#while driven is something that's just kinda natural

[jordiemeow]

my purely personal take is i don't think the challengers fandom is dying but i think it got so cliquey with only the same writers/fan blogs interacting with each other that it started to push other fans out and dissuaded them from even wanting to interact with those blogs.

the other thing about it is because it's a movie, the experience is kinda finite. there's only so much dissection and discussion that can happen before it becomes repetitive. same with fanfics - at a certain point, it's rly just that author's oc with a character's name.

valid take. i do think that's kind of inevitable in smaller fandom spaces. it's hard to break into an established circle, especially when things have been active for over a year. integrating with other writers at this stage isn't always easy. i know i'm definitely guilty of sticking to my following feed (general algorithm sucks) rather than reading through tags. part of that is habit, and part of it is just general burnout. i haven't been reading as much here since the anniversary, to be honest. but that does create a bit of a bubble, and i'm sure others feel the same way about consuming what's comfortable and familiar, which unfortunately doesn't do much to uplift newer voices.

on that note, if you're a new or smaller writer in the fandom, please don't hesitate to reach out! there's definitely bigger accounts to get promo from but my DMs are always open if you're looking for mutuals or want help getting your work seen. i'm more than happy to share or reblog fics, hype things up, or just talk <3 i do genuinely love this community and the creativity in it but i also remember what it felt like to be on the outside looking in, so i totally get how nerve-wracking it can be to insert yourself into spaces that feel already formed. sometimes all it takes is one little push

but yeah there's only so much you can write about two homoerotic tennis players and the woman they're both in love with 😭😭 it's such a specific triangle that a lot of stories naturally start to overlap after a while. i've definitely noticed a rise in AUs lately, probably as a way to avoid recycling the same ideas. i don’t mind repetition as a reader, but when it comes to writing, it’s hard to find a fresh angle (patrick can only fuck you in his backseat so many times).

and if we're being real smut is what gets the most traction. so more plot-heavy or slow-burn fics tend to get buried unless they’re paired with something smutty. not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just kind of how fandom attention works in an 18+ space. but it can be a little discouraging if you're someone who enjoys writing more nuanced, character-driven stuff and it doesn’t quite get the visibility you hoped for :(

it's easy to feel disconnected or like it's harder to make an audience for yourself, especially when things feel insular or repetitive. but i do think there’s still room for new ideas/fresh takes!! it just takes that extra little bit of effort now

[oakgreenoak]

Something I've always found kinda interesting about Red and Green in gameverse is how they turn some of the Stock Shōnen Protagonist/Rival tropes on their heads.

This is really long character analysis of these two and various media counterparts of theirs, so I'm gonna stick it under a cut.

In some ways they fit their roles quite well - aside from the obvious colour associations, you have Red as the hero whose sense of justice is stronger than his sense of self-preservation, and you have Green as the privileged rival who cares about beating Red above all else.

But, if you look at it another way - Green's got the light spiky hair, the hot-headed and boisterous personality, the drive to Get Better And Win. He's designed to read as really open and chipper, yet snarky. Sure, he isn't dumb, but he's arrogant, and he's got something of a one-track mind; the guy finds himself in the middle of a hostage situation because he's just that hellbent on fighting his rival, and does not seem to be thinking about anything else. He's also got a motivation - given how the Professor talks to him in the championship room and supplementary material like his Generations appearance, it's not a stretch to think the reason he's so driven to Get Better And Win is to prove himself to his grandfather. It's shown in later games and supplementary works that he's become somewhat of a mentor as he got older and wiser.

Red, on the other hand, is a quiet loner whose only motivation seems to be to get stronger for the sake of getting stronger. He's level-headed and dark haired, his cap rounding off his edges and obscuring his face. He's heroic, but not really sociable, as evidenced by the fact he spends the Johto games alone on a mountain without having told anyone where he went. He seems isolated in a way that later games' protagonists really don't. He may have always been a step behind Green, but he's always better.

Equally fascinating to me is how other adaptations have changed the base designs around and rewritten personalities to suit different purposes, while still being visually recognisable as counterparts to their game-selves.

For example: Red and Green's counterparts in Special slot WAY more neatly into their stock shōnen roles, with Red as the boisterous hero and Green as the broody rival, and it's reflected in their new designs.

Red's hair becomes spiky to reflect his more excitable nature. His hat, in turn, never obscures his face; it's always either tilted back to accommodate his fringe or turned backwards. Green's hair, on the other hand, is not quite as spiked upwards and instead falls into his face, frequently obscuring his far eye in the same way game!Red's hat does.

And then, of course, the anime balanced them in a totally different direction.

Instead of scrapping Green's personality wholecloth, it's become exaggerated in Gary. He's not the broody antihero rival, he's the arrogant, privileged, better-than-you rival. He's always ten steps ahead of Ash, always pisses him off, and is ALWAYS better until the end of his run. The anime also emphasises his intelligence far more, with him doing things like rattling off dex info and the speed of light in mph off the top of his head, to further contrast him with Ash.

Ash, who is of course THE shōnen protagonist. He's dumb, but determined, and always ready to help people in need. Unlike game!Red, the power of friendship (with more than just pokémon) is central to him; any given season of the show is defined as much if not moreso by his travelling companions and interpersonal relationships as it is by whatever he's actually doing.

It's funny to me, though, how most adaptations seem to find the fact that gameverse Red and Green have swapped some stock roles as something to fix. Even Origins, which is probably the closest a high-profile adaption has come to game-accurate, made its version of Red louder and more standard-hero-esque.

I'm not knocking any of these things, of course, just observing. I adore both Special and anipoke. I just think that the way the game characters are written could lead to some interesting dynamics were it to be explored more.

[tinyfantasminha]

Thoughts on Jack's dream(MASSIVE main story spoilers ahead)

JACKS DREAM got me by the thROAT bc the more I analyze it the more angsty it feels and I alreadfy sobbed n cried and I must SCREAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMM He's dreaming of the magift tournament but basically if..... if Leona's plan never took place....... If Leona actually WERE the hero Jack has idolized...... 😭

First I gotta take note dosodkgkfdgjdfkghfdjk hOW JACK YEARNS FOR HIS SENPAI'S PRAISE AND AFFECTION 🥺🥺truly the epitome of loyal, puppy-like behavior..... It doesn't take much for him to be happy… He yearns for the respect and acknowledgement of those he admires. He craves respect and recognition, but not only that—he genuinely wants to see those he admires thrive.

Seems to me that what Jack longs for most is a sense of belonging within a pack. He’s not just devoted to those he holds in high regard; he also desires to be cared for in return (This becomes even more apparent when he asks Ruggie to act as a mentor or older-brother figure in his dorm uniform vignette.) Jack's actions reflect his innate wolf nature—a being built for connection, loyalty, and mutual protection. No matter how much he tells himself or others how he prefers to handle things on his own… We can clearly see that Jack is happier when he’s part of a team, fighting alongside companions who’ve got his back. It’s the dynamic balance of trust: to protect and be protected, to rely on others and let them rely on him in return. It deeply resonates with the essence of wolves.

We often hear the phrase “lone wolf,” an expression of grudging admiration. A lone wolf is often viewed as a rugged individualist, uncompromising and independent, driven to forge his own path, unfettered by the sentimental need for companionship. In reality, few people would ever want to live this way—and, as it turns out, few wolves would either. Wolves, males and females alike, may go through periods alone, but they’re not interested in lives of solitude. A lone wolf is a wolf that is searching, and what it seeks is another wolf. Everything in a wolf’s nature tells it to belong to something greater than itself: a pack. Like us, wolves form friendships and maintain lifelong bonds. They succeed by cooperating, and they struggle when they’re alone. Like us, wolves need one another. (source)

Which is why the factual reality cuts so deeply.

After Ortho wakes Jack up (in oUTER SPACE DKJGDSDKFJGKJS that was so adventitious but so cool.....) and Jack falls down like a meteorite (ALSO SUPER COOL BUT WTF.....) Fake!Leona and Fake!Ruggie rush to his side, Leona softly reassures him, saying it’s a relief he’s uninjured and advising him not to be so reckless while Ruggie says ''You're a promising rookie. Our treasure.'' (I started crying here.)

