#which has got to mark a regression in character

[godfeelscanon]

so what’s your thoughts on transfem Dave anyways? Godfeels has always kinda… not exactly sidestepped the idea, but not yknow, lingered on it very much. I’m a big fan of that character interpretation tbh so I’m curious what your thoughts are!

it's not that we've sidestepped the idea so much as put it on layaway. in general i'm not huge on transfem Dave-- not because i think he's cis, but because it's Dave we're talking about here. he canonically lived with Karkat for more than half a decade before they had their first kiss. this is a dude for whom suppression is an artform. there's no "sudden moment of gender revelation" for him the way there was for June, no magical gender ghost to deliver the answer full formed. in a way he's sort of the opposite.

waaaaay back in the gf3 prologue, Jade hit him with the button that turned him into a cat against his will, but when he returned to being a person he kept the ears and tail as a subconscious acknowledgement that he liked being a cat. but he had no agency in this process. it wasn't something he asked for. i think after you've been trans for a while you'll meet someone who is just SUCH an egg, and every cell in your body wants to blast them with rays until they crack. and you know what, sometimes it works! i'm not an evangelist of the egg prime directive, it very much depends on context and sometimes somebody just needs to get walloped with a big gay mallet. but Dave very much is not one of those people. at least from my read of him, he's the type of guy who takes each step into new territory slowly and timidly, and if you try to hurry him along he's just going to give up and retreat until he can start over again on his own terms.

which is, you know, very catlike behavior. he's kind of a traumatized rescue if you think about it, even going back to him and Karkat on the meteor. it's easy to forget since Dave is such a funny and avoidant character, but he's lowkey got the most fucked up backstory of all the betas and maybe of all the homestuck humans. like the way Bro raised him is so messed up. it really reminds me of videos you'd see at the dawn of youtube, of gamer bros walking up their sleeping cat and then screaming loudly out of nowhere, chasing them around and laughing. if you've ever fostered an abused animal, you know that that kind of treatment leaves a mark and it doesn't come out easy.

so Dave's now in this really interesting position of being totally out of his comfort zone in every way imaginable. fleeing from earth with people he just met on a mission he has no stake in and unable to communicate with his better half for the first time in like a decade, while ALSO having these lingering feline features he very much has not come to terms with. he's started wearing skirts because they're more comfortable for his tail, but he's SO embarrassed about it. and now the people who meet him for the first time, the only version of him they know is the one with cat ears and a skirt. so already before he's even gotten used to artificial gravity, other people are defining his image for him just by bearing witness to how he looks.

this, to me, is not a conflict you resolve by having Dave say "oh wait, i'm a girl."

which is why he's latched onto Dare as hard as he has, and why the both of them have so quickly reverted to the comfort zone of how they used to act when they were teens. there's a boyishness to their friendship right now that is... i mean, god, i might as well say it since we've been circling this drain for a few paragraphs already, it's kind of an age regression arc isn't it? that's not how we've been writing it but in practice that's basically what has happened. both are majorly traumatized and suddenly single, both have a ton of baggage to sort through and have no idea where to start or even what their goal is. sometimes when you're in that situation the only rational choice is to bunker down and act like a kid again until the storm blows over. i like them as a pair because it lets us kind of relitigate classic JohnDave as a concept in a vacuum, but with all these added complexities orbiting around them in the background. gender being, naturally, one of the big ones.

all of which is to say that this is 100% narratively relevant territory that will be touched on periodically as 3.2B progresses. thanks for the great question!

[littlelambscandyland]

She's Not Your Daughter, She's Mine

Yan!Cg!Dhawan!Master x Little!Fem!Reader

Summary- It's been two years. Two whole years since you fell into the hands of the Master. You've found your groundings. Surprisingly, the Master is a really amazing parent. A bit odd still, but good. You still aren't sure when this 'regression' started, but it's nice and you spend more time small than big at this point. Life is good. You finally feel wanted, loved. If only the Doctor didn't have to ruin your day out.

Technically a part 2 to "I've Got You Now" but can be read as a stand alone

Notes- All I can say is I'm so sorry, I didn't want to do it to 'em but it was the only way.

Warnings- Major Character Death(s), TCE Shrinking, Implied Hypnosis Induced Regression, Emotional Effects of Childhood Neglect, Very Minor Dissociation, Slight Memory Alteration

You wake up in your cloud-like bed to a warm hand petting your hair. The soft blankets wrap you in an indescribable warmth, and you fight your way into opening your eyes. The first thing your eyes land on are a plaid purple and black vest.

"Ah, there she is." The Master smiles at you with adoring eyes. "Did you sleep well princess?"

You hum in content as the time lord continues to pet your hair.

"Why don't I get you something to wear?"

" 'm not small." You yawn out. "I can do it."

He pouts, pats your head, and stands up to head towards the closet. "Just let me have this." He says quietly with that ever present smile.

The fairy lights give your room the perfect morning atmosphere. You feel like you're still living in a fairy tale. Sometimes it still feels like you're in the wrong story, but you can't place your finger on why that feeling creeps in or even what it is.

Tomorrow will mark exactly two years since you were saved by the Master. Two years exactly since one of the most dangerous beings in the universe adopted you like his own. Two years since the person who you were supposed to call your parents best and worst enemy showed you more care than you remembered ever having. You know, now that you think of it, two years since the first time you ever regressed. You still don't know what triggered it, but the Master says it's because of the trauma, which given what you read makes sense.

You finally move to sit up. You see the purple clad man rummaging through your closet, specifically the shoes as he already has a dress draped over his arm. You giggle at his enthusiasm in always dressing you. Not to mention his affinity for putting you in purples and pinks. You think he just wants to make you look a little bit like him, but also enough like yourself to not be creepy.

He finishes picking things out by the time you crawl out from under your covers. You look at the clothing as you throw your legs over the side of the bed.

"Do I get to pick out my own accessories today?'' You tease.

"Hmm... No"

"Wha- why not?" You pout at him.

He shushes you. "I've got a surprise for you. You would just ruin today's entire aesthetic if I let you pick out anything."

"That's a stupid reason." You critique.

He chuckles and points a playful finger at you. "Careful or you won't get your surprise." Dropping his finger he claps once. "Now, get ready, and meet me in the kitchen. Okay?"

You jokingly stick your tongue out at him. Sometimes you think the Master doesn't see you as an adult even when you feel big. The pink dress with a white bunny pattern on the trim is a testament to this thought. At least he didn't want to help you get dressed this morning. You want to say it upsets you, but really it's kind of nice to live the treatment you didn't get as a child. It was nice to be cared for, and if you were honest you never really did feel like an adult. At least not when talking with him.

Joining the Master in the kitchen was ritualistic at this point when he wasn't hovering around you in the morning(s). You've even walked in on him with an apron on a few times. You had no idea he could be so domestic before, but you really couldn't ask for a better papa. Not that you would ever admit to even him out loud that you think of him as anything other than the Master outside of regression. You're pretty sure he already knows how you feel anyways. You also don't think it would matter how you felt because you're pretty sure he'd still coddle you.

He sits at the little circle table today. He looks like he's from a 90's cartoon with the comically large newspaper that ironically only has humorous comics lining all the visible pages. He grins out you when your start laughing at the scene. Breakfast goes by in a peaceful silence. You used to never like the quiet. It always reminded you that you were alone, but now you had someone to share it with. It was quiet because you were alone, it was quiet because you didn't have to talk to feel like family.

The second your plate is clean the Master was excitedly pushing you out the door. "You're going to love this!"

He wasn't wrong. The planet the two of you landed on was known purely for their mixture of species and their multitude of shops. The planet itself was like a glorified mall, but it makes up every inch of the land. Literally, no one lived there, once the shops closed the different aliens would take a ship to the homes hovering in the atmosphere of the planet.

It wasn't necessarily the shopping itself that made you excited. Yes, you enjoyed the stretch of your legs, and picking things out, and the quality time with your papa. But! The reason you're so excited was how often the Master likes to spoil. You spent so much time having the bare minimum it was so thrilling to finally have anything. You shy away sometimes, those lingering feelings of undeserving creep in, but somehow he always seems to find a way to push it away.

This wasn't the surprise per-say, the Master explained to you. Apparently this was only the first part of what is supposed to be a three day event. An overindulgence to celebrate your "adoption". It makes you feel warm inside. Your papa has things planned to the T and you're ecstatic to see what is in store.

Speaking of stores.

The stand you stand in front of is lined with incredible things. Stuffed teddies, birdies, and even an Ood. It has little robots, and board games, and books. It was like a big toy store compacted into a small stand. It was so exciting!

"See anything you like?" The Master asks simply as he scans the items casually.

"There's an Ood." You whisper.

He raises a brow at you. "You've seen an Ood before, it's rude to point out species you know that, angel." He teases.

"No," You point at the stuffed figure. "It's an Ood."

The Master looks to where you're pointing with raised eyebrows.

"I like Oods. They're nice 'n funny." You say genuinely.

He stares at you for a moment. Turning back to the stand he holds out some colorful coins to the vendor. Before he says something you get distracted by a discernible voice that pops out in the crowd.

"What even is that thing?" The person questions.

You want to pay attention to the cool toys and pretty stuffies, but the voice is too prominent for you to just ignore. You look around as quickly as you can for the familiar sounding voice.

You have no idea what to do when your eyes land on their little group. The one person you never wanted to see again and somehow she manages to be here on such an important day. You freeze like a deer when your eyes lock with the Doctors. You watch as her eyes widen. Your body ceases when she starts racing towards the two of you.

"Sir," You pull at the Masters suit. "Sir!"

He turns to you confused. "What's wrong, dear?" He pauses when he sees them himself, the new bag in his hand falling to his other side. "Oh."

The dark look in his eyes that you rarely see nowadays swims deeper than ever. In a matter of moments the two are locked into a verbal battle.

You see the look of concern on your ex-friend's faces. When you hide slightly behind the Master you watch as their eyes shift back and forth between their previous concern and a newly formed disappointment. You want to explain what was going on, but deep down you know they wouldn't understand, and on the off chance they did listen you didn't trust them not to still make an attempt at dragging you away. You know how this might look, but the Master showed you the love of a parent that you'd always been looking for. He's the first to actually love you. You aren't willing to walk away from that, you aren't willing to walk away from your papa.

The Doctor and the Masters arguing just goes on and on. You wish the Doctor and the trio would just go away.

You had been having so much fun that you were already close to regressing, and now the overwhelming situation starts causing that feeling you've grown more and more accustomed to over these past couple of years. You're starting to slip. The second your brain comprehends your thoughts and feelings you fling yourself into the Masters side. A poor attempt to hide yourself away from the four prying eyes.

"We all know you've done something to her! There's no way she would choose to stay with you." Yasmin berates.

"She's my daughter." The Doctor claims with a losing sense of calm.

"No," The Master laughs. "No, She's mine, actually. Aren't you love?"

You peak out from your hiding spot against his arm, but remain holding onto him. You nod quickly without hesitation. You haven't really been paying attention to the conversation, as you've been too busy trying to make yourself invisible and praying it would work. As soon as he smiles back at your response you go back to trying to hide behind his arm.

"Master, what have you done to her?!" The Doctor interrogates.

"Whatever it is, you know the Doctor is going to get her back so there's no point in trying to fight."

"Just give her back." Another one adds.

"I don't know what kind of sick a man has to be to go messing in someone else's head."

"Please," You interject their words in a whisper. "Daddy, I jus' wanna go home." You pull on his sleeve as you plead.

An angry laugh comes from the Master. "You see," He starts grabbing your hand that was still pulling at his sleeve. "You four have made my daughter feel quite unhappy, and, well, I've still got a rather short temper. So. I'm going to be very nice here and give you a chance to walk away because if you don't, no one is going to like what I do next."

The Doctor scoffs. "You're offering "mercy"?"

"She doesn't need to see things get messy. That being said, I'm sure she'll be fine if she does have to bear witness." He tells her confidently.

