes discouraged when things don’t work out after trying so hard.

Luckily, Lucien is also a wonderful supporter minus when he just “what’s a magic? Don’t know em. No thoughts. Head empty. Only science and death”. Uhu then what do you call that flying cop outside the window? Where’s your science behind that? Lucien: “Well you see, there is a certain DNA mutation that—“ DO NOT ANSWER THAT YOU FOOL I KNOW ITS SCIENCE BUT MAGIC IS EASIER TO ACCEPT RN BECAUSE MY BRAIN GO BRRR

But considering it’s MCs health, he is very supportive and even explains that many people struggle with the same problem. There’s not exactly any problem with how someone looks unless it is overall affecting their health for the worse but he will gladly help MC if she wishes to lose weight.

Knowing that Lucien views it this way immediately gives MC more confidence.

An enormous amount of stress has been lifted off her shoulders which will ultimately help her reach her goal.

Lucien comes up with a solid workout plan and diet that is easy for MC to follow and even offers to make her some special meals to help with weight loss because Bill Nye over here has the solution to everything

I also highkey imagined him whispering in her ear like the first day they met that if she follows his plan without any casualties, he would give her special rewards and yes I do mean THOSE kind of rewards because this man is K I N K Y. I don’t even like him, I blame my friend who’s constantly giving me these ideas about him. You’re lucky you’re a bitch or I’d probably be on the floor for you too.

Victor:

Victor’s biggest struggle is vulnerability. He is very blunt and says what comes to his mind without always thinking it through.

Because of this, he upsets MC when talking about her weight.

He meant no harm from whatever he may have said but notices MC’s sorrowful expression after lifting his eyes from the papers on his desk to meet her gaze.

He immediately acknowledges what he had done and puts everything away for the day, offering to take her to Souvenir.

“What..?”

Victor: I’m done for the day. If you don’t have anything else to do, you can come with me.

“But why?”

Victor: You’re still you regardless of your weight, but if it’s something you want to change, I’ll help.

The man wanted to tell her she’s beautiful and amazing no matter what, but hahaha we all know this man can’t compliment for the life of him. Jkjk he can but like I said before, v u l n e r a b i l i t y. He struggles with expressing his true feelings.

MC responds with pure shock on her face,

“Really?? You’d help me?”

Victor: Only an idiot would ask a question like that. You should count on me more when you’re struggling with something like this.

Baka this baka that. If I don’t add it somewhere, than this whole HC isn’t accurate at all. All you thirsty Victor hoes go watch his baka clip if you want more *spray bottles*

He tidies up his desk and grabs his coat, heading towards the door while MC stumbles over her thoughts.

He only stops halfway out the door to look back over his shoulder at MC.

Victor: Well?

“I— I’m coming!”

She rushes over and follows him out the door.

Victor ends up making MC a delicious and healthy meal, one he knows is a special meal for a weight loss diet.

Cooking was never that important to him. He only learned because of the little girl he once knew. But now... Now he has a new reason to continue cooking.

That girl had come back to him and he would do anything in his power to make her happy.

Shaw:

He watches MC intently as she talks about how difficult it is for her.

Right before MC finishes, he places her on his skateboard and takes off without giving her time to protest.

She shouts in fear ofc. Why wouldn’t she. I’m terrified every time the game says he puts mc on his skateboard just—

Shaw chuckles with amusement in her ear and then tells her to push off with her own feet.

“ARE YOU INSANE?” yes, yes he is

Shaw: I won’t let you fall but I won’t stop until you push.

“Fine fine!”

With the help of Shaw keeping her steady, she’s able to smoothly push off the skateboard a few times.

After getting the hang of it, there’s a slight smile taking place of her feared expression from before.

Shaw’s expression, however, doesn’t change in the slightest. That teasing smirk rests on his face as she continues to push them down the park sidewalk.

As they reach the main road, she yells back to Shaw when the skateboard doesn’t slow down.

“Shaw—!”

It’s all she managed to get out as the fear she once had returned again.

MC shut her eyes with panic as the street grew closer and closer, only to feel an arm wrap around her as the cold wind hitting her face dissipated.