Jack breaks into a bitter, despairing laugh as the truth crashes down on him. The sincerity and warmth his “upperclassmen” showed in that moment? It wasn’t real. It never actually happened. Jack recounts his excitement when he first joined Savanaclaw, eager to fight alongside the dormmates he admired so much. He talks about how he had watched Leona’s play three years ago—over and over again, captivated by it. He reveals the painful truth of discovering their wicked plan, the frustration of being unable to snap them out of it, and the overwhelming helplessness that consumed him.

I gotta say, I'm SO HAPPY that Jack's feelings on the events of book 2 were finally properly addressed now (cause let's be real, book 2 uhh... did kinda a shitty job at this 💀 Neither the narrative nor the fandom really took the time to explore the emotional impact it had on him, which is such a disservice to his character.)

Think about it from Jack’s perspective. He was obsessed with Leona's play 3 years ago, watching it over and over again. In his eyes, Leona was a hero, someone worth idolizing to the point of projecting an idealized image of him: an earnest, hardworking, honorable leader. When Jack finally had the chance to join Savanaclaw and be part of the dorm he had admired so deeply, what was his reality? Ostracization, bullying and even physical violence from some of his dorm mates (as shown in Leona's dorm uniform vignette) And worst of all? Jack was met with his idol’s true, treacherous side—dirty tactics, underhanded schemes, and a willingness to harm others to achieve his goals. When Jack tried to confront them about it, he wasn’t met with understanding or respect. Instead, he was called a “filthy traitor” and a “spoiled brat”—by the very person he admired most. It’s a complete dismantling of everything Jack believed in, everything he worked for.

It's a shame the game and manga did not give enough weight to Jack’s feelings, (the novel seems to do a better job at it though) but now it’s clear just how much this hurt him. It wasn’t just a setback; it was a deep, personal betrayal that shook him to his core.

He’s only a first-year. Beneath his gruff demeanor and physical strength, Jack is still a boy—pure-hearted, earnest, and full of hope. All he wanted was to stand beside those he respected most but what he got instead was disappointment, betrayal, and rejection. To idolize someone so deeply, only to have that image crushed in the most personal, gut-wrenching way........ Savanaclaw doesn't deserve him 💔

.

,,,,okay forgive me to break the essay to talk about this but I'm going insane over the fact fake Ruggie ominously coos, ''Hey puppy-chan you're a good boy so come here.....'' UGHGHHHDSHNGDSHNDGSHHHnnnnhhHHHH HE IS BASICALLY SAVANACLAW'S UNOFFICIAL MASCOT,,,,,,, their loyal little puppy 🥺🥺🥺😭😭

fake ruggie and fake leona try to lure him in to sleep again, but Jack says he has no intention of fighting alongside fakes and defeats them 😌

And we get this utterly precious moment where Jack praises Yuu and Grim for having guts and persevering through everything and he PETS GRIM'S HEAD............ HE DIDN'T NEED TO COMFORT THEM BUT AWWAAHBBBAYYAWYWYHAWWABYWAWAYAA

I can't wait to see what role he'll play in Leona's dream 😌 Jack’s arc feels like it’s finally getting the weight it deserves… 🙏🙏🙏

[writingicing]

I just finished the first season of The Apothecary Diaries and honestly - I am floored.

I think one of the most unique and wonderful things about this anime is Maomao herself. She is an extremely engaging protagonist and downright makes me obsessed with her. But what I am so completely floored by is the simplicity with which her dynamic and issue/trauma with her birth parents are shown.

This story is woven into the narrative so smoothly and I find that it is the perfect place to end a first season as well. The author definitely rocked it so bad with this storyline and the creators/writers of the anime have also absolutely nailed it.

I think as an audience one of the most fascinating things about this show is Maomao's nonchalant yet genuine and caring nature. This is very obviously driven by something that has happened in her past - this much we can guess. The beauty here though is the fact that her attitude towards women and towards love/sex within her own life is also very likely to be influenced by her surroundings where she grew up and simply her experience of being kidnapped/being threatened with prostitution. Like. What kind of amazing character writing is that?

This might sound very minisucle or silly, idk, but something about the fact that Maomao's character can both be defined by her unfortunate daily life before the palace as well as her trauma regarding her birth parents is so mindblowing to me from a writing perspective. This is kinda exactly how one can create intrigue around the character, maintain the mystery around her while at the same time writing her so naturally that we never for once look at her and think that "oh she is behaving this way because poor poor girl and her trauma." No, we look at her and think "what a strange and funny disposition she has, but hey, it makes sense regarding the kind of career, interests and life she has lived so far." LIKE. YES PLEASE.

Because of this, when the story of Lakan and Fengxian is revealed slowly, and we see her dynamic with the both of them and how she approaches the system of marriage/courtesans in general, we are already so tuned into her character and personality that we are ENGROSSED into her entirely. We want her to dance for them, but we understand why she feels what she feels about it as well. We see her dance beautifully and feel like we are gliding along with her because she is so distinctly defined and portrayed. We love her scary moments, her little-goblin moment, but also her very difficult and stunted moments of emotional vulnerability.

As an aspiring writing student, there is just so much to learn from this for me!!

[sweetvoidstuff]

Unseen, Yet Here II Cha Hyun Su x Reader

Cha Hyun Su x Reader

Summary: After sneaking out of the Stadion despite strict rules, you are forced to camp outside for the night. When you wake up, you find something beside you, and though you don’t know who helped you, you desperately want to believe it was Cha Hyun Su. (WC~700)

the first part, kinda ~~~~~ the next part, kinda

Masterlist

The Stadion had become a makeshift haven for survivors, its towering structure serving as both shelter and prison. With heavy gates locked and guards patrolling the perimeter, the rules were strict—no one was allowed to leave alone. Too many had already been lost to the monsters roaming outside.

You understood the reason for the rule, but that didn’t mean you liked it. The Stadion was suffocating. The same anxious faces, the same whispered fears. You needed space, just for a little while.

So, you waited until the patrols changed shifts, slipping through a weak spot in the barricade under the cover of night. The cold air stung your skin as you left the walls behind, the silence outside almost too vast compared to the restless murmur of the Stadion.

It had been months since you'd last seen Cha Hyun Su. No one knew what had happened to him. Some whispered that he had been killed, others that he had turned entirely. But you liked to believe he was still out there, surviving in his own quiet way. You had always been fond of him—his soft-spoken nature, the way he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Maybe part of the reason you sneaked out was the foolish hope that you'd see him again.

As you wandered through the abandoned streets, a familiar sense of unease crept in. The world was too still. No distant cries, no flickers of movement in the shadows. You should have turned back, but the idea of returning to the suffocating walls of the Stadion so soon made your feet hesitate.

That’s when you saw it.

A creature stood at the far end of the street, its form hunched, limbs too long, its skin stretched and unnatural. Your breath hitched—but then you noticed something strange.

It wasn’t attacking. It wasn’t even moving toward you.

Instead, it crouched beside a cracked water pipe, carefully cupping its clawed hands to catch the trickling water, drinking in slow, deliberate sips.

You remained frozen, unsure of what to do. Monsters weren’t supposed to behave like this. They were supposed to be mindless, violent, driven only by hunger. But this one… it felt different.

When it finally turned its head, your heart pounded. But there was no aggression in its glowing eyes—only a quiet, almost human curiosity.

You didn’t run.

For a long moment, the two of you just stared at each other. And then, without a sound, the creature rose to its feet and disappeared into the night.

You exhaled shakily, only now realizing how tightly you had been gripping your weapon. A simple bat. Your instincts screamed at you to go back to the Stadion, but as you glanced at the darkened sky, you realized you had stayed out too long. The streets had become unfamiliar, and you weren’t sure you could make it back before morning.

With no other choice, you found shelter in the ruins of an old shop, settling against the wall as exhaustion took hold. You curled into yourself, the cold pressing in from all sides, and closed your eyes.

When you woke, warmth surrounded you.

Your eyes fluttered open, and confusion set in. A blanket—worn but thick—had been draped over you. Beside you, a neat pile of supplies: bottled water, energy bars, a flashlight.

Your pulse quickened as you sat up, scanning the area. The streets were empty. No footsteps, no signs of movement. But someone had been here. Someone had seen you and left these things while you slept.