So quickly the Master is breaking away from you to meet the Doctor as she stomps forward at him. You get close to screaming for him not to leave you alone, but chaos has broken out and in a matter of seconds people are screaming and moving too fast for you to actually comprehend.

A hand clasps your shoulder and you jump back. Ryan looks genuinely concerned as he looks down at your mortified face. When Graham joins you both he does his best to convince you to willingly come with them. When you continuously shake your head no, he gives in and grabs your hand. You all but shriek as you dig your heels into the ground to hold back from being dragged by the two men. Somewhere along the line Yasmin joins the three of you and starts pushing you along with them.

You wiggle, pull, push, and scream all in an attempt to get them to leave you be. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Half of the movement ceases when Yasmin is thrown to the ground by something you can't see. You think you hear your daddy shouting but you're panicking and everything seems unclear. More shouting adds on for a moment until a voice falters and you hear Ryan's howl of terror.

When you blink the tears from your eyes you see the man fallen to the ground holding a miniature doll. A realization passes too late of who it is because in the next second Ryan disappears and another small figure drops to the ground. You didn't recognize the screaming was yours as you understand the horror of what just happened to two people who used to be your friends.

You stare wide eyed at their essential corpses. You think you've stopped screaming, but your mouth stays hanging open and your lungs burn.

You yelp when someone new grabs onto you. You're twirled around and met with a simultaneously enraged and giddy looking papa. He stands close to you, but takes a moment to swiftly pick up the two mini men. You think he's teasing the Doctor and Yasmin. You watch as he tosses the doll men at them.

A sob leaves your mouth and you turn to shove yourself into your daddy's arms. You couldn't think properly. You couldn't think at all. You just kept replaying what just transpired on repeat in your head. You kept remembering the sounds of agony and the look on Ryan's face. You kept thinking that this day wasn't supposed to go like this. It was supposed to be a good day. You were supposed to go out and have fun. You were celebrating. Why did it have to be ruined? What went wrong? It was supposed to be a good day with your daddy. It was supposed to be a good day!

You didn't even notice the change in your surroundings. You notice the dizziness in your head first.

"Shhh, shh, shhhh..." You hear your daddy hush you. His arms warm you even though you don't remember being cold. You sit in his arms as he rocks you against his chest, your feet dangling behind his back above the ground.

You whine out. A part of you deep down was aware of the fact that you were mostly scared of him, but a larger chunk of you only found comfort in him.

"I know, that was so nasty. Daddy's sorry." He kisses your head. "Mean old Doctor ruining our whole trip. But it's alright! You've got a fantastic dad and he won't let this day go soiled. It is a day of celebration after all. Besides, I'm so proud of you, darling, you were so brave today."

He plops you down on the couch, patting your head as you cry out to be held again. Your daddy rushes around the console pushing, flicking, and pressing buttons and switches. You watch teary and wide eyed as the room shifts around you.

The room darkens, the red tones transition to a dark indigo. Fairy lights shaped like little stars decorate the walls. Blankets and sheets pile up and shape a tent across the floor. Once the room settles into place, your daddy picks you up and carries you to your room and helps you change into a fluffy pair of magenta pajamas.

He carries you back into the main room, and your daddy holds aside one of the sheets for you to clumsily climb into the sky high blanket fort. Inside there's a large screen that you wouldn't know where it projects from even when big. There's a large plate with random snacks on it. There are several stuffies, most of them too big to sit anywhere other than the floor. There are a lot of blankets and it feels like you're crawling on the word fluffy itself.

Your brain finally starts to block out the things you bore witness to. The Master couldn't be happier that you finally aren't focusing on the moments enough that he could start pushing them out. You actually start getting excited when your daddy tells Madam TARDIS to play one of your favorite cartoons.

The large fort lights up in color just bright enough to be fun but not overwhelming. Your daddy's arms hug you tightly and you hug your Ood just as tight in return.

Before you fall asleep he kisses your temple. "Daddy loves you so much, I promise you'll never have to deal with something so scary ever again."

[hotdaemondtargaryen]

TOM GLYNN-CARNEY INTERVIEWED BY AV CLUB MAGAZINE.

KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO AEGON IN EPISODES FOUR AND FIVE, HOW DID YOU WANT TO PLAY UP HIS STATE OF MIND BEFORE HE DECIDES TO RIDE ON SUNFYRE STRAIGHT INTO BATTLE? WHAT WERE THE CONFLICTING EMOTIONS YOU WANTED TO TAKE THE TIME TO DEPICT?

"I think the focus was to show he’s pushed to the limit in a way he hasn’t before."

"He’d just been painfully reminded about his biggest insecurity of being seen as weak and useless."

"Alicent said that to him in no uncertain terms."

"So I think he felt like he was backed into a corner and felt this was the only thing he could do."

"At least that’s how I justified his actions."

"And in doing so he realizes he’s not naturally a warrior."

"He doesn’t have that sort of brave, fearless mentality of some of the other characters."

"So he needs something to numb his fear and gets absolutely blind drunk and gets around to it."

HOW MUCH DO YOU THINI IT WEIGHS ON AEGON THAT HE HAS TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HIS FATHER?

"Viserys [Paddy Considine] was the only sort of positive male figure on the show."

"Not positive to Aegon necessarily, but at least to the masses, so that’s his experience."

"I think seeing the way the small folk responded to Viserys while he was growing up showed Aegon his father was a good king who was liked and well-respected."

"He’s forged good and healthy relationships with people, so I definitely think it’s an element Aegon wants to replicate."

"You see that in episode one."

"But there’s a very, very quick realization that Aegon isn’t Viserys."

"He’s a completely different beast who has to play to his strengths."

IN EPISODE FOUR, AEGON IS FIGHTING MELEYS AND RHAENYS, THEN FEELS RELIEF WHEN AEMOND SHOWS UP, AND IT QUICKLY TURNS TO FEAR. WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO PORTRAY THIS RANGE IN SO LITTLE TIME? WHAT TALKS DID YOU HAVE WITH ALAN TAYLOR ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE IN IT?

"Yeah, as you said there wasn’t much time."

"We did like bullet points of moments we wanted to bring to life and what needs to be a priority."

"Yes, he sees his brother coming on Vhagar and the goal is to show that Aegon thinks it’s to rescue him."

"But the melee continues because that’s how the dragons are and that’s how the fight is going."

"There’s no escaping that fire and whatever else is coming Aegon’s way."

"Of course, people can make their own decisions on what Aemond’s intentions are, that bit is up for grabs."

"We didn’t want to fully spoon-feed that either."

"We spoke at length about these moments, especially seeing fear in Aegon’s eyes but also showing that he’s driven to prove himself."

EPISODE FIVE REVEALS THAT HE'S ALIVE BUT BADLY BURNED. THERE'S ONLY ONE LINE OF DIALOGUE YOU GET, WHICH IS "MUMMY." IT FEELS VERY VULNERABLE AND UNDERSTANDABLE THAT HE REGRESSES TO THIS CHILD-LIKE STATE AND CALLS AFTER HIS MOTHER.

"Exactly."

"He’s completely disfigured."

"He can’t breathe or see or talk. talk."

"I’m sure we all would regress to a child-like state."

WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO PLAY THIS VERSION OF AEGON NOW AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET INTO CHARACTER IN TERMS OF THE MAKEUP AND PROSTHETICS?

"There’s less acting required of course but it didn’t feel too different or that I was doing less work."

"Getting the makeup done took a long time though, especially in the early stages."

"It was taking seven hours and we gradually got that down to fewer hours."

"It’s still a long time, and I was also in that armor for the full day."

"Luckily, I was surrounded by a gorgeous team who were so accommodating, helpful, and encouraging."

"It was great when it could have been more difficult, let’s put it that way."

A KEY SCENE FOR AEGON IS WHEN HE FIRES OTTO HIGHTOWER (RHYS IFANS) AS HIS HAND. DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT MARKED A TURNING POINT IN HOW HE SAW HIMSELF OPERATING AS A RULER? WILL HE REGRET DOING IT NOW?

"I don’t think he regrets it because Otto was restricting and filtering Aegon."

"He was slamming the brakes the entire time, he was like a handbrake."

"And as soon as that happened, he sort of snapped free."

"He felt like he could make progress even if it wasn’t an immediate success."

"So no, I don’t think he regrets it."

"It’s for sure a turning point as well because I think finds strength in it."

"You really see him step into being the king and using his power."

"He’s been in the same room as Otto many times and knows he’s one of the most powerful people."

"That status shifts at that moment for Aegon."

"I find it so stimulating because here’s this person who is the patriarch of the family and is just being reduced to a little boy who has to take his badge off and give it to someone else."

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO WORK WITH EWAN MITCHELL, ESPECIALLY AS AEGON AND AEMOND'S BROTHERLY RIVALRY COMES TO A HEAD THIS SEASON?

"Oh, yeah, I love Ewan."

"He’s great, it’s always a joy to scare scenes with him."

"We both dive in and take it seriously when we’re living in these characters, but it’s a lot of fun."

"As for the brotherly bond, everyone thinks Aegon is ripping Aemond, but then he calls him out too at the small council meeting [in Valyrian]."

"It’s the same thing. It’s bullying as well."

"So what happens in that brothel scene."

For example, if you walk in and find your brother there, you’re not going to go: — 'Sorry guys, I’ll leave you alone.'

"You’ll make fun of him, too."

YOU'VE SAID BEFORE YOU WATCHED THE ENTIRETY OF GAME OF THRONES IN THREE WEEKS ONCE YOU GOT THE HOTD ROLE. DID WATCHING IT INFLUENCE YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THIS SHOW AT ALL?

"No, I find that dangerous, in that you can start to try and replicate a template that’s already been set for some by someone else."

"The beauty of a show like ours is that we’ve got a lot of actors jumping into it with fresh ideas."

"And we’re not making Game Of Thrones even if it’s part of the same world."

"It’s a different show entirely."

"What has been great to see this season is the newer characters and people working on it come in with their own opinions and brave, bold choices."

"It’s multi-layered and colorful."

YOU'RE ABLE TO BRING MORE LAYERS TO AEGON THIS SEASON, AND IT'S EASY TO FEEL BAD FOR HIM AT TIMES. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE ABLE FLESH OUT HIS COMPLEXITIES SO HE'S NOT A ONE-NOTE VILLAIN?

"It’s great to be able to spend longer with a character because you end up getting to know them more and your choices become more informed."

"Aegon feels more lived in now because I’m coming at it from a greater depth and investigation."

"A lot of that work has been done."

"So yeah, it’s great because the character becomes a part of you in a way."

"After all, you’ve played them for so long."

"Aegon has increased responsibility this time so I like riding the wave of where they’re going with it."

"It’s brilliant that he’s a pivotal character in the story even now after episode five."

[toomanythoughts2]

Dethklok Agere HCs: Skwisgaar Edition

🎸🐺🦅❄️💃👯‍♀️🌕🥇🎰🩲🎼⚖️🧴🚬⬜💋🍆💦🦴🍒🍑🍌

We're almost at the end, woohoo! The next one up is Skwisgaar 🎸! Him and Nathan will be my hardest challenge because I think they embody a type of regression that is very neutral but also very personalized. Anyway, this Skwisgaar 🎸! I hope to get Nathan's out soon to finish them all off.

Everything is below the Keep Reading tab.

(My blonde, tall guitar god, how I love you so. You did not deserve the shit you got.)

🎸 With Pickles being the oldest out of the bunch regression-wise, Skwisgaar's age range is most similar to Murderface's. He's definitely 5 to 9, usually hanging around the 7 mark. I like to think that a lot of his regression is around the same age from when we see him as a kid in "Fatherklok." which I think is either 7 or 8. Possibly older but still very young.

🎸 Skwisgaar's regression is voluntary, so it's Age Dreaming.

🎸 I like to think that a lot of his regression is about missing childhood experiences, much like Pickles, but less extreme. Instead of being antagonized or willfully ignored like Pickles, Skwisgaar was neglected and forgotten about. Pickles' regression is about redo-ing certain parts of his childhood that were ruined or never explored. Skwisgaar is about filling in those gaps in his childhood with those activities that he never got to do in the first place.