When her eyes opened, she saw Shaw giving her the same mocking smirk he always wears. However, his eyes showed signs of gentleness he doesn’t often express.

He offers her one of his skateboards for workout purposes as well as being her workout partner.

MCs chuckles out of amusement from the idea of HER riding a skateboard by herself. totally a reason why Shaw made this offer. He feeds off of entertainment.

She politely declines his offer of skateboarding but hesitantly asks if he would help her in other ways.

The question needs no thought from Shaw but he doesn’t want her to know he made up his mind to help long ago. ah yes, his one weakness as well, vulnerability

Shaw: I suppose being of assistance to you may turn out entertaining.

MC: Is that all I am to you? A source of entertainment?

She pouts at him half jokingly but he pays no mind to it as he kicks up his skateboard and continues walking ahead while suggesting a few things they can do to help with weight loss. Daring but not enough to scare her away. He actually wants to help but needs her to comply with his suggestions

Shaw is the type to help those he cares for without making it obvious. He believes personal relationships is a weakness for someone like him so he always keeps people at arms length; He always wants a possible way out for when he has to push people away.

While this is true, he’s also struggled with vulnerability his whole life. Considering the type of person his father was, growing up with a man like that not only puts pressure on Shaw, but also forms this broken and terrified personality under his overconfident facade.

Someone please just hold this man, he’s trying his best and needs healing

Their solution for MC is to try some fun activities together. Fun enough for MC to believe that Shaw isn’t going out of his way for her but also not as extreme to the point where MC won’t participate.

#mlqc #mr. love queen's choice #mr. love #mlqc hc #mlqc gavin #mlqc haku #mlqc kira #mlqc kiro #mlqc victor #mlqc zen #mlqc shaw #mlqc lucien #mlqc simon #asks #thank you <333 #man may i just say that i wrote this at the worst possible time #i had EVERYTHING written out and ready to go #woke up the next morning and my phone said ‘haha Apple phone go brrr’#rest in peace 5000+ videos and pictures #all my game data #*thankfully i got most of those back*#all my notes #g o n e #it was a tragedy #but WE’RE BACK AND I REWROTE EVERYTHING SOMEONE JUST END ME ALREADY #but man im sorry this took longer than expected oTL #anywho writing kiro’s reminded me about who he really is #and probably not in the way you guys are thinking #only people with his newest rumors & secrets would know what im talking about #but damn i want more info on that and cannot WAIT for the anime to cover what most of us know

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screechingkingdomhottub · 4 years ago

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Black people I am amazingly thankful for