You reached for the blanket, fingers curling into the fabric. It didn’t belong to the Stadion. You would have recognized it if it had.

A thought lodged itself into your mind, hesitant but hopeful.

Could it have been him?

Cha Hyun Su.

You didn’t know if he was alive. No one did. But if he was… if he had seen you and chosen to help…

Your chest tightened with something you couldn’t quite name.

Standing slowly, you packed the supplies and pulled the blanket tighter around your shoulders before turning back toward the Stadion.

You might never know for sure who had been watching over you.

But deep down, you wanted to believe it was him.

[misssakuramochi]

FIELDS OF MISTRIA HEADCANONS

GENERAL SMUT HEADCANONS FOR THE BACHELORETTES

Minors DNI - Smut below the cut 🍋

(Minors found interacting with this post will be blocked. Thank you.)

Adeline

○ While Adeline's sex drive leans towards the higher side, her sense of responsibility and workload don't allow her to take care of it as often as she'd like. Though she doesn't initiate often during solo time with her partner, Adeline is usually so pent up she's given to cave any time her partner approaches during the day when she still has energy. Quickies are extremely common as a result, and while Adeline isn't exactly into semi-public sex she's often too worked up to care so long as you won't be seen.

○ Doggy is without a doubt Adeline's favourite position. Being spread out while her partner fucks her from behind turns her on to an embarrassing degree. Adeline especially loves to be bent over a surface. The desk in her office is a common candidate, but she's just as happy over a kitchen counter or coffee table. If her feet are just off the floor she's even happier.

○ Though she's extremely embarrassed by the fact, Adeline tends to be a squirter. She'll go so far as to actively discourage partners from doing something too pleasurable for fear of the mess she'll make, but with encouragement she certainly isn't opposed to be overwhelmed with pleasure until you're both dripping.

○ It's not too hard to overwhelm Adeline, honestly. While she likes to be overstimulated and enjoys intensity, she is physically very sensitive. She can fully cum in her panties just rubbing against her thighs doing paperwork. That being said, it doesn't take her overly long to recover, either, and Adeline can usually orgasm multiple times per session.

○ Adeline loves when her partner cums on her face. There's something about being claimed in that way that hits all the right notes for her. She looks absolutely adorable on her knees with her tongue out, desperate eyes begging her partner to cum all over her. She likes to make a show out of licking some of it up afterwards too, before her partner helps her clean up.

xxx

Celine

○ Romantically and sexually, Celine is very emotionally driven. The things that turn her on and make her want to sleep with her partner are always based in their actions: treating nature with kindness, being sweet and gentle with her, passion for the things they love... traditional touching and flirting can often be overwhelmingly straightforward for her. Celine is a slow burn kinda woman, but the flame that lights is a passionate one.

○ Celine is very much a romantic. She doesn't need to be fully wined and dined or anything like that (though she wouldn't complain if someone were to do so) but for her, sex is all about the love shared between her and her partner. As such, she only enjoys physical intimacy in private where she and her partner can lavish one another with their full devotion and attention.

○ Celine loves oral. There's something extremely intimate and sexy to her about both giving and receiving pleasure in that manner. If she has an opportunity to go down on her partner, she'll want to take it. Celine is much more shy about asking to receive, but she's over the moon if her partner offers.

○ What Celine lacks in experience she more than makes up for in enthusiasm. Eager to please and ready to learn how her partner ticks, she does best with a partner who's willing to give her direction. Obedient to a fault, Celine loves to be praised for her efforts.

○ Celine has a surprising amount of stamina in the bedroom; that is to say, she lasts a long time but she cums just as hard. Though it takes time to work her up enough to get here there she's more than satisfied with once per session. Celine is also adamantly reciprocal; if you please her, she's pleasing you.

xxx

Juniper

○ Juniper loves to play hard to get. Not only does she want someone to prove they're actually interested in her before letting them in, but she loves the chase. Unlike Celine, Juniper does need to be wined and dined. A top-class brat, it can be a little hard to decipher when her jabs become flirtatious. She'll never admit it, but she loves a partner who can make her eat her words behind closed doors and put her in her place, so to speak.

○ Juniper loves to roleplay. Her closet is full of sexy costumes she pretends are for Halloween, and even sexier themed lingerie. Honestly, she's not overly picky about the scenario as long as it's sexy and she gets to look sexy - nurse/doctor, secretary, airport stewardess... buy her an outfit and she'll wear it for you (as long as it's a good outfit, of course.) Juniper only likes to roleplay herself in another position, however; she's not into character cosplay.

○ If you just assume the resident witch incorporates magic into her bedroom play then youre-- absolutely correct, actually. She knows a couple fun spells to keep herself and her partner entertained (bedsheets that suddenly tie their wrists up, temperature manipulation... that kind of thing) but the biggest way this comes into play is with potions. It's not uncommon that the potions she has her partner test are powerful aphrodisiacs, sensory enhancers, or other similar things.

○ Of course Juniper also loves sex in the bath. She has plenty of bath bombs, soaps, and scented products with similar affects to the postions described above. Now, she isn't about to close the bathhouse down just to fuck, but whenever Juniper asks her partner to meet her there after hours they can have a pretty good idea what she has in mind. Something about the luxury of sex in a huge bath with all sorts of products to enhance every moment makes Juniper weak in the knees.

○ Nothing takes Juniper off guard quite like being sweet to her in the bedroom. Generally speaking she prefers things a little rough and more intense, but small actions in the midst of all that that remind her that her partner genuinely cares about her, be it a form of praise or a gentle touch, make her brain go fuzzy.

xxx

Reina

○ Reina may as well be a professional tease. She's extremely subtle in the way she goes about it but the things she says and the touches she presses ever so gently to her partners skin are too intentional for them to miss. She loves working them up in hopes that they'll take the pent up energy out on her once they're alone. Reina isn't as much of a brat as Juniper, nor the same type, but she certainly has a rebellious streak deep down.

○ Reina loves lingerie. Anything that makes her feel cute makes her all the happier. While she doesn't have too many pieces on her own, she both loves to recieve things from her partner that they want to see her in and to shop for cute sets with her partner - she might surprise them with something she thinks they'll like every now and again too. Reina is more than happy, if not insistent to put on a fashion show for her partner to show off how she looks in every single piece before they get to take them off of her.

○ Dry humping is a huge turn on for Reina. She especially loves crawling onto her partners lap in their shirt and a pair of panties and kissing them until they're both fully grinding into one another. If her partner hits the right buttons they might be able to get her to cum in her panties - if she doesn't make them do it first.

○ Please spank her. When Reina acts up it's because she wants to be punished. While she doesn't like anything too rough, being bent over her partners lap while they slap her ass makes her squeal. She also likes having her hair pulled in the midst of things. In turn she can be a touch rough herself with digging nails tugging across her partners skin or tugging through their hair, though she tries to be gentle if her partner's sensitive.

○ Reina is very vocal and often struggles not to be too loud when with a partner. When she's feeling particularly good Reina sometimes starts to babble, telling her partner how good she feels, not to stop, ect. She also wants to hear her partner and takes pride in all the different sounds she can get them to make when she rotates her hips just right. If the situation calls for being quieter Reina doesn't mind if her partner covers her mouth.

xxx

Valen

○ Valen is a doctor. As such, she isn't the least bit shy about anything sexual. Eloquent and well-spoken, she isn't the least bit crude, but she is straightforward. If she wants someone she'll tell them exactly how she'd take them if the invitation arises. Valen is the queen of dirty talk and loves to see how hot and bothered she can get her partner before she even touches them.

○ Valen loves sex toys. She has a sizable collection of all sorts - some for her, others for partners with specific interests. While Valen loves having vibes used on her, she's very much into pegging and loves using different dildos on her partner. She's also big on restraints. Valen doesn't have much interest in public sex, but offering to give her the remote to a toy you're wearing at the bar might change her mind.

○ Overstimulation might be Valen's first middle name - edging would be the second one. Pushing the boundaries of where pleasure turns to pain and how much of a good thing is too much thrills her. That being said, she is extremely attentive to her partner and sets up all sorts of safe signals to ensure she never pushes too far. Her partner is absolutely spoiled during aftercare and isn't allowed to so much as get up so she can take care of them - doctors orders.