🎸 From a DVD Special, we know a few things about Skwisgaar's childhood. 1. He was so impoverished that he would eat snow for dinner. 2. He worked a regular job at one point in his life before he went into bands, most likely either as a legal working child or a teenager. (I'm saying before because Skwisgaar has a long history of being in other bands before Dethklok. Pickles is the oldest and had a career in Snakes' N' Barrels around the '80's - 90's starting at age 16. Brendon says that Nathan and Skwisgaar are the same age, youngest only to Pickles. That doesn't give us too much room to work with when discussing the time between Skwisgaar joins his first band and him having this regular job. So it makes sense that Skwisgaar would have this job as a minor.) With that understanding, I believe that Skwisgaar had to give up a lot of normal childhood activities that someone with more money and/or free time would experience. Along with his mothers promiscuity, I also believe that Skwisgaar had a very unhealthy living situation in terms of inappropriate sexual behavior and abuse. (I will argue that having sex in your living room with the knowledge that your son would be coming home soon and then not reacting or stopping the men when he walks in, is child abuse. Also, the things in Skwisgaar's in-character interviews scream neglect.) Skwisgaar had to grow up fast in order to survive and disassociated via his guitar.

🎸 The person to first figure out Skwisgaar's regression is Toki. Toki spends a lot of time with Skwisgaar, both regressed and not, and is very observant of his character. He notices the shift in Skwisgaar when Pickles is being particularly "motherly" around Toki. Almost like he's expecting Pickles to wipe his face at dinner or put his hair in a ponytail so it's out of the way.

🎸 Toki doesn't bring up his findings at first. He sits and watches for these shifts in his character to gather the evidence that he is regressing. After a while of watching and confirming his suspicions, he decides to put his last piece of his plan into motion. While not regressed, he copies some of Pickles' caregiver movements on Skwisgaar. They're really subtle but so is Skwisgaar's shift. Afterwards, Toki does confront Skwisgaar about it alone.

🎸 This is where Skwisgaar is different from Toki, Pickles, and Murderface. Skwisgaar did not start regressing until he started being around Toki, Murderface, and Pickles as regressors. Skwisgaar is making the conscious choice of regressing and letting himself relax under the ministrations of his bandmates. He is choosing to regress as a way to cope with his trauma and stress. Before this, he did not use regressing. He mostly used sex and playing guitar before, both coping mechanisms that he still utilizes even after he starts regressing. One could argue that Skwisgaar is experimenting with regressing and has found favor in the method.

🎸 I'm going to just say that I'm using the way these posts are published as the timeline for when each member comes out. So it would go Toki, Murderface, Pickles, Skwisgaar, Nathan. With these being said, when Skwisgaar does tell the band, they are all very supportive of him, and were already expecting it. This, of course, elicits a trip to Dr. Twinkletits by Charles since Skwisgaar decided on his own that he was going to use regression to cope. Charles has everyone's best interest in heart and wants Skwisgaar to utilize this approach the best way possible.

🎸 Skwisgaar's regression is weather based. Most of his regression happens when it's winter time, especially if it snows. I wouldn't say it's a trigger for him, but more so, a relaxer. It's easier for him to regress when it's cold and snowy and reminds him of his childhood.

🎸 Skwisgaar does not have tantrums like Pickles, Toki, or Murderface. He learned from a young age that tantrums never got him anywhere, in fact, it took the few things he had away. So he is very quiet. When he's upset with something, he goes almost completely mute. He tries to focus on his guitar playing ("Dethmas" "Dethfam") instead of the thing that made him upset. Pickles and Nathan try to work Skwisgaar through those emotions and get him to talk about what made him so upset. The point of regressing is to convey emotions that otherwise wouldn't come out. They want to know what's wrong, or at least convince him that it's ok to tell them what has made him upset. He is allowed to be upset by things and show that emotion. Skwisgaar is still very unsure about this and hasn't opened too much.

🎸 Recognizing when Skwisgaar is regressed is very hard because of his vast age range and the personalities of these ages. He emulates the type of person he was at the age when he regresses because he doesn't know exactly how else to regress to those ages "normally" (I say that in the context that he grew up very fast, thus skewing his perception of childhood.) The only one that can clock it is Toki. He's spends most of his time watching Skwisgaar and copying him that he's able to notice when something changes, like his demeanor or his stance or even his playing.

🎸 When Skwisgaar regresses, so does his guitar playing. His fingers know the cords, but they become looser, freer. Like someone who hasn't disciplined themselves on correct finger placements yet or someone who is still struggling with sweeping. Skwisgaar doesn't notice the change, and if he does, he doesn't change it. The music and the way he plays helps him regress, if he wants to willfully regress.

🎸 Skwisgaar has some thoughts on what he missed out on as a child but most of it is very vague. Unlike Pickles who wanted re-dos of birthdays, Skwisgaar wants not-so memorable activities. The band has been able to find a few of these activities, like playing in the snow, having a movie night, or having a family dinner. But there are looser activities like someone brushing his hair after a shower, someone reading his original works and giving him feedback, or someone holding him when he's sick. In regards, Skwisgaar's regression is very similar to Toki in terms of wanting "normal" activities. The band works hard to fulfil these requests as often as they can.

🎸 Sometimes Skwisgaar regresses in hopes of doing one of these activities and other times he regresses while he's already doing the activity. For example, sometimes he will regress before going outside in the cold in hopes that someone will force him into warmer clothes and help him put on his jacket and hat and gloves. However, sometimes he's not regressed and wants to go outside when it's cold but is forced into warmer clothes, causing him to regress.

🎸 Do not bring up his mother when he is regressed. It's banned.

🎸 Skwisgaar is very conflicted about caregivers. When he regresses, a lot of it is about wanting to be cared for by someone, particularly a parental figure. He does want a parental-role caregiver however, he is scared of parental role figures. He is also very angry at caregivers. His own experiences with parents and would-be parents have made him apprehensive and dismissive of them. But the want to please, to be seen, to be acknowledge is all still there. He fights it all the time.

Sometimes the want for a caregiver wins and other times the apprehensive side wins. The band tries to give him the space to make that decision on his own. They consider the apprehensive side as another portion of his regression, one that calls for how Skwisgaar wanted to act toward his parental figures and would-be parental figures as a child. It's like being able to finally get back at your parents for when they hurt you. So sometimes, the band acts like caregivers to give Skwisgaar the freedom to "tell them off" like how he wanted to as a kid. His regression is complex in that way that the band as caregivers are acting as their own, individualized caregivers and "roleplaying" as past parental figures. They conceptualize different type of adults in Skwisgaar's life, ones that he wants approval from and ones he wants to completely ignore.

🎸 Skwisgaar was an only child growing up but always longed for a sibling. Regression grants him that wish. He loves to regress when the others are regressed, and loves having them act as his siblings, as either older or younger siblings. He likes being around Pickles when they're regressed because it feels like he has a cool older brother that he look up to and hang out with. He likes being around Murderface because he always has the coolest toys that he never got growing up, and (surprisingly) Murderface shares very well with his toys. Skwisgaar likes being around Toki because Toki still looks up to Skwisgaar and likes to ask him questions about his guitar, and Skwisgaar loves talking about his passion. He loves having siblings to be a child around.

🎸 Skwisgaar doesn't want discipline initially because his regression is so controlled and experimental. However, the longer he does it for and the less conscious it becomes, he does warm up to the idea of discipline. Granted, it's usually just a verbal warning but he did get popped on the back of the head once by Pickles for being a little mean to Toki when he was really small. Skwisgaar decided he probably deserved it because he was being a bit meaner than normal. They are not allowed, otherwise, to do anything else. There are no timeouts or physical punishments, just verbal warnings and scolding's.

🎸 Skwisgaar is open to utilizing regression supplies, he's just very hesitant. A part of him still feels a little silly for being a grown man acting like a child, but the others try to encourage his curiosity. Toki is always willing to talk to him about his supplies and tools, and how they make him feel or how he uses them. He tests out different clothing too to help get him in the right headspace. So far, he's alright using child-friendly cutlery meant for children not toddlers. They make him feel special because nothing in his own house was dedicated or bought specifically with a child in mind. He used all grown up stuff, not the child friendly versions. So things that are made with a child-friendly version, he likes, such as CF! Toothbrushes and toothpaste, CF! Tablets, and CF! guitars. He likes sippy cups with the lids or straws, especially bendy straws (His mom never let him get bendy straws). He likes the graphic tees with his special interest on it, which becomes his biggest signal that he wants to regress. He doesn't like bottles or things meant for toddlers, like Toki. But he will play with a few of his toys simply out of curiosity, like wooden matching puzzles or rings. He won't use a pacifier but has been found sucking his thumb when he's deep in his regression.

🎸 Skwisgaar parallel plays the most out of the band. Sometimes he just likes doing his own thing while the others are doing their own thing. The problem is that Toki always wants to do what Skwisgaar is doing, especially if he's regressed. Skwisgaar has learned to call over Pickles, Nathan, or Charles to get Toki when he wants to be alone. Toki has learned to sneak better. They can come to a truce if Toki gives Skwisgaar two feet of space and is quietly observing Skwisgaar.

🎸 There is no sex allowed in Mordhaus when Skwisgaar is regressed. This goes for all of them but it's especially true for Skwisgaar. Because Skwisgaar grew up in a house that was so sexually inappropriate, those sounds or visuals are serious triggers for him. The band made this a rule when Toki started regressing involuntarily. But when Skwisgaar started regressing, they realized that even the mention of sex would trigger him or it would take him out of his regression. The only time where the rule was broken (accidental) Skwisgaar freaked out so bad and hid in a closet with his guitar. He would have completely ran out of the house if the door to outside was closer. He doesn't want to be back inside that house as a child, he wants to be in HIS house as a child.

🎸 Skwisgaar has found comfort in cartoons from his childhood and will watch them when regressed. He loves Moomins, Tintin, and Babar! Toki will often join in and watch with him. Pickles thinks that maybe Tintin is a little too advance for Toki but Skwisgaar tells him that Toki isn't even really paying attention. He just likes to snuggle up with Skwisgaar and watch the TV with him, regressed or not. Nathan gifts him a Moomins plush as a surprise one day to help him regress. Nathan gifted Toki Snufkin as his companion piece.

🎸 Skwisgaar is experimenting with how much help he wants with his regression. For example, he doesn't know if he wants Pickles to cut up his food for him, feed it to him, wipe his hands, clean his face, ect. Or if he wants more independence where he gets his plate and eats by himself and cleans himself off but Pickles comes by to do "touch ups" or reminders. It's like direct help vs. indirect help. He likes to do things independently but enjoys being dotting one from time to time. But he doesn't like everything being taken over for him, he likes do things independently. But he likes encouragement and observation to things he cares about. He also likes "advice" where someone will tweak something he's already doing to be more effective, like helping him with finger placement on his guitar or showing him to brush at the bottom of his hair, not the middle. He likes the idea of someone checking up on him and making sure he's alright when he's playing by himself. He's not too sure about bathing help. Murderface did bathe him once before ("Fatherklok") and it wasn't a bad feeling, but he wasn't in the right mindset to really dissect his feelings about it. He's working all of these out in real time so the band is constantly succeeding and failing at it.

🎸 Nathan has had both guitarists regressed before one either side of him, cuddling up watching a movie. Toki is a quiet babbler and was talking to himself through most of it. Skwisgaar was quiet through most of it because he was busy sucking his thumb. Nathan just wanted to eat his chips but if he tried to move his hands off either of their backs, it would cause a chorus of negative noises. They ended up falling asleep like that. Pickles has a photo on this on his phone and refuses to delete it.

🎸 Skwisgaar loves playing Rock Band guitar. He makes Toki sing and Murderface play drums. Skwisgaar will not let either of them play bass guitar. He is the only guitarist.

🎸 Skwisgaar has accidently regressed after a concert before. He as busy taking off his corpse paint when Pickles came over and helped him remove some of it that got in his hair line. It sent him reeling with how good it felt to be cared for like that and spent the rest of the night glued to Pickles.