This is supposed to be like a list of black people that helped make my childhood and adulthood awesome. This is not supposed to take away from any situation that is happening, that’s not my intention. I just wanna celebrate some people. Now, in no particular order. 1. Phill Lewis aka Mr Moseby, this man is amazing. He was of course in Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Suite Life On Deck. He played the manager of the hotel, could have easily been written as a throwaway character, token black guy but no. They made this man have the finest suits, have a feminine side that he is very in touch with and smooth about(the baseball game scene where he says “I was the only guy in a room filled with girls” or something along those lines is awesome), on that note a wonderful dancer and singer. But most importantly, he was like a father figure to so many characters, most notably London and Nia but also to Zack, Cody, Maddie sometimes. That was a series I could gush about all day, especially the episode about Hugh Mulzac and how the education system suppresses black stories in history, like if that came out today people would call it “sjw bullshit” but I loved that growing up and I still love it, I’m rewatching it right now. So I’m beyond thankful for Phill Lewis, also he was in Heathers which no one credits enough and I like Heathers. 2. Corey Dorris from Team Starkid, I love starkid and there’s memes on my blog about them. They are all so incredibly talented and make musical theatre accessible and just wow I love them so much. My favourite performance of Corey Dorris is in their most recent production Black Friday, whilst his role isn’t amazingly huge, his performance is. Please listen to Our Doors Are Open from Black Friday, that song feels like your listening to how honey tastes. 3. James Tolbert from Team Starkid, so here’s the thing bout James, he’s rather new to Starkid but he’s somehow able to do choreography, acting, singing and dancing(I know it comes under choreography but this man can DANCE). Absolutely incredible. Please watch Black Friday to understand what I’m talking about. 4. Britney Coleman from Starkid honestly okay she can sing amazingly, like she plays Bellatrix in the AVPM series and oh wow she’s incredible. Like listen to When you have to go all the way home from a very potter senior year. Her voice is the most powerful I’ve ever heard. It’s so beautiful and would not be the same without her. I’m beginning to think this might go into a different theme if I just consistently mention starkid actors but I do love all of starkid and I could gush about all of them but I feel like a video someone else made sums it up better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jzfngJ7AnU here you go, please watch that, show them all some love. 5. Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert, Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons, Tatyana M. Ali, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Ross Bagley aka the cast of the fresh prince of bel-air. Excellent show, I loved it growing up and still love it now. I remember seeing Will play basketball when I was a kid and just feeling a sorta calling to it and that actually helped me with my depression during high school. The fact that the star of the show, someone who I looked up to when I was little, now has a family that defends each other as strongly as they are right now makes me so happy and proud? almost? But of course the show itself was amazing, brought up important issues and there’s more than just Will involved so I’m thankful for them all. 6. Living Colour - they did the song Cult of Personality which is an amazing anthem of a song with both an epic guitar solo and badass political statement. Whilst it’s only really that song I like by them, they’re the ones to thank for it. So I’m thankful for them. Lowkey think that song should get the same amount of praise as stuff like American Idiot by Green Day or The Anthem by Good Charlotte just a thought. 7. Snoop Dogg...which yes I know sounds weird considering how anti drugs and anti marijuana I am but he did a song with Big Time Rush and a whole christmas special with them. It’s takes a really awesome guy to simultaneously be a well established rapper and to go collab with a nickelodeon boyband so his daughter thinks he’s cool. Like that man is excellent for that. 8. Mercedes Justine Kaestner-Varnado aka Sasha Banks, so I used to be really into wrestling. Really really into WWE and it will always hold a special place in my heart. But this woman has truly revolutionised the company for so many reasons. Most of the time women’s wrestling was eh not for the wrestling and it was sad. There’s also not a lot of black wrestlers that make it very far, so much so that I struggle to remember who they are a lot of the time. But Sasha Banks somehow managed to become and remain a successful wrestler who is taking seriously and earns championships and has amazing matches. She’s also related to Snoop Dogg but that’s not the only thing about her which makes her even more iconic like please stan her and support her she’s incredible. 9. Itzkeisha on youtube which is a much more recent one but I respect someone who can build herself up with genuine talent and passion and use the platform to help people and speak out against stuff and actually researches things that not a lot of people are talking about that also need help. 10. George Floyd. Tragically, police brutality and racism isn’t new. I was in denial about it in the past and I’m sure many were as well. He should not have died and please do not take this as me saying that. However, he is a martyr and more people are listening now, there’s more being done now. His death has lead to a lot and will lead to even more. We’ll get justice for him and all the other victims of murder. Police brutality is murder. Hopefully obviously these names aren’t the only black people that I admire or respect but these are names that I want people to recognise more. I want to celebrate black people right now, so if there’s a black kid or teenager or adult even reading this please know that although things are scary, and you should be careful, it’s not your destiny to be killed by a cop. You can do great things, here’s a list of people that are also black that have done great things to prove it to you. And even if you’re not successful or your talents aren’t recognised, I still think you’re worth something. I’m white, may have said some wrong things here, if anyone wants me to change anything or correct myself of some stuff please let me know!

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loquaciousquark · 5 years ago

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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E91 (Jan. 21, 2020)

Good evening, everyone! Sorry about missing last week; @eponymous-rose was out of town and I had some other commitments. Regardless, here we are! Brian is looking handsome and cold, as are Sam & Travis on the couch. Everyone is wearing coats. Is the heat broken?

That said, tonight’s guests are Travis Willingham & Sam Riegel.

Brian starts us off asking Sam if he’s remaking the Wire in Beverly Hills. Sam basically embodies that hello fellow kids meme tonight in a hand-knitted beanie from his wife, a bomber jacket, a yellow tee, and skinny jeans. They quickly photoshop in smoke trailing out of his mouth. We’re just a few minutes in and this is off the rails already.