○ Valen is more of a giver sexually. As much as she gets in the mood, she more often gets the most pleasure from getting her partner off. It's not overly uncommon for her to use her hands, mouth, and/or toys to please her partner without particularly wanting anything sexual in return. The clouded pleasure in their eyes as they recover on her bed is often more than enough to satisfy her.

○ Valen likes to use seemingly innocent things as excuses to tease her partner. She'll offer to give them a massage or teach them some stretches, for example, only to brush her hands everywhere she knows they're sensitive and linger just a little too long where she needn't. Of course, she keeps up the innocent charade well, only caving once her partner is desperate enough to beg her.

xxxxxxxxxx

A/N: Thank you all so much for the love on the bachelor version of this post! A few people asked for a bachelorette set of headcanons and as promised, I have delivered!

I hope you've enjoyed, and thank you for reading!

[rookflower]

"everyone in mapleshade's vengeance (minus the kits and whatever other exceptions whatever person making this point opts to include) is a bad person" is a take that does indeed work to establish that yes, this is a story piloted by every party with any agency acting out of cruelty and hurting others, and is also an attempt at gesturing towards nuance (or at least, thinking outside of black and white morality. it is in itself a kinda inherently un-nuanced take) within the idea of good vs evil in the story. however where i believe the issue with the phrase lies is in the assertion that the reason why these characters are enacting violence on each other is because of some unique inherent nastiness they were born with or that were predisposed into their character writing rather than addressing that their flaws (while still horrible) are specifically systemically driven.

before she kills ravenwing, mapleshade commits no crime that is worth the persecution she faces, and her mistakes are in fear of facing what she inevitably does. she does not obfuscate information about her childrens' parentage or take them into that river out of malice or uncaring, she does it because she lives in a society that will exile her children in a storm once it finds out that they are illegitimate, and see that she leaves. the birchface thing likely exacerbated her punishment, sure, but she still had no safety net. if it could happen under that circumstance it could happen under any, and that is the tragedy of it. (the bridge-she-couldve-crossed thing is clearly not something the authors remembered or considered so is kind of textually irrelevant)

likewise, frecklewish does not display some unique inherent xenophobia to herself that we don't also see across the timeline from dotc to present, that even characters the writers intend as sympathetic like crowfeather and gray wing will display. this doesn't whatsoever absolve her of culpability, cruelty is cruelty regardless of the source, but it isn't her that is the source of her own hatred, it is the clan system, and her own grief that is amplifying it. "frecklewish wasn't sent to the dark forest for the river thing, it was because she yelled at the kids" is a funny take because yeah to us the readers her violent outburst is clearly her "wrong", but in-universe i really don't think starclan would care LMAO.

now, as with a lot of things in warrior cats that are deeper than the text on page i''m not sure the erins are necessarily consciously Trying to write the clan system as an inherently cruel, violent, and bigoted system- they might very well be throwing in antagonistic characters with the intent that their prejudices and toxic patriotism just form naturally and randomly like mutuations- but as i've said before i do find an interesting parallel between the series' necessity to maintain its status quo and flow of conflict for sake of marketability and series continuation, and the fact that the world in-universe has a code with xenophobia baked into its laws and consistently writes conflicts about the cruelty of the warrior code without ever being able to take steps to major to address and remedy the flaws that lead to this conflict lest it Paint The Clans As The Bad Guys or force them to step too far away from their tried and true formula, so the cycle continues. i think that's the tragedy of mapleshade's vengeance to me- it's a story that occurs because of some pointless interclan war about rocks or whatever else and everything that occurs to mapleshade is done to her by cogs and/or perpatrators of this machine that values compliance and order and clan isolationism. she's a minorly selfish and oblivious person, she isn't born evil. the people that hurt her aren't conniving supervillains, they're just people with the capacity for cruelty given the motivation and the chance. and that's worse, in a way, because they come out on the right side of history and like a dozen generations later squirrelflight and leafpool are going to get put on a trial to go to hell for the same crime that got her exiled, because the system is fucked and the system hasn't changed.

[owlphibiaisthebest15]

Why I believe that Shadow the Hedgehog is autistic!!!

Hi everyone! As of writing this, 2025s Autism Acceptance Month is coming to an end. So I want to do a little rant on why I think Shadow has Autism.

As some of you might know, I brought up this headcanon a few times this month, so I probably sound like a broken record at this point. But I've studied a lot of this characters' lore and personality traits that really motivated me to do this long overdue analysis. While I did mention other fictional characters I see as autistic in an earlier post, I'm choosing to do just Shadow for this, because as some of you might have noticed, my main interest has shifted from Amphibia to Sonic the Hedgehog with my favorite character being Shadow. But I assure you, I still plan to talk about my other interests, such as Amphibia, in future posts.

Before I begin, I want to clarify that this is just a headcanon and that I see myself in some of my favorite fictional characters all the time. So, if you don't think that Shadow is autistic, that's totally fine. I just want to voice my opinions, not start an argument like some people would do.

Also, I'm not the first Tumblr user to make a post about this hc. The first Tumblr user I saw made a post about it was @shortmobian. Here's the link to that post if you want to see it.

I will probably use some of the information from this post and do some that's not in this post because I'm autistic myself, and I find some of Shadow's quirks and mannerisms to be very relatable to me as well.

So, without further ado! Let's get started!

1. Hyper concentration

As a lot of us know, Shadow has a very goal driven nature and will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Autistic people can be like this, as sometimes when we set off to achieve something, we won't rest until we achieve that goal. Kinda like how I'm determined to get this entire analysis done and posted before Autism Acceptance Month ends.

2. Poor Social Skills

Socializing and understanding social cues may be easy for some people, but for a lot of people on the spectrum (yes! me as well!), can seem like a challenge, and some prefer not to do it.

Shadow the Hedgehog is no exception to this, as he's usually very quiet and doesn't say much whenever he's around others, and even so, he's mostly seen standing around alone, and distance himself from everyone else as much as possible.

In Twitter Takeover no. 7, Knuckles even states that Shadow hardly ever talks when he doesn't need to. Hearing that is what really motivated me to do this post, because like Shadow, I'm quieter when I'm with people, even my family, and I often don't speak unless if I'm spoken to.

When Shadow does speak, he speaks in a monotone voice and makes it short but tends to say exactly what is on his mind in the most straightforward way possible.

He has his moments of being brutally honest and blunt, which occasionally makes him come out as rude or mean. Something Rouge called him out on Tails Tube episode 9.

Shadow is also pretty bad at following social protocol, as social cues often tend to go over Shadow's head, or he just completely ignores them.

Shown in Sonic X and The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, he's really bad with new people and at first showed a aloof or nasty attitude with the player and Molly for the first few interactions, but was somewhat more cordial towards everyone else, but not by much.

Not to mention that even after he recovered from his amnesia in his own spin-off game, he has his moments where he can be pretty gullible and comically bad at deciphering other people's intentions, as shown in Sonic Rivals 2. For the most part, he doesn't care for social interactions or activities at all and prefers to spend most of his time alone and do his own thing, for the reasons I mentioned in one of my screenshots here. While he did attend Amy's birthday party, he even dressed up and tried to get her a last-minute present. He still had to be bribed into attending to Sonic's birthday party by Rouge and reluctantly agreed.

Given his lone wolf nature, sometimes he prefers to solve any current situation at hand by himself. But does allow others such Sonic and his friends, or Rouge and Omega to help him, even when he doesn't need it. I can relate! Sometimes, I don't like working with others, and I least try to do things myself. Unless if I have or want to, and if they'll let me help.

3. Low Empathy

Like what @shortmobian said in their post, Shadow has a hard time emphasizing or connecting with other people's emotions. This leads to him doing what he thinks is right, without thinking or caring about other people's considerations. Which makes characters like Sonic fear what he'll do when he takes matters into his own hands.

But this does not mean that Shadow is some heartless jerk with no feelings. As Maria said in Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings, he has a big heart and cares about others deep down. He just has trouble expressing his emotions and greatly limits his trust to anyone outside of Team Dark and Sonic and his friends.