🎸 Speaking of Pickles, because Pickles is the "mother" of the band, Skwisgaar has an affinity toward him. He's got a really shitty relationship with his mom and he's aware of it. He does not like his mom, not one bit. He wants another person to be his mom or be motherly to him. So, it's only logical that Pickles would take that role. Skwisgaar does not use different names for people when he's small, but he has, from time to time, called Pickles "Mom" and, on rarer occasions, Nathan "Dad".

🎸 When it snows, Skwisgaar loves to play outside. He gets everyone out there to build snowmen and have snow ball fights and make snow angels. Pickles, being from the midwest, and Toki, being from Norway, handle the snow very well and can play the longest. Nathan and Murderface, both southern American boys, don't. They can handle it for a little while but need to go back inside when things get too cold for them. Skwisgaar also has a nasty habit of sneaking snow down people's shirts. But it's ok, Pickles is known for grabbing his sides with his cold hands as punishment. By the end of it, Skwisgaar is very regressed, happily, and will be for the rest of the day. It usually ends with a warm shower, soup, and a good movie.

🎸 Skwisgaar is insanely jealous that Toki gets read to at night because he wants to be read to. Murderface has more or less the same feeling, not because he wants anyone to put him to bed and read to him, but because he wasn't offered it. Skwisgaar used to see other kids on TV get read to by their parents and wanted that for himself. His mom hardly ever knew where he was at "bed time" let alone put him there. But Pickles is observant and so now they have group bed time story time for everyone. Murderface comes and goes when he wants, but Skwisgaar likes it because it matches up to the idealized version of childhood from his mind. Toki is ok with it but likes it better when it's just him and Nathan.

🎸 Skwisgaar and Toki have gotten into a yelling fight over Pickles before being their "Mom". It's just a regressed version of "Stops Copies Me" but about who had Pickles as his mom first. Skwisgaar said it was him first because he joined the band first, so Pickles was his mom first, but Toki says that Pickles is his mom first because Toki is the first person Pickles acted "motherly" too and the person Pickles is a legit caregiver too. Pickles had to separate them and give the "I love you both equally and are both of your moms" talk. Toki and Skwisgaar don't buy it.

🎸 Skwisgaar finds school supplies and busy work to be soothing. He likes the idea of sitting down and doing homework as a part of his regression. He remembers the calmness of doing homework at his kitchen table or sitting in class, and he misses it. Charles has a desk in his office just for Skwisgaar to do elementary level assignments. Sometimes it's math problems, sometimes it's history "fill-in" work sheets, sometimes it's science. He likes the repetitiveness of it. Charles even found some basic-level music class worksheets for him to do about tempo and the scales. Charles always grades them as well and gives them back to Skwisgaar. He's a steady A/B student.

🎸 The further Skwisgaar gets with his regression, the more likely he will let himself slip without noticing it. Which is usually fine, until he realizes that he's slipping when others slip, especially Toki. And since Toki is a involuntary regressor, that means that sometimes he finds himself slipping in public. In these cases, Skwisgaar has been recorded by the public doing non-typical adult-minded Skwisgaar things. Though, a lot of it revolves around being a "big brother" to Toki, or sometimes Murderface.

🎸 Skwisgaar and Murderface will sneak off to watch scary movies and eat junk food when they're regressed and then cry to Pickles when they get scared or have tummy aches. Nathan finds this hilarious that they both do that both regressed and not. Pickles finds it incredibly annoying but also endearing that they find him a safe space.

🎸 Skwisgaar gets scared easily when regressed. He's flung multiple things out of his hands and jumped more time then he can count. This isn't a trauma thing, he just gets easily spooked.

🎸 Murderface and him will read comic books together in silence or while listening to music. Skwisgaar has a preference for The Crow, Sandman, Thor, Tintin, and Asterix. He also likes the Smurfs but feels silly reading them so he'll only read them in private.

🎸 A memorable time while regressed was when he got really sick with the flu. He thought he would just lay in bed for a few days, take some medicine, eat, and sleep until he got better. However, Pickles wasn't having it. Skwisgaar was looked over and pampered by his band mates so much that he doesn't ever remembered consciously regressing, he just let it happen. They all took turns looked out for him. Pickles would rub his head while laying down to help him sleep and measure out his medicine for him. Toki made sure to bring bendy straws for his drinks and help him eat his soup. Nathan helped him get clean sheets on his bed so they wouldn't smell "sick" and religiously checked his temperature. Murderface would help clean him up and wash his face and hair. He was so regressed during this time that he hardly spoke and only requested his bandmates to take care of him, not the klokateers. Pickles held his hand when he went back to the doctor to do a check up.

🎸 He practices doing hair on Toki and Nathan. Sometimes it's good. Most of the time, it's not. But he does like to brush hair so it's at least brushed really well when he plays.

🎸 Because he is experimenting with regressing, he's also experimenting with ages. He has tried regressing as low at Toki, so there have been days where he tried being bottle fed or used a pacifier or act like a toddler. But those never felt right to him. The opposite is also true. He's tried being like Pickles, a bit more "grown up" but that doesn't work either. He doesn't want to be in that age range because it reminds him too much of having to grow up fast.

🎸 He needs help restringing his guitar when he's regressed. He always manages to snap his fingers.

🎸 He doesn't like having his hair down when he's small, he needs it up. So he usually puts it in a pony tail or Nathan puts it up in a claw clip or a bun. Claw clip isn't the favorite method though because Skwisgaar has fallen backwards and hurt himself on the clip.

🎸 Skwisgaar and Pickles have sleep overs in Skwisgaar's room. Both of them are usually regressed with Skwisgaar looking at Pickles like he's the coolest dude in the world. They also practice guitars a lot when they're regressed, so it feels like he's able to connect with someone.

🎸 Skwisgaar always wants fish or soup when he's small. Something about it just reminds him of home. Jean Pierre has become an expert on Swedish dishes, and even Toki has said that some of his dishes are better than the Norwegian version.

🎸 The guitarcicles in the freezer are for Skwisgaar only and he will throw a fit if one of them are gone. (They are never gone, no one likes them but him.)

🎸 He gets shy if you compliment his guitar playing. He doesn't know why persay but it makes him get butterflys.

🎸 He has used his height for evil and will hold things above Toki, Murderface, Pickles reach when he doesn't want them to have it. Nathan usually comes by and takes it from him.

🎸🐺🦅❄️💃👯‍♀️🌕🥇🎰🩲🎼⚖️🧴🚬⬜💋🍆💦🦴🍒🍑🍌

🎸 Toki and Skwisgaar will take outside naps together when they are small. If it's winter time, they will snuggle in one sleeping bag to conserve heat.

🎸 Car rides put Skwisgaar to sleep. The movement reminds him of moving all the time with his mom and the calmness before the shit storm.

Here we are once again! I hoped you enjoyed, Skwisgaar was a challenge. I do love him though :) If you have any other HCs, don't hesitate to tell me!

[badgalsasuke]

Kishimoto Interview for Cinema Jump Magazine (July 2012)

Thank you so much to @narutouzumakiarchive for providing the scans of this very long interview!

Interview and text by Tomohiro Noguchi.

"ROAD TO NINJA -NARUTO THE MOVIE-" Original work, planning, story, and character designs by Masashi Kishimoto. A long interview.

Lost in an alternate Hidden Leaf Village, Naruto encounters unfamiliar comrades and his parents, whom he thought he'd never see again. Naruto is a globally popular manga that depicts fierce battles in a unique worldview, with the young ninja Naruto as the main character. This summer marks the 10th anniversary of the TV anime adaptation, and the ninth animated film, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, will be released, in which Masashi Kishimoto, the original author, has participated in the production for the first time. This is an ambitious work that will be a turning point for the Naruto film franchise, which has consistently garnered around 1 billion yen in box office revenue every summer. This is the first feature in our magazine, and we asked Kishimoto, the key person behind the series, to talk about everything from his thoughts on this film to his own film career.

"I felt Naruto was like another child to me, so I wanted the movie to show him reuniting with his parents."

The challenge of portraying the vulnerabilities of adult characters.

―You've been more involved in this movie than usual, so first of all, please tell us how you got involved.

Kishimoto: This is the ninth Naruto movie, but after the eighth one, the media contact from Weekly Shonen Jump asked me if I had any ideas. Before that, the editor-in-chief had mentioned that Naruto always ends up supporting guest characters in the movies, never really facing his own challenges as the protagonist. He suggested a story where Naruto hits a wall. That sounded interesting, but it meant I had to come up with the idea myself. Back then, it was just a concept, but I figured I could finally make it work by getting involved from the very beginning, so I joined the project from the plot development stage.

―Specifically, what kind of work did you do?

Kishimoto: My main focus was on the comedic exchanges and the initial scene where Naruto's argument with Iruka-sensei about his parents leaves him sullen. Since Naruto matures throughout the original manga, depicting him childishly sulking now presented a challenge. Having a grown character regress requires careful execution; otherwise, it feels forced. Because you can't arbitrarily alter a character's personality for your own convenience, I prioritized a nuanced portrayal of his emotions to avoid that impression.

―Apart from Naruto, the regular characters also show a different side to each other, which is something that is unique to this work, in which Kishimoto himself was deeply involved.

Kishimoto: Exactly. The series had run so long, it had become formulaic. I wanted something fresh, so I decided to drastically change the characters. It was like I, the original author, created fan fiction! The concept was to turn things upside down, and I enjoyed figuring out what and how to change. For instance, Hinata's supposed to have a nice figure, but she's usually portrayed as shy and self-effacing, so there's never been a chance to showcase that. But I really wanted to share that aspect of her character (laughs). So, this time, I gave her a bold, confident look. And a small detail: 'Menma' is Naruto's alias in this story. I've been repeatedly jokingly asked 'Is the title of the next work Menma?' I was like, 'Enough already!' (laughs). So, I used 'Menma' this time.

A collaborative effort exclusive to the movie.

―Regarding the character designs, how did you approach them?

Kishimoto: I generally work in a style that's comfortable for me, but Sakura's father, who appears this time, needed to be instantly recognizable. So I gave him a fuller beard and a cherry blossom-shaped hairstyle to make his features stand out. I also included written descriptions for the finer points of each character's facial expressions.

―Kishimoto-san, you have often spoken of your respect for Tetsuya Nishio (chief animation director of "The Sky Crawlers", etc.), who is the character designer for the anime version, and this time you have teamed up in what is a dream collaboration.

Kishimoto: Exactly. Every time we made a movie, Nishio-san would say, "Kishimoto-kun, we're out of ideas for new characters!" I'd always reply, "But I'm so excited to see your designs!" Now I finally get how much work he puts in (laughs). This time, Nishio-san gave us a Sasuke unlike any other, but he always understands the character's concept before designing, so I really admire him. Doing it myself, I realized how incredibly creative character design is. I gave it my all, but this is my limit (laughs). And since I'm not an animator, I had Hirofumi Suzuki, who's been with us since the TV series, adapt the designs for animation. He brilliantly captured my vision. I'm bracing myself for Nishio-san and Suzuki-san's feedback on my characters (laughs).

"I found myself interested in stories about parents and children."

―In terms of the plot, the story revolves around Naruto and his parents.

Kishimoto: I actually wanted to depict the relationship between Naruto and his parents more in the manga. However, his parents died soon after Naruto was born, so the scenes where Naruto meets his parents separately as an adult are only for a short time because they are like spirits, and there were few scenes where the parents and son could talk to each other. So I always had a question in my mind: "What would it be like if Naruto and his parents were together?" Becoming a parent myself during the series' run heavily influenced this. I created the initial setting when I was still young, so I casually decided that Naruto wouldn't have parents, but when I actually became a parent myself, I wanted to adress that. To me, Naruto is more like another child than just a mere manga character, so I wanted to make it a reality in the movie that he and his parents are together.

―In the original manga, the scene where Naruto reunites with his parents was particularly well-done.