Announcements: The next issue (#5) of Vox Machina comics comes out Wednesday, Feb. 19! It’s also available online at Dark Horse Digital and Comixology. And that’s it! Huh.

Episode 91: Stone to Clay

Brian tells us this is the first time ever to have Sam & Travis alone on Talks. I’m stunned and so are they. Sam says, “between me, Brian, Dani, and Travis right now, there’s four tens on this show right now.”

We’re already into questions less than ten minutes into the show. Truly this is a remarkable night.

63 in game days and 21 episodes passed between Caduceus’s first mention of Stone (episode 71) and Fjord connecting the dots. Travis blames the internet connection and his really bad ADHD night, as that was the night he and Laura remoted in from the hotel.

Brian tells us that when Ashley used to skype in, she could only see Matt & couldn’t see or really hear anyone else.

Travis says there was a huge delay for him between mouths moving and the audio coming through, and then that audio was pretty distorted. Laura could handle it okay, but Travis just heard a jumble and couldn’t parse it.

Sam took a CBD bath the other day and found it exactly as relaxing as a normal bath. Sam & Travis commiserate about taking baths only to have their knees pop out of the water. Tall people problems smh

Caleb & Nott completed the spell in less than a week, including dealing with the Angel of Irons & brokering peace treaties. Travis though the laughter was going to be Helas.

Travis says he definitely didn’t hear the name the first time (he remembered dust but not stone from the lava pits). “Look! Yes! No, I was not listening before! Thursday nights are my times to enjoy my friends and food! Marisha is an amazing note-taker; why would I ever take my own? This is how I got through college!”

Sam says he keeps a mission checklist in his head and has for ages. He has a page in his notebook labeled “To Do” that includes things like visiting Kiri or Shakaste, in case they have downtime and need ideas.

Travis asks if he continues writing in his (apparently) very small handwriting, and Sam says he has to leave room for Laura to draw all her dicks. They all marvel that she is actually a very good artist.

Travis honestly still thinks the Stone name is a huge coincidence, especially since Taliesin didn’t have access to Fjord’s last name when he created Caduceus’s last name and backstory. Sam challenges Travis that even if that were true, doesn’t he think Matt will find a way to tie it together?

Travis says Fjord doesn’t want anything to do with the last name and it’s not even his real name. He’s not convinced this isn’t a coincidence.

Travis did a lot of research into orphanage naming conventions when coming up with Stone. He does have a backstory as to how the orphanage manager picked Stone as his name.

Travis thinks Matt would have emphasized the Stone name more sooner if it had been a true connection and not coincidence.

Brian: “He does like to take credit for coincidences, doesn’t he?”

Nott didn’t think there was a catch in the ritual; Sam was more surprised they were allowed to achieve the milestone at all. He was shocked it happened so soon in the story and that the spell is relatively easy to cast.

He didn’t know it would fail, but there was a moment when he wasn’t sure if he wanted to go through with it. Travis agrees everyone was shocked when it didn’t work.

Fjord’s current stance on faith and destiny hasn’t changed since the last time he discussed it. Faith is a slow thing for Fjord and he really does think the name is a coincidence.

Sam as a player is excited to see what comes next for Nott; “if she had been transformed into Veth at that moment, I would have been excited to see what comes next. The fact that it’s still Nott makes me excited too. I’m excited to see more of Nott since she’s the best character in the M9.” He also confesses he was a bit relieved, in part because it’s delayed the inevitable. At some point she must decide if she is going to stay or go with the M9.

Cosplay of the Week: @kajicosplays on instagram of a lovely lady Percy. Brian: “Isn’t it fun when Taliesin’s characters live?”

Deep down, Nott knows she will do the transformation at some point, but at that last moment where she had to make a decision she had to check in with herself to make sure she was ready. Sam Riegel as a D&D player also knows that you have to trust your DM and make choices.

Brian misreads the word “ribbing.” Sam teaches Travis what rimming is. We all learn a lot about each other.