Season 3 of Sonic Prime best shows just how loyal of an ally he can be when he does his best to keep Sonic out of Nine's clutches, and later pushes himself to his limits to save a dying Sonic from fading away. Which also shows that despite their often bitter rivalry, he does care for Sonic, even if he'll never admit it. Outiside of saving the world numerous time, he's also shown acts of heroism and kindness to others such as Rouge and Silver in Sonic Heroes and Sonic 06, shown when he saved Rouge at least once in both games, and he was even the reason why Silver realized his mistake and became an ally to Sonic and friends in Sonic 06. He even set aside his own goals to help his allies when they were in trouble a couple of times in Sonic 06 as well.

Aside from occasional anger or annoyance, Shadow also seems to prefer showing emotions whenever he's not around anyone else, specifically sadness, even his own allies, which I can relate to.

But when under a certain amount of stress or other emotion, he's shown to get pretty irritable with everyone else and will sometimes even lash out in anger.

4. Hates being touched

As @shortmobian put it, Shadow often hates when people unexpectedly touch him, and he will either react violently at the one responsible or just freeze entirely. Touch can be a sensory issue for autistics, and occasionally prefer to avoid contact with others unless we initiate it.

5. Avoids Eye Contact

Even when Shadow is having a direct conversation with someone, there will be times when he'll either partly look at people when he or others are talking or completely avoid looking at them altogether. Even when he does make eye contact. Sometimes, it's not long before he looks away from the person he's talking to. Eye contact can occasionally be uncomfortable for people with autism, and it can be hard for us to look at people directly at eye level even for a short time.

6. Stimming

Also stated by @shortmobian (if you see this post. I'm sorry for the constant mentions) Shadow occasionally stims during idle animation, such as playing with his quills, fidgeting with his gloves or inhibitor rings, etc. Stimming comes in many forms, and it helps autistic people feel more comfortable in their environment.

7. Specific routine preferences, sensory issues, and special needs

Shadow revealed quite a lot of his eccentric habits on Sonic Twitter Takeovers, like his obsession with cats and his unique taste in his diet of coffee beans becoming a popular meme. In Sonic Twitter Takeover no. 6, when he was asked by RealShadowFan01 if he would marry them, he unexpectedly agreed, but only if they would follow his very strict set of rules, which they must accommodate to his needs, such as the wrinkled bedsheet thing, which is implied to be a sensory issue for him, and routine. Autistics and other neurodivergent people tend to have sensory issues and prefer to have a daily routine and have specific needs to make us more comfortable and reduce anxiety.

8. He struggled with schoolwork

Don't get me wrong, Shadow is by no means stupid. If anything, he's one of the most intelligent characters in the Sonic Universe. Sure, he's no tech savvy like Tails or Eggman. He's still pretty close. But that's not to say that he did well in school, as seen in some artwork which later made its way into Gerald's Journal that he did go to school along with Maria on the ARK, showing him with an uninterested look compared to the more enthusiastic Maria, who even states that he never turned in a single assignment in school in Shadow Generations. While some autistic people excel in schoolwork, others like me tend to struggle a lot with certain assignments and barely pass each grade.

Well, that's about all I wanted to say. If you read this and made it this far. Let me know what you think, and as I said before, Shadow being autistic is just my headcanon. If you still don't think that Shadow has autism, that's totally fine. I'm just sharing my thoughts and opinions. If there's anything I missed, feel free to share your thoughts. Despite all the ableism going on in the world, I hope everyone had a good Autism Acceptance Month this year. Remember, if the world chooses to become your enemy, you fight like you always have.

[malfiora]

Jaydick and Pragmatic Love

For some reason (*cough* neurodivergence *cough*) I like to get introspective about why I like the things I like. My love for jaydick came kinda naturally – a red/blue aesthetic between 2 dorks with canonically strong and complex feelings towards each other? Been there, done that, sign me up. But, like...why? Why was I obsessed with this ship? Why is the pairing itself so compelling, whether you ship them or not? I thought: "I don't know, it's the way they're coded as opposites but aren't really, and the way Jason admires Dick but also resents him a little, and the way that Dick's entire identity shifts when Jason comes along, I guess."

And digging a little deeper, I could finally put it into words: it's because Jason was made for Dick. In much the same way that Dick (and consequently Robin) was made to be Bruce's ward / Batman's partner, Jason was created to be someone Dick could conceivably pass his mantle to, someone he could see something of himself in and trust to take on the responsibility he'd been safeguarding for years so that he could finally go do something else (i.e. become Nightwing). Metatextually (i.e. between text and audience), this makes sense, especially given the logic that Jason needed to be similar enough to Dick for audiences to like him while being his own person so he wasn't just a shameless ripoff. (This logic evolved over time, hence retcons, but still.) But contextually (within a text, between characters), what must that look like?

If I had to put it in a single word, it seems like both fans and writers have settled on pragma. (EDIT: I like the Wikipedia article better.) According to Greek philosophy-based types of love, pragma is the type of love based on personal qualities, a sense of duty/obligation, and long term commitment. There is compromise and mutual understanding here. It's the type of love most associated with married couples who have been together for a while.

What's awesome about this is it can coexist alongside other types of love, like philia (platonic), eros (lust-driven), or ludos (flirtatious). These secondary types are where I see the disconnect between shippers and antis, but pragma is still the foundation, not necessarily in a romantic way, but certainly in the commitment.

A few examples under the cut.

Nightwing (1996) #119-122. I wrote about this enough, and so has frog. Commitment, sense of duty/obligation

Nightwing (2016) #15. Jason and Dick being bros, and Jason being self aware and commenting on their coping mechanisms (i.e. violence). Long-term mutual understanding.

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) Annual #1. stealing this from @the-mocking-robin to make a point. Admiration of personal qualities.

Grayson (vol. 3). This one's just fun. Jason feels betrayed that Dick faked his death.

Nightwing (2021) Annual #1. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Nightwing (1996) Year One #5. Commitment, sense of duty almost immediately.

[boiling-potato]

grabs you))!! I'm in love with Rpg Ink and as promised, here is the first of many questions >:D

What are Ink's opinion on the other members in the party? 👁 Is she apart of them, or does she not know them at all?

I think she will just keeps stumbling and coincidentally keeps meeting them throughout her journey, maybe sometimes fight alongside them and help them but she doesn't stick around, she often distance herself to society and people cause she's afraid that the mage will come back and kill whoever that gets close to her. So, until the mad mage is still running around, she can't join the party.. but she wants to just cause Celtic's party keeps finding shiny loots that she wants to steal.

Celtic (Neutral/kinda annoyed and wants to beat him):

Celtic often wakes up in the middle of the night with rummaging noises, often keeps seeing this sheep trying to steal their loot. Often fights with him to try and steal his team's earnings and for some reason, also wants to steal his sword. But whenever he stumbles upon Ink not stealing and just meeting her on the road, she often acts like their relentless fights didn't happen and was actually helpful if you ask her something. Keeps giving his team a basket of cabbages cause it's her favorite food, if Celtic ask her about their fights she would just stare and smile :}

Ink's opinion on him is like any party leader she came across with in her journey; strict, capable, strong-willed, determined, capable and a little annoying.

"He doesn't let me have any of their loots.. even though I give them cabbages on their journey, if only I could make him fall asleep.."

Zane (Neutral/admire his confidence):

She always can see him in the corner of her eyes, looking like he doesn't want to be disturbed and she'll respect that, though, his love for music and brave personality reminds her of someone she cares so deeply for.. wonders what kind of music he listens to and if he eats the cabbages she's giving them. Whenever she hears him boasting about himself... She wanted to know if those aren't just empty words... So obviously she'll test it by attacking him—

"Who? ..... Ah, the guy who likes music, he's alright.. Pretty cool too, I admire his bravery! If he's in my clan and keeps saying how strong he is, he's definitely going to be popular with the ladies! .... And be thrown in a lot of fighting tournaments heh."