Kishimoto: That's right. I also wrote in the comments of the 38th volume, but when depicting the reunion between Naruto and his parents, I didn't understand the feelings of a mother thinking about her child, so I asked my wife, "I want to write a story about a mother and her son, but what would you say when you part with your child?" I asked her to say it in one word, but it didn't come out easily. I was told, "It's impossible to say it in one word," as she felt like she wanted to say this and that. So, I thought I'd write without worrying about the page count, and when I asked again, she said she first wanted to say, "Thank you for being born." The rest was that if everything I usually say to my child is a wish, then I should just write it all down at once. Since my wife says so much, I thought I couldn't say any more, so in the original, I had the father, Minato, say, "Same here" (laughs). The fact that a child was born is realistically reflected in the manga. For example, parents and children sometimes argue, but ultimately, as they grow older, they come to cherish each other. I wanted to carefully depict the journey from those awkward moments to becoming close in the story. I myself recently realized that I have an interest in parent-child dramas. Even when I watch movies, I have a weakness for parent-child stories, and I can't help but get emotionally involved and cry. I think that unconsciously comes out in my manga as well.

Films can profoundly impact people

―i'd also like to ask you about movies. Do you watch a lot of movies on a regular basis?

Kishimoto: I've always liked movies regardless of genre, and they often serve as inspiration for action and drama, so I watch them as a reward after submitting a manuscript. However, I've been busy lately, and although I recently bought the DVD of "Real Steel" (1), I haven't been able to watch it yet (bitter smile). Now that I think about it, this is also a parent-child story.

―Have you always liked movies?

Kishimoto: Well, yes. But growing up in the countryside, we didn't have any movie theaters. As a kid, my uncle would take me to see one movie every New Year's, like "E.T."

―Was that your first film?

Kishimoto: Nope, my mom took me to see "Noriko, Now" (1981) when I was little, but it was way too intense for a kid (laughs).

―It's a story about the life of a woman born as a thalidomide baby.

Kishimoto: But as a child, I somehow felt that movies can be something different from everyday life, and can have a way of throwing ideas into people's lives. However, my first real cinema experience was with "E.T.", but I was in the lower grades of elementary school at the time and could barely read the subtitles. But even without being able to read kanji, I could understand that "aliens have come and they want to go home," so I was moved and came to like Spielberg's movies, but when he made "Empire of the Sun" (1987), I was surprised that he would make movies like that (laughs). Also, around that time, Spielberg also started working as a producer. So while I was following the various works he produced, I saw Robert Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" (1985) and I was reminded that "movies are so interesting! They have a great influence that can change people!" I still love "Back to the Future" to this day. I like the second and third movies, but I think the first one is the best. In the first movie, you explore how your parents got married and how you were born. That was something I was interested in, so it left a strong impression on me.

―The story of Naruto getting lost in another world and meeting his parents could be called Kishimoto's version of "Back to the Future" in a way.

Kishimoto: Maybe so. I still remember 'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006), which I saw a while back. The idea that family is all that matters, even if you don't achieve success, was really refreshing. Hollywood movies usually have a happy ending, but 'Little Miss Sunshine' ends in utter chaos and failure. A happy ending would have felt contrived, but it's not that simple. The family does heal, though. That part really got to me; I cried. There are all sorts of movie genres, but the theme of parent-child love is universal. I find the way people connect in films incredibly moving, and I often reflect on it. And with action movies, I pay close attention to the directing.

―You mentioned that your favorite ninja movie is "Ninja Assassin" (2009).

Kishimoto: That's right. But surprisingly, there aren't many ninja movies. When people ask me about my favorite ninja movie, all I can think of is "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (1990) (laughs). Even if it's not a ninja movie, though, I often work while watching action films. Lately, I've been watching "How to Train Your Dragon" (2010) repeatedly while working. My editor showed me the trailer for "Attack the Block" (2011), a British film about aliens invading a housing project. I was surprised to see a scene where a young delinquent tells a kid, "Go home and watch Naruto!" (laughs).

Will the next film be a suspense film?

―So, if you could make any movie you wanted, what kind of film would you create?

Kishimoto: If I had free rein, I'd love to make a suspense or mystery film. My current editor loves suspense, and we often get excited talking about it. That's fueled my desire to really study the genre and create a manga in that style. I love films with unexpected twists, not just suspense thrillers. That's why I got hooked on "The Usual Suspects" (95). The reason those plot twists work so well is because the characters are so well-developed. We even get sidetracked discussing these things during manga meetings – sometimes to the detriment of our actual work! (laughs) But those conversations do sometimes find their way into the manga.

―Do movies often come up in meetings about manga?

Kishimoto: My first editor, Yahagi (Kosuke, now editor-in-chief of Jump Square), loves movies. When I didn't understand something, he would explain it to me like, "It's this kind of scene from that movie!", so I would watch the movie and immediately connect it to the image he was talking about. So, movies were a frequent point of reference in our meetings. Occasionally, he'd even spoil the twist, and I'd only get it later, thinking, "Ah, that's what he meant!" (laughs).

―Looking back on the work on this movie version, how do you feel?

Kishimoto: In the case of movies, since you need to condense what you want to do into a short two-hour format, the theme tends to come out clearly, right? I also got deeply involved in the theatrical version, and since I had to narrow down what I wanted to say quite a bit, I realized that movies really convey emotions directly. In that sense, I think movies are a great medium. Additionally, I paid attention to the structure similar to Hollywood entertainment films, and this time, as a creator, I was clearly aware of the differences between movies and manga, so I aimed for a style distinct incorporating every expressive element I could muster. I got to see the pre-dubbing version, and there were no dull parts, so I felt a sense of accomplishment that it would turn out to be a work I could be satisfied with. I'm really excited to see the finished product myself. I want you to see this movie even more than the original... or rather, of course, I want you to read the original too (laughs). We're nearing the final arc in the original manga, so things are going to get even more exciting, as long as I can keep up the pace! While some character roles evolved from the initial concept, the ending has remained consistent from the start. Even during our climax build-up meetings, I felt a genuine, organic sense of momentum and excitement. I like laying down foreshadowing and properly resolving it, but although there are some things that were added later or couldn't be resolved (laughs), I want to make sure there are as few unresolved things as possible. Therefore, I hope you will look forward to both the original manga and the movie.

At the bottom of pages 4-6 you will see there's text in a grey area. This isn't part of the interview but rather an introductory guide to Naruto. Translation below:

You can still get into Naruto! Introduction to the "NARUTO" manga.

The original manga began in 1999 in Weekly Shonen Jump (published by Shueisha) and is still being serialized as one of the magazine's flagship works. The first 60 volumes of the comic have been released (volume 61 was released on July 27th), and the total number of copies sold in Japan has exceeded 120 million.

The story is set in a fictional Japanese world where supernatural science-based ninjutsu has developed more than mechanical civilization. There are great nations known as the "Five Great Shinobi Nations" and many smaller nations, each of which is governed by a daimyo, but each nation has a "hidden" village staffed by ninjas (samurai-like beings with special abilities that use a power called "chakra," a combination of physical and mental energy, to activate ninjutsu), and because the power of the village is also its military power, the real power of each nation is held by the head of the hidden village.

The story centers around the protagonist Naruto, who lives in Konohagakure, the largest of the five great shinobi nations, known as the Land of Fire. He has been a dropout ninja without parents since he was old enough to understand, but he actually has a demonic beast (tailed beast) called the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed inside him. He is one of the nine tailed beasts in the world that are sealed inside him, and when he resonates with the tailed beast, he is able to exert overwhelming power beyond human understanding, making him a human weapon. Naruto is actually the son of Minato, the Fourth Hokage (head of the Hidden Leaf Village), and his mother was also the previous jinchuriki, but shortly after Naruto was born, the nine-tailed fox that had been sealed away by his mother attacked the village, and both his parents lost their lives protecting the village and their son. Minato was praised as a hero who saved the village, but Naruto's identity as his son was hidden, and his status as a jinchuriki was kept an open secret. As a result, Naruto grew up as a dropout and problem child, not knowing his origins, but at the ninja academy he meets his teachers Iruka and Kakashi, as well as his classmates and rivals Sasuke and Sakura, and as he overcomes numerous challenges and through sheer determination and grit, he rose to become a true ninja.

The story is split into two parts. The first part follows young Naruto's development, Sasuke's escape burdened by his clan's tragic destiny, the machinations of the rogue ninja Orochimaru who manipulates Sasuke, and Naruto's battles against Akatsuki, a mysterious ninja group seeking the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within him. The second part is set two and a half years after Naruto began receiving full-fledged training outside the village from Jiraiya, his father's master, and tells the story of Naruto's return to the Hidden Leaf Village.

It's a shonen manga, so it features a bright and energetic protagonist, Naruto, along with a diverse cast of characters and countless battles. However, it's also a classic story manga with a meticulously crafted world from the start. Naruto faces numerous challenges after the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed within him, but the truth is, the Masked Man, the true leader of Akatsuki, is the one who orchestrated the Nine-Tailed Fox's attack on Hidden Leaf Village. To combat this formidable foe, Naruto must learn to control the fox's power. His parents made the agonizing decision to seal the fox, entrusting the village's fate to Naruto. With most of the tailed beasts under his control, the Masked Man declares war on the ninja villages, igniting the Fourth Great Ninja War and engulfing the world in conflict.

The story depicts a massive war involving a multitude of characters. For the first time, the major powers, long locked in a struggle for dominance, have united to defend the world order, clashing fiercely with the Masked Man's vast army. Meanwhile, long-laid plotlines and mysteries are finally being revealed, making every chapter a breathtaking climax.

TV anime

The TV anime adaptation, produced by Pierrot, premiered on TV Tokyo on October 3, 2002. It covered the first part of the manga over 220 episodes, concluding on February 7, 2007. Then, on February 15, 2007, "Naruto Shippuden," adapting the second part of the manga, began airing in primetime and continues to this day. This year marks the anime's 10th anniversary, a testament to its enduring popularity. The series has been re-run numerous times on TV Tokyo and other channels. While largely faithful to the source material, the anime incorporates original episodes to bridge the gap with the ongoing manga, cleverly showcasing characters with limited roles in the original comic.

Movies

Naruto the Movie franchise: Starting with the first film, "Naruto the Movie: Great Action! Yukihime Ninja Scrolls Dattebayo!!!," released August 21, 2004, Toho has released a new Naruto movie every summer. Each film consistently earns around 1 billion yen at the box office. From the fourth movie, "Naruto Shippuden the Movie" (August 4, 2007), the films are based on the second part of the series. Each movie features an original story; the first, seventh, and eighth films also included short films. Directors have included Okamura Tensai, Kawasaki Hiroshi, and Kamegaki Hajime. This latest installment marks the first feature-length Naruto movie directed by Iyuto, the director of the TV series. Screenwriters have included Takegami Junki (who also worked on the TV series) and novelist Higashiyama Akira (who worked on last year's "Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison").

Games and international expansion

The original manga has been translated and published in 30 countries overseas, and it boasts the highest cumulative circulation in North America and Europe among all manga currently being serialized by Shueisha. The TV anime version has also been broadcast in over 80 countries and regions around the world, and is distributed overseas with subtitles within an hour of broadcasting in Japan. In 2006, Naruto was the only anime character to be selected in the special feature "100 Japanese People Respected by the World (2006 Edition)" in Newsweek Japan. Bandai (Bandai Namco Games) and Takara Tomy have also released a large number of TV games for various consoles, but the action games by Bandai Namco Games are particularly popular overseas, with cumulative sales exceeding 10 million units worldwide. It is no exaggeration to say that the popularity and recognition of this work overseas, including its theme of ninjas, is the highest among all currently serialized Japanese manga.

In addition, the series has been expanded in various ways both domestically and internationally, including the serialization and anime of spin-off gag mangas starring minor characters, radio programs, stage plays, novels, and goods.

[astrolines]

CW:

Has Chloe changed the timeline of the canon in this book? The characters' birthdays are on different dates, and even the events don't correspond to the timeline of the first books...?