Sam thinks Fjord can realize when the time comes to set jokes aside. He thinks Fjord was very respectful. Travis has honestly forgotten that the conversation took place.

Travis has Dani answer from Fjord’s perspective. It’s actually pretty insightful, talking about how Fjord recognized someone hesitant to give up these newfound powers that have become intrinsically tied to self-worth.

Fjord has always been loyal, and Travis sees his protectiveness of the M9 as a logical extension of this.

Right now, he has found some agency & self-direction and is hopeful to share that sense with everyone else (he especially mentions Yasha).

Sam & Travis start quoting from Half-Baked. This is chaos.

Nott does want to stay with the M9, but she also wants to go home for sure, both of those things. The kiss with Caleb wasn’t necessarily a goodbye; it felt like the closing of a chapter. It felt like something to mark the end of the experience.

Now they’re quoting Beverly Hills Cop. Oh, boy.

“You look like you wrote Pitch Perfect.” When did this turn into a roast?

Fjord has no memories earlier than the orphanage (The Driftwood Asylum). There were a couple dozen kids there aside from him; Travis thinks some of them might have been named Stone. It also operated as a small child-labor workshop for carpentry & woodshop stuff. “It was a terrible place all around.” He has no images of parents or being dropped off.

Sam thought the Nott transformation would be more endgame, though he feels it makes sense that it’s not. “While Nott transforming into Veth was my original goal, what’s great about these long games is that your goals can change two or three times before the end. Now I can explore all these other things: does she want to go back and be a housewife? How does she rectify her obligations to her husband and child to the life that she’s made with the M9? It’s so exciting and interesting.”

Brian asks a hypothetical: if she could transform back but lose all Nott’s memories, would she do it? Sam: “Oh, that’s tough. I don’t know.”

Fanart of the Week: a lovely piece by @pen_draws with everyone in the hot tub.

Travis is very trepidatious about returning to the open ocean after rejecting Uk’otoa. He wants to make sure the third temple is sealed. It feels like it would be too easy for someone not to come and try to collect the job he left half-finished. He also wants to go back to Darktow.

Sam doesn’t know if Nott is still in love with Yeza, although she definitely still loves him. He’s playing with the idea of a high school sweetheart being exposed to the world and then going back home. But Yeza’s amazing, a great guy, perfect. “I guess we’ll find out when/if she turns back into Veth.” Sam feels guilty talking about him. “He’s a fictional character and I feel guilty that he might be watching the show.”

Neither Nott nor Fjord trust Essek. Travis: “He just went from being cold and aloof to being really warm. I know there’s been time and he’s lived an isolated life, but...time will show if he’s being genuine. All of our haunches were up. All of us were on level five alert.” He’s being so helpful that Travis doesn’t trust Mercer with him.

Fjord never ever considered becoming a paladin of the Traveler. “No. Fuck no!” The Wildmother reached out and directly intervened to save him. Travis gets super creepy bad vibes from the Traveler’s relationship with Jester (Sam agrees).

Nott feels more pressure when her own problems become the focus. It’s hard for her to open up and talk about her feelings. She’d rather pick up on other people’s problems. Sam also acknowledges it’s more pressure on him (and anyone) as a player when the whole table is looking at you.

And that’s that! Is it Thursday yet?

#critical role #critical role spoilers #talks machina #talks machina spoilers #long post for ts

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mandareeboo · 4 years ago

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Willow, Eda, and Lilith for the character writing meme?

Pick a character I’ve written and I will explain the top ~three to five ideas/concepts/etc I keep in mind while writing that character that I believe are essential to accurately depicting them.

Arguably the most OP witch of the group?? I know Luz has a lot of talent bubbling below the surface but considering Willow had no proper training in Plant magic until, like, a month ago, and is filled with so much potential as it is??? Girl is fucking STRONK

Has never been overly shy- she’s never been against meeting other people, or inserting herself into situations. She’s quiet. There’s a difference. Quiet kids willingly grab microphones and start revolts.

We don’t really know what being a late bloomer means for Willow’s magic (is it like puberty? Or have they been passing her grades on without any abilities?? Etc etc) but it’s gotten her a LOT of shit over the years and she’s sensitive about it.