Zion (Natural/Pities him tho):

Whenever he talks about his love, it often reminds her of the mage who destroyed her village. It puts her on edge, hearing or seeing anything that involves the topic of love and romance, given what it's done to a person. However, she never shows it; she'll often just stare into space and appear as though she's not listening. In reality, she's processing everything she's hearing, examining it in a practical way. That's why she pities him, his loss also reminds her of the loss of her loved ones. They haven't really had any one-to-one conversations, but perhaps that will change in the future. But she likes his eyes! Like a gemstone with several colors.. if only there's a way of taking and keeping it without hurting him lol

"So his name is Zion? That's quite a unique name for a unique person. The only thing that really caught my attention about him was his eye, I caught a glimpse of it once when he was washing his face in the river. Other than that, I don't know much about him, aside from his lost loved one.. I hope he's doing okay."

Vince (Neutral/*Looks at him while curiously tilting her head slightly to the side):

She finds him odd. How could a creature of the night, part of an adventurous team, someone who also wields magical properties, be so scared and timid? She's often inclined to examine and observe him to understand him better, driven more by curiosity than judgment. In her tribe, boys (and girls, though mostly boys) often act brave and strong to assert dominance and prove their capability. So, it baffles her why he's scared, given her glimpses of what he can do with his abilities and power. She'd love to test his limits, even considering attacking him to see his reaction.... but of course, Celtic often intervenes, stopping her and scolding her instead of him. She doesn't understand why Vince is crying, or why Celtic is scolding her instead of him. It's all quite confusing, and she's left feeling like she doesn't understand these people at all.

"He's scared of me and I don't know why.." *she said after trying to attack him*

Sylvester (Friends!):

Oh she likes him! His shiny hair, the shiny things around his head, his wings, his powers, and overall, him! Whenever they get the chance to meet, she often greets and talks to him with a genuine smile. She finds his personality and overall aesthetic pretty fun and cool, his powers amaze her and would ask him to help her train by making the gravity heavy around her so she could train her strength and stamina. She will often compliment him by his strength and shiny powers saying he could literally defeat any enemies that come in his way and one day, she's going to be as strong as him by only using her fist. Of course, challenges him to fights and training, even with how many times he'll make her crash to the ground or be thrown, she'll always stand up with a proud look on her face complimenting him about his attacks cause training with someone as strong as him makes her feel at home with her people.

"He's amazing! If he was in my clan, he'll definitely get a lot of praise! He could finish an enemy with just a wave of his hand, I know cause he's done it to me so many times! Someday, I wanna be just as strong as he is so I could finally take down that mage with one single punch!"

[death-at-20k-volts]

Hai, I saw ur post on generative AI and couldn’t agree more. Ty for sharing ur knowledge!!!!

Seeing ur background in CS,,, I wanna ask how do u think V1 and other machines operate? My HC is that they have a main CPU that does like OS management and stuff, some human brain chunks (grown or extracted) as neural networks kinda as we know it now as learning/exploration modules, and normal processors for precise computation cores. The blood and additional organs are to keep the brain cells alive. And they have blood to energy converters for the rest of the whatevers. I might be nerding out but I really want to see what another CS person would think on this.

Btw ur such a good artist!!!! I look up to u so much as a CS student and beginner drawer. Please never stop being so epic <3

okay okay okAY OKAY- I'll note I'm still ironing out more solid headcanons as I've only just really started to dip my toes into writing about the Ultrakill universe, so this is gonna be more 'speculative spitballing' than anything

I'll also put the full lot under a read more 'cause I'll probably get rambly with this one

So with regards to machines - particularly V1 - in fic I've kinda been taking a 'grounded in reality but taking some fictional liberties all the same' kind of approach -- as much as I do have an understanding and manner-of-thinking rooted in real-world technical knowledge, the reality is AI just Does Not work in the ways necessary for 'sentience'. A certain amount of 'suspension of disbelief' is required, I think.

Further to add, there also comes a point where you do have to consider the readability of it, too -- as you say, stuff like this might be our bread and butter, but there's a lot of people who don't have that technical background. On one hand, writing a very specific niche for people also in that specific niche sounds fun -- on the other, I'd like the work to still be enjoyable for those not 'in the know' as it were. Ultimately while some wild misrepresentations of tech does make me cringe a bit on a kneejerk reaction -- I ought to temper my expectations a little. Plus, if I'm being honest, I mix up my terminology a lot and I have a degree in this shit LMFAO

Anyway -- stuff that I have written so far in my drafts definitely tilts more towards 'total synthesis even of organic systems'; at their core, V1 is a machine, and their behaviors reflect that reality accordingly. They have a manner of processing things in absolutes, logic-driven and fairly rigid in nature, even when you account for the fact that they likely have multitudes of algorithmic processes dedicated to knowledge acquisition and learning. Machine Learning algorithms are less able to account for anomalies, less able to demonstrate adaptive pattern prediction when a dataset is smaller -- V1 hasn't been in Hell very long at all, and a consequence will be limited data to work with. Thus -- mistakes are bound to happen. Incorrect predictions are bound to happen. Less so with the more data they accumulate over time, admittedly, but still.

However, given they're in possession of organic bits (synthesized or not), as well as the fact that the updated death screen basically confirms a legitimate fear of dying, there's opportunity for internal conflict -- as well as something that can make up for that rigidity in data processing.

The widely-accepted idea is that y'know, blood gave the machines sentience. I went a bit further with the idea, that when V1 was created, their fear of death was a feature and not a side-effect. The bits that could be considered organic are used for things such as hormone synthesis: adrenaline, cortisol, endorphins, oxycotin. Recipes for human instinct of survival, translated along artificial neural pathways into a language a machine can understand and interpret. Fear of dying is very efficient at keeping one alive: it transforms what's otherwise a mathematical calculation into incentive. AI by itself won't care for mistakes - it can't, there's nothing actually 'intelligent' about artificial intelligence - so in a really twisted, fucked up way, it pays to instil an understanding of consequence for those mistakes.

(These same incentive systems are also what drive V1 to do crazier and crazier stunts -- it feels awesome, so hell yeah they're gonna backflip through Hell while shooting coins to nail husks and demons and shit in the face.)

The above is a very specific idea I've had clattering around in my head, now I'll get to the more generalized techy shit.

Definitely some form of overarching operating system holding it all together, naturally (I have to wonder if it's the same SmileOS the Terminals use? Would V1's be a beta build, or on par with the Terminals, or a slightly outdated but still-stable version? Or do they have their own proprietary OS more suited to what they were made for and the kinds of processes they operate?)

They'd also have a few different kinds of ML/AI algorithms for different purposes -- for example, combat analysis could be relegated to a Support Vector Machine (SVM) ML algorithm (or multiple) -- something that's useful for data classification (e.g, categorizing different enemies) and regression (i.e predicting continuous values -- perhaps behavioral analysis?). SVMs are fairly versatile on both fronts of classification and regression, so I'd wager a fair chunk of their processing is done by this.

SVMs can be used in natural language processing (NLP) but given the implied complexity of language understanding we see ingame (i.e comprehending bossfight monologues, reading books, etc) there's probably a dedicated Large Language Model (LLM) of some kind; earlier and more rudimentary language processing ML models couldn't do things as complex as relationship and context recognition between words, but multi-dimensional vectors like you'd find in an LLM can.

Of course if you go the technical route instead of the 'this is a result of the blood-sentience thing', that does leave the question of why their makers would give a war machine something as presumably useless as language processing. I mean, if V1 was built to counter Earthmovers solo, I highly doubt 'collaborative effort' was on the cards. Or maybe it was; that's the fun in headcanons~

As I've said, I'm still kinda at the stage of figuring out what I want my own HCs to be, so this is the only concrete musings I can offer at the minute -- though I really enjoyed this opportunity to think about it, so thank you!

Best of luck with your studies and your art, anon. <3

[littelestvic]

About Bluza and The Destruction of the Femenine Fantasy

Hello! I haven't talked about Joker Out in a hot moment. Today, after the release of Bluza and the reading of some dissapointed critiques on the nature of the MV, I wanted to talk about how I think Bluza has presented us with the most clever and interesting MV since A Sem Ti Povedal.

On purpose or not. (Probably the later)

So, let's talk about Bluza (The Song) for a second. A beautiful ballad about yearning for a woman, it's beautiful, it's romantic, it's idylic, it's perfect.

"Tonight you're my muse" that's beautiful! It's almost like you want that muse. You want to pretend it's you who Bojan is talking about. You want to be her.