Note:

This is an addendum outside the book that I can't help but mention. The publicist — or Chloe's secretary (I really don't know what she is) — was feeding fanwars on Instagram during the launch week. Jesus, you're an adult and in a professional environment, I believe...

Lizzie: Poor girl.

I still haven't been able to write about her.

lizziegibsie:

It's so sad to read about how close they were and got on so well, and to see that being destroyed by Mark through manipulation!

The two of them really mirror each other.

I hope they soon forgive each other and rebuild the friendship they had as children.

— Thor

— Little Viper

☹️

Hughie:

I have mixed feelings about him. At the same time as I like him and he's a good boy, I just can't bring myself to like him completely — which genuinely makes me sad.

Also, I'll point out a few things that left me with conflicting thoughts.

Hughie, at the age of 12, knew better how to deal with Lizzie's bipolarity than his own therapists throughout his life. He had more maturity as a CHILD than all the adults around them.

Hugh practically moved into Lizzie's family home in his early teens and became the man of the house for the Young family at just 14/15 years old (that's actually a quote from the book, by the way). However, after the break-up, all that personality of being very mature for his age — an old soul who understands people so well — simply disappears.

Yes, I'm talking about the spoilers Chloe gave about T10 and excerpts from his Spotify playlists where, apparently, he says that Katie won't let him end the relationship, blaming her.

Like, you really want to make me believe that this Hugh from age 7 to 15 had more maturity than the adults and was open with his feelings, but after 16 this regresses and he becomes a guy who gets involved (because he wants to, by the way) with a girl knowing that he likes another, and in the end Katie is to blame for putting him in this situation?

But if I mention misogyny, we'll all be quiet, won't we?

This book kind of just proves that Chloe doesn't know how to develop characters who have no apparent trauma and just get over everything.

Hugh saves Lizzie from suicide and breaks his arm because of it — it's never mentioned again.

In fact, both Biggs brothers have only one function within their respective books: to be an undeveloped emotional support.

I'll say it: Hugh even manages a little more than Claire in this respect, but even so, he's always in the background.

Claire's life revolves around Gibsie, and Hugh's life revolves around Lizzie.

Their hobbies are left to one side, their traumas are barely touched on, and when they are, they revolve around Liz/Gibs; both fiercely defend their love interests.

In fact, we can't fail to mention how the Bot fandom only criticizes one of them for this reason, but the other is cheered on.

But if I mention misogyny, we'll all be quiet, won't we?

Hughie & Gibsie:

This book really gave me a basis for understanding the relationship between the two (something that doesn't appear in the other books). I think they're cute, and I like how Hughie loves Gerard like a brother and protects him.

In T7, we hardly see anything about this relationship — it's as if the two have grown apart, even if that doesn't seem to be the case in this book.

Gibsie always saw Hughie as a comforting person growing up, but that changed a lot after Hughie said he would stay with Lizzie.

I know he had to do it, and it was the right thing to do. Lizzie is lonely and needs someone by her side.

But I think this is the exact point where Gerard realizes that Hughie — as much as he loves him like a brother and says he'll be there for him — wouldn't be the same from then on.

In T7, Gerard hardly interacts with Hughie in any deep way, and when he needs comfort, unlike when he was a child, Gibs turns to Johnny! And I think this distancing is mainly due to Gerard constantly thinking that his friends are going to abandon him.

But he knows that would never happen with him and Johnny. Gibs has always been Johnny's number one friend from day one, and Johnny would go to war because of him.

In conclusion, about that bit between Hughie and Hughie/Gibsie, I can't get the events of T7 and Hughie's omission out of my head.

Honestly, that really got to me, and I hope the next book changes that, because I want to like Hughie.

Gibsie:

Ahh, I love him! He's definitely one of the best characters in this series. He's always been caring, funny, and protective of those he loves, and it's so nice to know that, even after growing up, none of those qualities have disappeared.

The best dancer in Ireland!!!

I have to say: it's sad that we get more character development here than in his own book.

Johnny & Gibsie:

They're everything! Every time they appeared, I was automatically happy. I love how their friendship always brings comfort and loyalty.

Johnny only caring about rugby and Gibsie? He's so real for that!

Claire:

We got more of the character here than in her own book — but it was great! It showed how she grew up surrounded by love and a lot of protection!

I think it's really cute how she doesn't let anyone walk all over her, and how, every chance she gets, she calls Mark disgusting, weird, ugly, annoying, weird, stinky.

And to think that if Hughie hadn't been there to protect her, she'd have been just another one of Mark's victims...

I love how she and Gerard have always taken each other in, comforted each other, and, above all, protected each other since they were babies!!!

Every time Mark is near Claire, Gibsie constantly checks that she's okay. In contrast, Claire is always by Gerard's side and keeps him safe. Too cute.

She's an airhead... but I love her!!!

Claire & Lizzie:Mario from my Luigi!!!

I think they're really cute, and as much as they've both failed each other at different times...

They love each other very much, despite their woes.

And yes — they both failed each other!

I know it's common in the BOT fandom to turn a blind eye to the views of other characters who aren't your favourites.

The animosity and the Jamie affair: it hurt Claire to the point where she vocalised that if Gibsie wasn't around, she was used as a punching bag.

And Claire's omission and outbursts of anger: they hurt Lizzie.

So yes, they failed each other in different ways — but they love each other, as they both make clear in their respective books and points of view.

Patrick Feely:

I loved every part he appeared in. I can't wait for his book!

In the other books, it's said that he had three sisters, but in this one, he actually has four older sisters (???).

Anyway, I really want to understand the root of his behaviour — apart from the problem with alcoholism, he appears to be hypersexual (?). It's mentioned that girls just come up and touch him, and he doesn't react, he just lets it happen.

Maybe that explains why he and Lizzie get so close after their second year at Tommen...

katiefeely:

Him blushing at the bus stop because of Katie, the new year in bcs and him in a bad mood in tommen — ahhh, give them to me soon!

Katie:

I've seen a lot of people taking the parts where she appears out of context, calling her a mean girl and desperate.

Reading the book, I didn't see any of that.

Katie is a very cute character, and her intentions with Hughie are incredible and very light-hearted. They would make great friends.

I really want to know more about her and her relationship with her father, who is clearly very distant.

Oh, and I loved that when her father didn't pay for her studies, she went and got a scholarship herself! This diva!

[macdennisnation]

If you had to rank yoir top five sunny episodes what would they be and why?

ok this is a near impossible question for me to answer bc there are so many I love and so many little things scattered across tons of episodes BUT if I absolutely had to pick a top 5 (in no particular order I’m sorry lol):

1. The Gang Beats Boggs

- I just think this one is so fun?? I love when we get to see the gang interact with other people/experience things outside the bar. I love Dennis’ little Sherlock moment, I love the tally marks, I love Dee just thinking they’re talking about a whole other person, I love Mac observing them all. It’s just excellent.

2. The Gang Gets Held Hostage

- I love me a McPoyle moment ok. I love the sheer grossness in this episode. Like the lukewarm milk and the fact that everyone is just drenched in sweat and the way they lean into this pseudo Stockholm syndrome. Every moment is just super charged and the stakes feel high and it’s just so good.

3. Mac Finds His Pride

- Listen. Maybe this is super obvious of me but it just really really deserves a spot on this list for so many reasons. I’ve already talked about it quite a bit but I love the way this episode just punched us all in the gut with sincerity after seasons upon seasons of punchlines. It meant a lot to me as a queer person and just. The dance itself is gorgeous.

4. Charlie Work

- another relatively obvious one but it’s a cinematic masterpiece. Charlie Day is absolutely brilliant and I can’t believe he didn’t win something for his performance in this. The amount of detail (like the way he slams the chair over and over) is just stunning and the payoff is so well executed. I also just really care about the fact that Charlie Kelly is very smart and is in a lot of ways the glue holding the gang together. We got to see him shine and that’s important to me.

5. Hero or Hate Crime?

God I love this one. It’s fucking hilarious but also full of deep and real implications and character development (and regression). It’s just a perfect showcase of all of their characters. Similar to The Gang Gets Analyzed which is also really high on my list.

Honorable mentions to: Dennis and Dee Go On Welfare, Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack, The Nightman Cometh, CharDee MacDennis: The Game of Games, The Gang Dines Out, Reynolds vs. Reynolds: The Cereal Defense, and finally Mac & Dennis Move to the Suburbs

[seriousbrat]

Honestly I’ve always viewed the wizarding world as being very behind when it comes to women’s rights. Yeah there are career options for women but it only seems like the norm for unmarried women (which isn’t too far off from the muggle world at that time. You get to have a job but once you start your family that becomes your (unpaid) job). And other than the careers, they seem to adopt a very regressive approach to sexuality when it comes to women specifically. I imagine muggleborn girls like Lily and Hermione come into the world very taken aback by the Victorian pureblood standards of gender expectations

I mean I think it's a complex question! There have been have been several female Ministers for Magic like Millicent Bagnold, the first being Artemisia Lufkin in 1798. 1798 is crazy, when compared to real world suffragist history. There are notable women like Amelia Bones and (unfortunately) Umbridge who hold positions of power in the Ministry. Quidditch teams are made up of men and women, and the women are written as being very good-- I think two of the Irish chasers that win the world cup are women and almost all of the Gryffindor chasers that appear in the series are girls.

It's definitely a misogynistic society even so, but I do think objectively the fact that women are equally as talented with magic or more so means that the great thing that men generally have over women in the Muggle (our) world, physical strength, simply doesn't matter as much. In many ways, magical power is an equaliser. So for this reason I don't see the wizarding world as being as misogynistic as the real world, but obviously misogyny still exists and is expressed by pureblood characters like Ron. I think JKR was writing largely from her own experience which, objectively speaking, has been heavily marked by misogyny, so it simply leaks through into the world she created.

All that being said, I don't see it as being behind the Muggle world. At most on the same level, but honestly the way I see the wizarding world, they're better in this regard. For example, it seems unlikely that witches were denied the vote after Muggle women, given that the first female Minister for Magic was elected in 1798 and in real life no women got the vote in the UK until 1918.

The wizarding world has a big element of nepotism but also is in many ways a meritocracy, and witches are equally as talented therefore equally as useful to the Ministry as wizards. Not that this isn't true in real life, because women are equally as talented and intelligent as men, but it's the fact that magical talent is generally what is MOST prized in wizarding society. I do see it as something of an equaliser, and I think in general a pureblood witch would be valued higher than a muggleborn wizard.

To be fair, I do believe that more conservative elements in the wizarding world like the Death Eaters probably tend to be more misogynistic within their own circles (again I think they'd rather accept a pureblood witch than a muggleborn wizard, but would value a pureblood wizard over a pureblood witch.) Ultimately, though, I think that simply the fact that a woman can kill a man with minimal effort does probably have an effect on the way misogyny works LMAO.

I feel like I'm not explaining myself properly with this lol. But also I don't want to fully get into the origins of patriarchy and the agricultural revolution etc. An interesting read about the origins of patriarchy is Simone De Beauvoir's The Second Sex..... anyway.... Basically, I see wizarding society as absolutely being misogynistic, but a bit less so than Muggle/real world society.

Everyone please feel free to respond to this with your own thoughts!

[anewkindofme]

🧃🌈🫧🍼🍫🍪❄️ for Jackson

Ayeee thank you. <3 You know I love my boyyy.

🧃Favorite snack?

Jackson is obsessed with those yogurt and applesauce pouches. One, sensory reasons. They're fun to suck on, low mess and easy to have on hand. Two, they're just really good. Addison and Mark always have at least a couple on their person. It saves Jackson from being hangry Jack Attack.

🌈Preferred theme for regression gear?

He is not exactly sad beige baby...but close to it. He prefers muted tones and soft items that are sensory friendly. It's the balance between still being a kid and not too overstimulating. But he will wear character clothing too, just has to fit that "aesthetic".

🫧Signs they’re regressed?

Little Jackson can't mask for shit. He doesn't even try. So, when someone sees Jackson reacting to certain things (light, sound, smells, etc), that's one of the biggest signs. He's freer in general when he's in a regressed space because he just doesn't care as much about how he's perceived.