Mildly related but not really a tip so it won’t count, but can you imagine if Eda doesn’t sink back into her “I Don’t Care Abt Anyone Baka” attitude in season 2??? Eda awkwardly making lunches with canteens of vodka and telling Luz she loves her every morning while throwing mind-destroying slugs at her??? That’d be fucking adorable

Resourceful! She’s made a living off of picking up litter, for pete’s sake.

Eda’s genius is a bit unconventional but it WORKS. Mostly self-taught. Able to help Luz tap into her own potential despite not knowing how it works.

Adopts everything. if it has a pulse and doesn’t call the cops on her she likes it. Hell Lilith doesn’t even fulfil all those requirements and she still loves her to bits.

Lily is the more put-together sister but. Dumbest. 100% the stupider sibling. Assumes Sans Undertale King will cure Eda for, god, probably a decade or two at least? After all his spiels about Wild Witches???? Girl. Honestly surprised when shady salescreatures trick her. Will probably be surprised to learn Luz is in school despite seeing her in uniform during a school trip. Pure(ish) of Heart, Dumb of Ass

That said, assumes the best in people??? Genuinely hopeful Eda might join the Emperor’s Coven of her own free will. Genuinely believes Belos. Willingly lets Eda live her own life at the Owl House bc she lost a fucking sport game. Only kidnaps Luz bc Belos threatens to kill her and potentially Eda (still fucked up on her end tho).

Has basically no life skills. She was taken into the Coven as a teenager. Lived in the castle where every need was met. Probably can’t cook. Probably hasn’t touched a mop in years.

I like to think she reminds Luz of her mom a lot. It’s a different scale, yeah, but this woman (Lilith) tries to convince/force her more vulnerable counterpart (a heavily cursed Eda) to stifle her creativity and become “Normal”.

#Ask #Question Mandar #l-egionaire #Ask Prompt #Writing #The Owl House #Willow Park #Eda Clawthorne #Lilith Clawthorne

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joecial-distancing · 3 years ago

Text

July Roundup

Lifestyle:

I’ve been getting back into running this summer. It’s been about 4 years since I’ve done any serious running, and I have been made painfully aware of the differences in my body at age 29 compared to 25. My knees hurt more, I need to attend to stretching much more seriously than I used to. I’m coming at the task with better self-knowledge than last time, though; I know how far and how fast I’ve been capable of pushing, and I find an enormous amount of comfort and strength from that familiarity.

I’ve also been applying to jobs, a process which started as nauseatingly daunting, but has gradually settled into just a regular chore of the week (ideally chore of the day, if I’m to keep up with new years resolutions). Getting a resume mushed into a satisfying shape has felt nice, as has getting together a form cover letter that I know hasn’t hurt my chances of getting my foot in doors. Annoyance Boxes checked off, and the rest is getting familiar with the rest of the grind. Interviews have been and will be the same process.

Games:

I’ve also been playing a lot of Sekiro. I’ve always “liked” Fromsoft games, but it’s been rare that I’ve been able to justify the time investment. There’s an appeal in the structure, endless chances to bash myself against a problem until it clicks, being able to run drills when stuck or inadequate (and there is a hook in the inadequacy; nothing frustrates me more than being unable to Just figure out a solution, or requiring too much time to get there. I have a tense relationship with time and deadline pressure. Impatience is one of my greatest vices). So with school finished, I’m diving into this as a treat to myself. The systems are fun, and the camera is so fucking awful that I get unreasonably angry about it. One thing I always do with these games that I think is anathema to a lot of their fans is to spoil myself on what I’m up against. In dark souls I would always have open area maps, rather than try to navigate the combat and exploration simultaneously. It put my mind at ease, I didn’t like the discomfort of the tension of untriggered surprise. And with Sekiro, I know roughly the zones I’m up against, I’m not above watching videos of the boss fights to learn the proper counters etc. No shame, no honor, that’s not what I get out of these games, really.