So I was kinda in awe when Zoran broke a bottle on Bojan's head while the woman he was so enthusiastically singing about just protects herself in a bit of horror.

I found it fascinating how the beautiful instrumental notes just kept drifting away almost in a hypnotic matter while the rest of the men in the room broke into a violent fight.

During my stance on the Joker Out fandom I've come to realize how we have constructed what I can only describe as a Fantasy. And it makes sense: this is a mostly femenine-driven fan base (and as a transmasc person I will include myself here too) yearning to think they're the epitome of a Perfect Man. And how wouldn't Joker Out be perfect, when they're so beautiful and talented and write and perform the most beautiful and romantic ballads? We have unequivocally constructed the "Perfect men" fantasy around a bunch of people that, in the end of the day, are nothing more than your average men.

This is something that will forever happen in boybands, of course and I do not say it's Bad and you Suck because you idealize a bunch of guys (I do too). But Souvenir Pop feels like it wants to be a record about the new experiences after the last year, and you kinda need to understand how shocking it might be for a bunch of 20-year-olds from Slovenia to be nothing one day, and the personalization of perfection for millions of girls around the world on the next one.

And Bluza (the song) plays perfectly into this Fantasy. It's beautiful and perfect and romantic like how any other Joker Out ballad needs to be because that's what we want from them and that's what we demand from them: Idealized perfection.

So you could imagine the reactions to some fans when they found out that Bluza (the MV) plays into toxic masculinity, objectification of women, and violence. They weren't very happy about that.

Because yes! I DO think this song plays into the idea of objectifying women. I think they portray this random woman as nothing but an object of desire while Bojan has the absolute guts to sing into this lady he has never seen before in his whole life and knows absolutely nothing about (but she's pretty, at least) that Tonight, she is his muse.

And I think it's amazing, how I've read statements like "Bluza MV objectifies women" and "I do not care much about what happened in Bluza MV as long and the guys just stand there and look pretty" all coexist in the same environment. Because I think it's actually very interesting how they objectify a woman almost in the same way as the fandom objectifies them. Because at the end of the day they're nothing more than objects of attraction for many of us.

And I find it kinda fitting how they spend most of the MV just Standing there, almost awkwardly and clumsily, not even caring enough to pretend effectively that they're playing whatever instrument they were given, while Bojan sings beautiful lyrics of yearn and love to the nothingless.

So yes, I do believe Bluza MV is fitting. Is fitting in the sense I find very clever how they subverted the theme of the song to talk about the expectation the fandom has towards them to follow their fantasies of the perfect man.

Now, do I think this was all made on purpose? Well, no. Not at all. I think this reading is nothing more than a coincidence. I do believe they did try their best to make a MV just about being in love or whatever but it came out tacky, and I do not care at all about that reading.

But a meta-reading about the MV is not really that out of place when you take other things they've done. Take for example how A Sem Ti Povedal, how the song is also a very typical love song but then the MV also plays with themes of idealization and fantasy.

[resident-idiot-simp]

Look ok one of my other favorite AU's is sirens/mermaids. I don't know if we want them to both be it or one or whatever. But I just need to state this for the record because I have thoughts and opinions.

Wade's a mer sure but like the kind of mer who can turn human. So he's a member of the ship/crew as far as anyone is concerned. But either Logan knows (found him one day and took him in) or he finds out (something goes wrong and Wade saves him)

Anywheres their relationship is good and everything but Wade always wants to do everything in his other form because it's more natural. And Logan is a kinky fuck

So I don't know what should be funnier Logan knew before whatever catastrophe or he didn't know. And then of course the relationship.

I have no idea what would be funnier or better. But how were the mechanic work Is it just being submerged in water I feel like that's the best one.

If he didn't know I feel like it would be Logan almost drowning because despite being on the water at all times he hates it. And Wade just cannot allow him to die. Maybe they were aboard the X-Men ship or something and Wade takes him away. They create their own crew a better one become pirates or something.

And then every few days or so they sneak off and their crew is wondering what the deal is (The deal is fish sex).

Maybe Logan's mutated so Wade doesn't feel so alone in being different... Maybe that ends up being their whole crew misplaced misfits

They have sex daily without question but both desire it in a more baseline instinct driven way too. They need to fight, claw, and bite I've another and Logan has to learn real quick to like the water. Because Wade will half drown him maybe it's some suppressed instinct to kill and maim.

(Fish (like)/aquatic creatures be fucked up)

One day one of the crew members follows and thinks genuinely that Wade is trying to kill Logan. This is not the case but they definitely think this. (Do they stay or run back to the ship I am unsure both are equally funny)

Wade who is doing him damnedest to pin Logan under him through any means necessary. Logan who still fucking hates water and is fighting ferociously to not be pinned and drowned.

Some poor sap who's watching the two heads of their crew try to 'kill' one another. Wade wins if he kills him and Logan will come back to Wade having his way with him.

(They had a long conversation about this years ago)

If Logan wins he gets to do what he wants to Wade.

It's a good deal and it's about an even split who wins each time. Logan hates drowning though but it has become his least hated way to die.

He doesn't always die of course. Sometimes he just manages just to subdue him. But he dies as often as he does because he refuses to give up the fight.

Wade loves wrapping his tail around Logan tangling them together while they lay there in the afterglow. It's a fight every time to detangle them to get back to the ship.

After the crew know Wade sometimes will just swim alongside the ship while they travel. Maybe some legend starts off of I sea monster following them around.

No one knows and they crew isn't talking. Someone somewhere gets the idea in their head that they could hunt down the sea creature. This does not go well for them

Okay so they either come back to everyone holding spears/guns and pointing it at Wade. Or The man is not believed and told to fuck off

The people on board know Wade is like them he has razer sharp teeth and his fingernails are claw like. But no one knows exactly what his deal is and the rule is you don't ask. Maybe his tongue is a but too long 🤔 (for wholesome reasons of course definitelynotforsexualstuff)

They're pretty much all some kind of mutant or mutate or something. So they all kinda shrug it off. No one asks what anyone's deal is and everyone just kinda goes along with it

It's the opposite of mutually insured destruction. You can't rat out if you don't know. The only hint they have besides the visible stuff is the fact he always smells like seaweed (smell idea courtesy of @orcadork4ever)

Many a time have the crew caught Wade teasing their captain with it. Their captain who is watch the man with dark wanting eyes.

While Logan was the captain Wade was second in command and was pretty much Logan's equal. They had formed this new crew together and were closer then many first thought possible.

Logan was aloof and distant but with Wade he was practically mush in his hands. It was shocking at first but it's soon become the normal state of things.

They probably get told about mutants or creatures being held against their will. And go out of their way to make sure that they free them all.

A new member of the crew is welcomed aboard and it's a shock. All the personalities who seem to somehow get along with each other even though they're nothing alike.

I'll run by a distant captain who seems like an absolute bastard and who many horror stories have been spun about. They act like he's some kind of Boogeyman who comes in slaughters hundreds before running off once more.

And his second in command who could not be any more opposite. Except for the fact that he's just as terrifying though it's not first apparent.

Then you get to see later that day the two of them in a corner in the boat flirting. Because that has to be what it is. What with Wade plastered to the Captain's front and One of his hands creeping down Logan's lower back to grab at his ass.

And the captain is just allowing it fuck he's blushing and leaning into the other man. He's even purring purring as he raises his own hand to cup the other's nape.

(That's all I got right now)

[ghosts-and-glory]

Gonna be honest, no idea what that last asker was talking about when they said Narinder deserved purgatory more. The guy is messed up, don't get me wrong, but the sheep genocide was completely out of his control. There isn't even any evidence that he got locked up for anything other than inventing a way to revive followers!

Narinder is much more palatable than the bishops and the fandom tends to forget that making him pissy/angry all the time is actually pretty ooc (ESPECIALLY considering the time it took between updates). He liked you as a god, he was mad for a while as a follower, AND THEN HE SAID HE RESPECTED YOU AS A GOD BEFORE YOU EVEN FULLY FINISHED HIS QUEST LINE!

Tldr; Narinder isn't as bad as the bishops, torture is cringe unless it's character building :)

That cat spent a thousand years being punished, let him rest. He’s been punished for his betrayal, a thousand years of it. During the game his crime is trying to escape a prison that he would never be allowed out of. He’s given no opportunity to reform, no time to rest and no end in sight.