🍼What’s their favorite gear?

He always has to have a pacifier (for oral sensory) and his favorite plushie duo (Ranger and Hank). Perhaps the most important thing which isn't specifically agere gear is his Yankees hoodie, which is pretty much a security blanket at this point.

🍫Are they safe to regress alone?

If you ask him, sure. If you ask literally anyone else, no. So, safe to say, it probably shouldn't happen. Does it, because he's a dummy who doesn't listen? Yes.

🍪Are they a picky eater?

He's got a ton of sensory aversions, but he isn't so much picky. He is very much "you need to have the food groups at every meal" kind of Little, even when he's young. It just has to fall under his sensory needs.

❄️What’s their favorite season?

Spring. He doesn't have to put on a ton of sunscreen nor be bundled up a ton. Plus, he can spend time at the park with the ducks, one of his favorite activities. And it's not too hot, not too cold.

Send me a character + emoji(s)

[infwctednyacifier]

VIBE TIME

Can I get an alter based off of snow pleaseee

For the subsys thing too!! If you got name ideas for the subsys btw I would be happy to hear it…

-🌀🎲

🫀⋆｡ 🧿 ₊˚❄️ ˚. SINGLE, ORIGINAL = SNOWY HEADMATE – ALTER PACK

As someone who has a subsystem, the name depends on the general vibe. If you already have a subsystem then they should discuss what things are similar about them and then find ways to combine those things into a name. For instance, our subsystem is named ‘The Chat System’ because their collective identity is Twitch Chat and the headmates represent different people you’d find online. Also, I have to warn you; Zaja’s Room is a pretty creepy and unusual channel, I’d recommend watching Juicy’s “Strange YouTube Channel #4” as he discusses it and it makes it less creepy.

Names – Akemi „ Izumi „ Aoi „ Hana „ Chinami „ Rina

Nicknames – Mimi „ Izu „ Chi – Chi „ Nana

Age – ageless / adult

Pronouns – she / her „ doll / doll’s „ porcelain / porcelain’s „ lace / lace’s „ bow / bow’s „ frilly / frilly’s „ cold / cold’s „ snow / snow’s „ breeze / breeze’s

Gender – cisgirl „ dollcoric „ sanriololitagender „ paperdollgender „ wintercoric „ gyangelera

Terms – girl „ doll „ puppy

Orientation – androsexual „ polyamorous

Personality – weird „ creepy „ girly „ cutesy „ boy – obsessed „ extroverted

Role – general caretaker / protector ( physical „ mental / physical „ social „ verbal )

Species – humanoid ( Backrooms creature )

Source – original „ inspired by Zaja’s Room ( YouTube channel )

Emojis – 🫀 „ ❄️ „ 🧿 „ 🎭 „ ❓ „ 🧸

Front triggers – Zaja’s Room „ cutecore „ weirdcore „ weirdcore + cutecore combination „ Moe anime „ snow „ Japan „ people who are also unusual „ masks

Memories – being in her room „ making videos

Extra – will very quickly ( basically immediately ) make her own blog or YouTube channel if allowed . Age regresses and is mentally stuck back a few years ( around 16 ) . Puppy kemonomimi ( Japanese character w animal ears & tail ) and kemono ( cutecore leaning furry ) . Would love to have partners who age regress „ are mentally stuck at her age „ kemonomimi & kemono „ likes her hyper realistic masks „ etc . Tends to speak in Japanese but will put English captions in videos . Constantly wears her masks . Uses a lot of exclamation points „ question marks „ and kaomojis .

Example message – Konnichiwa and ohayo, konbanwa, and oyasumi! I'm Akemi. I use she/doll/porcelain/lace/bow/frill/cold/snow/breeze!! I love cutecore, weirdcore, gyaru, anime, dolls, and my masks–Which I make myself!!! ₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎ I'll see all of you guys later, sayonara!~ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹

Likes – her partners „ being accepted „ like – minded people „ dogs „ her online dans

Dislikes – jealousy „ cats „ salty food „ people who judge her „ aggression

Faceclaims –

[babyvillkas]

The Snake and the Wolf

Summary: Prompt: Character B buying Character A their first stuffed animal

Pairing: Destiel

Warnings: angst, impure regression

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean didn’t ask for a lot things, which made it very hard to buy for him. Sam concluded that he was just selfless like that, to a fault even. Zephyr had remarked that he did not let himself want, for fear of losing it and it seemed like Cas was the first thing he let himself have. Bobby had confirmed as much.

Unfortunately, none of this gave Cas a clue on what to buy Dean, so he bided his time in pool game hustles until he felt he had enough to spoil him silly. Then he announced to Dean that they were going shopping and dragged him to the Continental Mark V that he always teased him about.

When they got to the store, Cas told him that this trip was all about him, and could have anything he wanted. Dean’s mouth dropped open a little, as he stared at Cas with wide green eyes. He stayed like that until Cas grabbed his hand and dragged him down one of the aisles. The first thing that Dean chose was a comforter that has green plaid on one side and blue on the other. Cas simply smiled at him reassuringly when he looked at him while he slowly put it in the cart like expected him to refuse. (He’d never.) Dean seemed to relax a bit after that, and it made him wonder if John Winchester never took Dean shopping. The thought made him want to resurrect John so he could smite him.

After that, Dean chose a few more practical things, then picked a few more indulgent things, like soft clothes because while his skin is tougher, it it’s still sensitive at times. A humidifier, that’ll keep his skin and scales from drying out. And a small cat tree that he said nothing about, so Cas didn’t ask. Honestly, he’s enjoying this shopping trip. Spoiling Dean made him incredibly happy, and despite Dean’s overall quietness, he could tell that he was having a good time too. It’s nice, not having to worry about anything other than making his boyfriend happy, even if it's just for a few moments. Of course, the peaceful moment was stolen away when Dean saw it. And at first, Cas had no idea what he’s looking at until he followed his line of sight to a large stuffed wolf. It’s black, with blue plastic eyes, and roughly half the size of Dean. Unlike with everything else he picked out, he just stared at it, immobile. So Cas grabbed it for him, and put it in the cart.

There’s a choked sound, and he found Dean staring at him with wide, teary eyes and a clenched jaw. Anguish was etched into the way his body tensed, and Cas? Cas nearly fell apart because for his boyfriend to have this sort of reaction means something- something bad happened and his poor heart breaks.

“Can’t- can’t have t-that,” Dean’s voice was rough and small, and it scraped at Cas’s ribcage viscerally.

“Why not?” He whispered, because speaking is too loud for this moment that feels like walking on hot coals and glass.

“I’m n-not allowed,”

“Says who?” But he knows. He knows who it is because who else could it be? He has to ask; as much as it pains them he knows that Dean would never otherwise and he has to tell him that he’ll be ok no matter what he wants.

“D-John.”

“He’s not here is he? It’s just me and you hon and I’m telling you if you want it, you can have it,”

“But s’weak…. I’m weak..”

Dean was trembling, like he might fall out of his skin and Cas grabbed his hands as he stared him dead in the eyes. “Dean Winchester, you are the strongest man I know. Nothing, and I mean nothing will change that. I love you with all of my being and that won’t change either no matter what,”

“I-I-“

Cas let go of one of his hands to grab the wolf and gently handed it him. Dean gave him a searching glance before looking at the stuffed animal. His empty hand clenched open and closed for a few seconds before he took it, hugging it tightly to his body with both of his arms.

“I’m so proud of you Dean,”

The shopping trip is pretty much over after that, so Cas took them over to a cashier with no line and paid for everything. Anyone who so much as looked at Dean was met with an angel powered glare, which worked out in their favor as they’re able to get out pretty quickly. Dean didn’t speak a single word after that, he just clutched onto the wolf like a lifeline. Cas let him have his silence for moment, since he needed to focus on getting them back to their hotel room. It’s no sooner than Castiel is setting the stuff down on his bed that he he turned around to find Dean quietly sobbing into the wolf.

“Oh Dean baby, what’s wrong?” He asked, pulling him into a much deserved hug. A few tears of his own leaked out at seeing his boyfriend in such a state.

“M’sad, m’happy, m’scared Cas. Head feels all fuzzy and small and I dunno w’ats happening’! M’sorry!” Dean wailed.

This was the first time he’s ever seen him openly cry and he can’t help but be terrified. He’s afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing, but right now he doesn’t have the time to agonize. Right Now Dean needs him.

“We can figure this out together. I’m not mad at you, and I think it’s very good that you’re telling me how you feel so I can help you,”

“S’good?” Dean’s cries tapered off, waiting for Cas’s reply.

“So good baby, I’m so proud of you,”

“Cas’s p’oud of De?”

“Of course,” And it’s true. Dean doesn’t open up very often, and every time it happens he’s so proud of him. He wished it didn’t come to tears this time, but he’s glad that Dean trusts him enough to be vulnerable.

“E’en tho’ De’s head’s all fuzzy and small?”

“We’ll figure it out together,” As long as Dean’s happy, it doesn’t matter why he’s acting like a child, but he’ll help him figure what exactly this is.

“M’kay,” Dean rubbed his eye with a fist, looking around the room as he took in a shuddery breath in through his nose and blew it out through his mouth. “Wanna cuddle with Cas. And take a nap.”

“Ok, we can do that,” Cas walked over to the bed, and Dean followed. He watched Cas get comfortable first, then crawled into the bed with him, gripping his wolf tightly. “Is this good?”

Dean nodded, closing his eyes. He felt Cas shift a little underneath him as he grabbed something. Then there was a soft tapping noise, which made his eyes open as he squirmed.

“What’s wrong baby?”

“Nap with De,”

And how could Cas say no to that? Tossing his phone aside, he hugged Dean close as he closed his eyes.

[adhdbisexualramblings]

🍼What’s their favourite age regression accessory/gear?

for any House MD character(s) you prefer

(for the agere ask game)

*happy stims happy stims happy stims happy stims* ahhHHH House agere ask!!!

As much as I like caregiver!House I’m going with little!House cuz it’s cooler and I can make Wilson his cg instead!

🍼 House does regress (older ages like 5-13) , but it’s involuntary. However, he’s very good at picking and choosing when and where he slips. He knows himself and his triggers (usually negative) very well. He’s not a very happy regressor, like, at all. But Wilson does find out somehow. Some conversation later and he has a new caregiver. OK context is over. Onto the other stuff:

It’s not explicitly a “littlespace” thing, but Greg does have one of those motorized cars that you can drive with a controller in monster truck form. He loves it, and it’s frequently found under beds or couches. Wilson bought it for him, mostly because House told him he was scared to be too loud when he was younger. Wilson’s trying to slowly break those habits to make them both more comfortable.

The monster truck is stored, very carefully, at the bottom of House’s closet. He’ll still use it even when not little, just driving it around absently.

And that’s it! I wish I could write a little more but that’s all I have for now. I still haven’t fleshed out regressor House yet. Maybe I will! Thank you for the question! I had fun answering it.

(also side note for Chase as a little - House got him a silicone pacifier clip which has so many bite marks on it. So that’s his favorite thing.)

[insane-mane]

what is your favorite and LEAST favorite element of each era? (OG, UAF, OV, and the reboot). if you don't care to do them all, feel free to just choose a specific era.

Favorite:

OS- Of course the vast alien/creature designs made by Dave Johnson and Tom Perkins. The eerie, weird vibe the show has with odd things always going on in the background, something that makes you feel like the world is more expanded. Always something bubbling under the surface. Fun villains, arcs, and finale that just blew me away as a kid.

UAF- Pretty strong start, wanting to introduce "darker" elements to the world around (both figuratively and literally) and inject different perspectives both on the characters and the story as a whole, asking what would happen to these characters when they're older and how they've changed (for better or worse). Very neat work done by Glenn Murakami and Glen Wong. Undeniably gave the franchise as a whole its mark.

OV- A fun return to form that also isn't afraid to go weird, both in terms of writing and art. Genuinely funny at times. Lots of great character designs from Derrick J. Wyatt. Appreciative of bringing back tons of old characters/aliens when they were allowed to. really great Voice Acting as well!