As with running, so with jobsearch, so with Sekiro, the method is diligence, the appeal is the pleasure of feeling my improvement over time. There is nothing more exciting to me than casually accomplishing something that I know would have annihilated me only a short time ago. I can finish 2 miles in 20 minutes, I want to get it down to 15. This also means the videogame tends to lose out on the priorities list—if I’m wanting to dedicate myself to practice, there’s almost always a different outlet that’d be better outcomes in the long run

very 8 of pentacles mood overall, lately.

Books:

I’m almost done with Pynchon’s Against the Day, which had taken up all of my Reading attention span this month. Unless it does something in the final 8% to lose me hard, it’ll probably clock in as my 2nd favorite of his stuff, behind Gravity’s Rainbow. Anarchism as expressed against American mining companies, European empires, and the Mexican state; searches for a lost paradise city; warfare between schools of mathematics; the nature of Light. At face value, it feels closest to Gravity’s Rainbow and Mason & Dixon, compared to the rest of his work (I know there’s a lot of subtext and referencing going over my head with all of these in terms of both history and literature; I noticed a lot of reviews of AtD focused about the variety of genre style work that he’s pulling from in certain sections, nearly all of which is lost on me. It has, however, been very fun to me that I’m able to keep up with the mathematic academia infighting depicted in this). There’s a “fairy tales coming to life” quality to all three, if instead of Grimms’ stories it’s historical models of the world: Supersonic rockets wreck the flow of pavlovian cause & effect, the destruction of natural landscape in the course of linear surveying becomes a direct conduit for a massive influx of evil energy, quaternion mathematics casting time as real and space as imaginary allow a yogi to contort himself out of sight and into the imaginary plane. The aether is experimentally disproven in the beginning of Against the Day’s timeline, which doesn’t stop holdout engineers and mystics from working wonders with it.

It feels like there’s about as much going on in here as GR, but where GR is claustrophobically overstuffed (which is also part of the reason it’s a better book) and Mason & Dixon gets kind of plodding, the material here is given space to breathe, without losing momentum. It probably helps that the characters in this are a.) numerous, and b.) unusually solid as far as Pynchon goes.

It’s also got many great examples of something else I really like about Pynchon, which is that he is willing to commit 110% to incredibly stupid jokes. There’s an Elmer Fudd reference in here that completely knocked me on my ass.

Viz:

Watched the Bo Burnham netflix, which was mostly pretty good, though I’m completely out of patience for ostentations self-awareness or fake debate where the ~comedian~ who’s concerned about being ~white privileged mannn~ feels guilty he might be ~taking up space~, doesn’t know that he ~deserrrrves it~... out of patience because I already know what he did with that guilt (if genuine) — he didn’t scrap the project, he released the fucking thing anyway. What am I to do with this, Bo Burnham? Would you like my permission? Would you like an “it’s ok dude” from people of marginalized groups within your audience? Why am I watching along for a decision you’ve quite literally already made? I don’t trust displays of vulnerability before an audience of this size.

Also watched through I Think You Should Leave, which... sure it’s funny, and also very effective at making me uncomfortable, which is clearly what it’s aiming to do, but. I don’t really get why it’s got such a strong cultural draw within the online spheres I’m normally checked into. Saw some discourse about how the quotability is somehow distinct from regular memeing, which, alright get over yourselves jesus christ.

speaking of flavors of the month, watched 50 shades and lmao. I’ve been told by a trusted source the books are worse which is hilarious.

also speaking of flavors of the [century], S.O. and I have been doing a rewatch of pre-MCU comic book movies, which has been some fascinating anthropology. It meant, though, that we had to sit through howard the duck, an absolutely wretched film. Other highlights so far: willem dafoe power rangers acting, the soundtrack on affleck daredevil (incl a fuckin choice Evanescence exercise montage), Blade & Blade II still hold up.

We’ve also made it to the final season of pre-reboot xfiles. Duchovny’s mostly gone from this last season, replaced largely by robert patrick of T1000 fame, who is a better actor but a worse character, dude’s basically just A Cop. The writing’s weirdly probably better than the last couple Duchovny seasons, but the show doesn’t work without him — his bad acting was the main thing keeping things together, the tone’s all off now.

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