Reboot- More tolerable version of Ben and Gwen. Neat design choices here and there. Honestly has a really great interpretation of Vilgax! Honestly happy that a younger generation got to experience anything Ben 10 related despite it not being the version I grew up with.

Least Favorite:

OS- Needless bickering between Ben and Gwen. Small things that don't exactly add up story-wise unless you look into pop up trivia that are partially just lost to time or crew statements after the fact. Very dated dialogue/insults.

UAF- Setting is WAY too dark or way too bland. Too many humanoid aliens that should DEFINIETLY be clothed to some degree. Completely bizarre character rewrites or "expansions" that either didn't need them or were just presented poorly for arcs that abruptly end. Weird, wooden acting and odd voice direction. Some lien abilities that are just total ass-pulls. Clunky gimmick that they don't even use that much. Fluctuating regression of the main protagonist awful to deal with at best or borderlines character assassination at worst.

OV- Too reliant on comedy that either runs too long, undercuts emotional moments, or just isn't that funny. Attempts to rectify their past mistakes from previous show but unfortunately makes a larger mess than need be. Certain character designs sacrifice too many original details in favor of references to other media, which can be fun but almost too distracting at times. Much like the other shows, introduces neat concepts that could be very deep and earnest but either don't follow through or just aren't executed well.

Reboot- Shorter runtime makes it feel too rushed and makes their overarching stories suffer. Toy mandates making needless gimmicks part of the story to sell action figures makes for boring character designs and less engaging stories (not blaming the crew itself for that). Attempts to separate itself from old continuity yet still tries to satiate older fans by loosely putting in references/specific characters for making a crossover special that the younger generation wouldn't know about. Inconsistent character design choices by ripping from old model sheets rather than making new designs that fit within the show's style. Not the best take on Grandpa Max. Overall just not my cup of tea, but hey it's not meant for me so Eh

[heeyspacecadet]

i think while apothecary diaries did a very good plot with the former emperor and anshi etc etc, from what ive seen everywhere majority of the fandom truly cannot appreciate whats been done there nor see the layers there

gonna put a cw for this juust in case but yeah im jst gonna ramble abt former emperor and irl akutagawa ryunosuke so cw: mentions of pedophilia + sexual assault etc nothing explicit

from all weve been shown despite not having a lot about the former emperor etc, he rlly seems less like a text book pedophile someone who seeks out children on purpose and gets satisfaction from this (and there r those who say pedophiles usually have a type so any young kid would rlly work nor make sense- saying this bc this series does try to keep things as accurate as possible ie talking about genetics and allergies without saying the name as to have it in accordance w the times.) he is more like someone who a) either mentally regressed or b) was more or less always that way or c) a traumatic response to strong female figures in his life and thus associating this with adulthood which ends up w him being quite literally unable to interact with anyone that can be considered mature

bringing up akutagawa ryunosuke bc what first got my attention in his works was this huge misoginy in his works and after a little research i did learn that this was a result of his life too. born to a mother who gets post partum depression/psychosis, he was never raised by his own mother. iirc there was the mention of a step mother atp too but the huge figure in his life was his aunt. his aunt played a huge role in his development but caused this resentment he felt towards "strong" / "independent" / "bad" women he felt his whole life. the few times he visited his mother while still a child and ofc her mental condition untreated, it was all for naught. in fact the stranded relationship affected him to a point that- despite having written works that are unreflective of an authors own life (something he looked down on in literary works up until the final years of his life, smt which he admits in shame against another author.), he has a work where the main character is inferior for not having been raised the same as the others (bc he was raised and fed on cow2s milk and not breastfed, for years he felt inferior due to this and accepted this as the reason he wasnt as physically developed as his peers -> i think bsd akutagawa's sickly state is an ode to this but thats a conversation for another day.) complicated relationships with the changing, hollow mother figures in his life, in secret he speaks /implies that his aunt left a negative mark on him too. iirc at one point he had a fiancee? someone to be engaged and in the letters he would exchange with her, he would ask her to remain her purity always, to not become "one of those bad women" etc etc. do you see where i am going with this? i think you do.

a detail i had forgotten in knh was that all the other imperial sons had died due to sickness and it wsa only former emperor who survived so this is another point of suspicion, hence my one possibility that his psychological development was stranded as early as that or maybe before that too. this or without this, his mother the former empress dowager taking the ropes into her hands- possibly bc at first the former emperor wsa too young to rule so she had to act in place either way, her strong and dominant influence had affected him like akutagawa. both unable to escape the dominant women figures in their lives, so they do the next best thing they can and avoid anyone else that even slightly reminds them of them- in the former emperor's case, the ladies in waiting. on the few moments we see the former empress dowager and former emperor, he is cowering under her gaze as well, unable to respond back to her touch and seek what trace of familiarity he can find as she is his only kin (and most likely "only one he can trust" something the empress etched onto his brain i am sure) i think the painting in secret is a compromise, a pityful bribe, a bait of sorts in that way too; so long as he is in his little room, empress is on the stage, ruling and leading, ensuring the country is safe, "as well as her son". out of sight, out of mind.

with most having been sent as political tools, it is so rarely that these are naive women. they are cunning and will try their best to get to a place where they can assure their survival too, some with more bold or stronger ways, some more subtle perhaps. this and, in the future what would become of th former emperor's previous ladies in waiting as well would be, like anshi, hostile women set on their survival and living on traumatic response.

what i didn't like about the anime (normally the anime makes so many things more obvious from the get go unlike the manga and lns) was how anshi recalls the events (she wasn't sent with that purpose bc it wasnt known back then that the emperor had "a preference" to younger girls. it was after anshi that this became known and men in power all over would send their younger daughters with that prupose.) i do believe by making anshi say she was aware from the beginning etc, the anime meant to have her trauma show, that this is her coping to this day, that this was planned, her choice. when you are a victim, trying to change your perspective of what had occured to grasp what little control you have to yourself is to be expected because essentially sexual assault is about power and control. but sadly i think anshi's inner retelling went over so many people's heads and i did see many posts celebrating what she does years later in return as a "getcha" moment which i find very tasteless. in the end sexual assault is sexual assault and nothing can justify it. this was a cycle of abuse through and through, which the series made sure to emphasize later on with the plot including the remaining girls who could never leave the rear place and the clinic.

if you've read this far thank you! i found it back then how they handled and evolved the story of the former emperor and later his victims and just wanted to ramble about it in my own way as it is not a simple case of pedophilia but rather a long and incrinate years long cycle of abuse and trauma that results in distorted behavioral patterns as well as perception. ofc we dont know so much about most of these characters and the one source we have, who is anshi, is sadly an unreliable narrator in this case due to her heavy traumatic response she carries to that day but overall the way we are introduced, fed information bit by bit, be it from heresay or direct experience, it is an interesting side story that grows into something bigger and contains multitudes of layers.

i probs skipped a thing or two i wanted to mention perhaps but eh.... anyways-- again, if youve read this far, thank u! byeee

[myinterestsvary-writes]

Hello new friend! I saw your reply on my post and decided to stop by and say

I honestly love Invincible so much! It's become my favorite Super Hero anything I've never been a huge super hero/super power kind of person (not much interested in marvel or DC despite liking them) but this! This changed everything! I love the story, the characters, the brutality. I think the rawness is something I was missing in other superhero media. They always try to be good, be the best, the moral high ground of "no killing" but i love how brutality raw and real the reality is for these characters!

The depth of the characters is also something that really struck me. How they highlight that no one is inherently good or bad and we need to find a balance. Mark is such a good example! He's got a good heart with brutal blood pumping through it and has to find the middle ground of being a hero but also trying to be a young man. DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON OMNI MAN OMG

Anyway I just wanted to come by and scream! Please come into my inbox anytime! (Also give me your thoughts if you'd like) 💕

Awesome! The show shines at its best when it’s major themes are grand and act as thoroughlines in the season, even better when it’s throughout the entire series. Season 1 was so great because of the tension Omni-Man as a character brought and the interplay among the Graysons. How the parents inform our protagonist Mark Grayson’s hero journey.

Season 2 follows up on Season 1’s main beats by having Mark being majorly affected by the previous season’s events. He tries so hard to not be like his father and living a life he wanted that Nolan nurtured with Mark and Debbie that he realises he’s more like his dad than he thought, interpersonally. He has to break up with Amber as a result and yet he ultimately parallels his dad in brutalizing Angstrom to protect his family like Nolan did to protect his own values he was feeling so much confliction on anyway. This is another reflection of him having to accept his heritage and nature as a Viltrumite while still trying to make sense of himself.

Season 3 follows up on Season 2 in Mark still trying to be a hero but grounding himself more stubbornly in adamant rules which unfortunately turns him into an asshole and a hypocrite as he projects his own need for control while still rejecting parts of himself (his dad’s side). He tries to adapt to his new lifestyle by dedicating himself more to saving lives which plays into him pursuing Eve but you still get the sense that he’s still figuring things out and still evolving and changing, getting the sense there’s some feeling of regression there while our boy adapts to adulthood while also being destined for more bigger and greater threats.

These characters and what they go through feel so real and human. It’s not hard at all to connect to them.

[cooledtured]

Generational Change

There are few characters as iconic as Sonic the Hedgehog. This blue hedgehog is known across the world for going fast and loving chili dogs. Well, that and having a lot of hit or miss games (*cough* Sonic 06 *cough*). Even so, his popularity has decreased at all with him getting two movies and a third one on its way. And, even after all of these years, he’s still mostly the same old Sonic.

If I had to describe Sonic, the first three words that come to mind would be ‘snarky’, ‘cool’ and sometimes ‘excitable’. While the first two have been true since the beginning, that last one only really started to take over in recent years. For the most part, Sonic has just switched between the other two depending on adaptations. It all began with the Snarky era.

The Snarky era is the very first way that Sonic was shown in media outside of the games. In the early 90s, Sonic got his very own tv show which brought the blue blur to screens across the nation. Here, he was the type of person who’d play pranks on friends and foes. He is also very prideful in his speed and being quick to anger should anyone insult it or just annoys him in general. This depiction acts a lot like a child at times. However, at the end of the day, he will do his best to help those that he feels are in trouble, always running head first into danger and never thinking about the consequences.

Towards the end of the 90s, Sega would release the widely acclaimed Sonic Adventure, a game that marked the end of Sonic’s Snarky era and the beginning of his Cool era. This depiction of Sonic is the one widely known by fans and the one still depicted in games. This one is a lot less mischievous than his previous self, but still isn’t above playing around with his enemies. What really makes them different though is that this version is actually willing to slow down sometimes in order to figure out what’s going on. He’ll still jump head first into things, but not without also being aware of what’s going on around him. He really came into his role as a type of leader figure. The best way to describe him would be a guy who’s finally grown up.

The final and current era - the Excitable era - basically regresses him. To put it another way, the depictions of this era are versions who have grown up from the Snarky era but haven’t quite reached the maturity of the Cool era. In other words, he’s a teenager. These versions have the need to constantly move around doing who knows what. One moment they could be playing baseball. The next they could be reading comics. The next they could be on the roof because they thought they saw something shiny. There’s really no telling with them. However, when the chips are down and they need to get serious, they’ll show why they’re the hero of this story. After all, at the end of the day, Sonic the Hedgehog is a character who will always protect his friends.

What’s interesting about these eras is that there is a clear view of how Sonic has grown as a person. We see in the Snarky era that Sonic is still learning how to be responsible while also having fun. In the Excitable era, we see him start to mature and become more aware of his responsibilities but still keep a lot of his fun loving personality. And, finally in the Cool era we see the end of his journey where he is fully aware of what he needs to do, but still finds time to be that free, chili-dog eating hedgehog we know and love. Even if it wasn’t in a linear way, it’s still fun to see this character grow along with us.

Logan Floyd-Mcgee | Writer POP-COOLEDTURED SPECIALIST cooledtured.com |  GROW YOUR COLLECTION