I do enjoy it when follower Narinder is a bitch, I just want him to be mean to me is that too much to ask?

I’m a chronic adhd rambler and I hate scrolling by long posts. More thoughts on Narinder under the cut.

I do think this bit of dialogue is telling.

If you resurrect he seems to imply that resurrection is what started him towards his betrayal. He points out specifically that that there are no other gods to stop you from playing with life and death, this action makes him see himself in The Lamb. His reaction to the funeral is more reserved. Maybe he’s disappointed, maybe he feels some level of relief that you wouldn’t repeat his actions, maybe a bit of both.

And there’s his dialogue after his defeat.

I was originally gonna say something about his murder dialogue but I got distracted by how fucked up he is. Narinder, baby, I know you’re the god of death but begging to die is not normal.

But yeah the point that he seems to respect the Lamb’s godhood kinda supports my game theory that the Lamb is more death than Narinder. At the end of his godhood Nari was corrupt, driven by revenge and power. Depending on your actions as the Lamb you are now either walking the same corrupt path as he did, respecting the natural order of life and granting rest, or a bit of both.

I do think its easiest to love Narinder out of all of the npcs in the game. Yeah okay he’s evil in that good tumbly sexler man kinda way but he’s also the character with the most content. He has the most dialogue, you meet with him the most, he’s got the hardest boss battle with unique mechanics. I get why he’s the fan favourite and why people like Narilamb, what gayer than being character foils? Nothing.

He’s my little meow meow and I’m mean to him cause I love him. Mwah.

[iamnmbr3]

I would love to hear your snily thoughts 🤍

Idk. I just think they're neat you know? I think they should both be rough and angry with jagged edges and ferocity and power and creativity that often gets overlooked and underestimated. I think this would make them very interesting together but also make them clash in interesting ways. We see how flawed their friendship is and I think they'd have to overcome a lot to be together, while at the same time being incredibly similar and compatible in many ways. I also think they have a lot more in common than they get credit for.

Snape is tremendously intelligent and creative and likes to play around with the nature of magic to the point that he is already inventing spells in school, which is extremely impressive. And I think this is something he would also have in common with Lily.

I subscribe to the theory that it was more than just her sacrifice that saved Harry that night in 1981. I think she did...something. My money's on some type of blood magic ritual with herself and potentially James as sacrifices. I mean Voldemort's spell doesn't just rebound. He's ripped apart - at a metaphysical level. Not only is his body (and the house) destroyed but also his very soul is also shattered. Something that never happens again despite the fact that he later makes more Horcruxes and kills more innocent people. Not only that but the spell later burns Quirrel alive when Voldemort possesses him and tries to hurt Harry. Only by taking Lily's blood is he partly able to circumvent this, so I think a blood magic ritual makes the most sense.

So yeah I kinda like the idea of Lily and Snape both being kinda scarily inventive and creative and holing up together somewhere to experiment and play with magic and just being utterly fascinated by it and maybe a little scarily risk tolerant (after all, Luna's mom died experimenting with magic so we know it can go very wrong). Also I like to think that they both shared a passion for potions. Slughorn mentions Lily having been really good at the subject so I love to imagine them both being genuinely enthusiastic about obscure potions topics and debating them and mutually admiring each other's skills and building off of each other. Not to mention they are both fiercely devoted to their love ones and willing to die for those they love.

Also consider the fact that they were both probably called mudblood by some of the same people (because remember while Lily would certainly have had it way worse, "mudblood" is also an insult for halfbloods). And consider also the bitter areas of disagreement. Snape's resentment of muggles and his muggle heritage driven by his relationship with his father versus Lily feeling much more positively about that side of her heritage (despite her deteriorating relationship with her sister) because of her supportive parents. Snape's resentment over Lily accepting Slug Club party invitations (because as a muggleborn she lacks connections in wizarding society) and Lily being horrified when Snape rubs shoulders with some of the very same people in his House.

They both have sharp tongues. Consider them enjoying each other's wit but also both being vicious in their arguments. Consider them being the only ones to really see each other when they are both caricatures to so many people. They both see each other's isolation and anger and daring and intellect and creativity and sense of never quite belonging in either world and need to prove themselves.

Imagine them slowly weaving the messy bits of themselves together, learning to build something functional, learning to compliment rather than undermine each other. Imagine them standing together to face a world that discounted them. Imagine what they could create and invent.

Imagine a soft world in which Snape turns away from Voldemort and Lily tells James that he will not be getting the idealized fantasy version of her (or indeed any version of her) in the end. Imagine them going through life judging everyone together, with a fierce loyalty only to each other, perhaps becoming Unspeakables or perhaps striking out on their own and continuing to invent and discover. Imagine them having a child and Lily immersing herself fully in that - because so often I see characterizations that try to make her "more badass" by trying to minimize how important motherhood was to her, which I personally really dislike.

Or imagine the alternative. In which something happens between them. But it can't last. Because they still end up pulled to opposite sides of the war. Imagine Lily marrying Snape's worst enemy partly out of spite. Imagine their affection turning to bitterness and no one even noticing that even though they aren't together so much of what they do is still a private battle between them. Because even if they look at each other with bitterness now they still see each other in a way no one else does. Imagine them both compromising their loyalty to their respective sides to spare the other, even while still feeling angry.

Imagine them both being petty and vindictive and deeply flawed and deeply human, both extremely different and so, so similar. And imagine all the ways that a relationship between them, whether or not it works out, could help explore and illuminate the facets of their characters.

[rustyboltzz]

ok no deep burning questions but here's some silly ones

is iris a dog or a cat person? and on a similar but not exactly the same note if she was turned into a critter of some kind thru some anomaly would she be a dog or a cat (or something else :eyes:)

if she played minecraft what kinda style would she have (redstoner builder speedrunner fighter etc)

Oh my god... Iris asks.. how I've missed you!!

We're gonna do this a little differently this time. Within the ask, I'll include some little art to go along with my answers, I hope you enjoy! :]

(Perhaps you aren't into reading. If not; you're able to simply scroll through the art within this post by selecting one and swiping back and forth. That or you can scroll down like a normie.)

First question; 'Is Iris a dog or cat person?' Being honest? Neither! If she was to pick between the two, probably dogs, she has specific trauma tied to cats due to Omega-7, which I could explain in a separate ask if you'd like, but in terms of dogs? I think she feels in-between about them. I think she generally thinks they are 'cute' and is probably bonded to the idea of them being protectors (I like the idea that she bonded with some sniffer dogs while on Omega-7), but the fact that they are very high maintenance and demand a lot of her attention and physical affection is overwhelming for her. In short, they're nice to be around temporarily, but not her ideal long-term pet.

As for a pet, though, I think she'd enjoy some sort of lizard or reptile. I asked GlassAutomaton something similar to this in the past, and I agree with what he said there, so I'll just say it here as well; I can imagine her enjoying upkeeping their enclosures and the heat of their sun lamps. I also just think she has this particular affection for them because she grew up in a place where there was a significant amount of them just around regularly. They remind her of home.

I like to think she has this particular affection for snakes, salamanders and geckos in particular, and they inflict a rare case of cuteness-aggression from her when she sees them, but I feel she'd have a hard time ever asking for one as a pet, not because she thinks her overseers wouldn't allow it (I actually think they'd like her to have something other then Alpha-9 to devote herself too) but because she'd get embarrassed about being caught being so affectionate with another little being, even if they're an animal. The gods forbid Iris Thompson from baby-talking an animal in another's presence, in her eyes at least. Gotta keep up that 'Cool-Girl' persona, I guess. (The one that only exists in her head. Aha.)

Next question! 'If she was to be transformed into a little critter of some kind, which would it be?' Picking between the dog and cat, it's a bit hard to choose, I think she shares a lot of attributes with both of those animals specifically. With cats, she's similar in the aspects that she's naturally drawn to warm places, always a little bit touch and go with affection and her mood, and secretly a bit of a cuddle-bug, even if she'd never admit it. And with dogs, I'd say she's very praise-driven, even if subtley, a bit of a suck up when it comes to those she cares about, and quite demanding when she wants to be. I guess this answer ends with her being an Eye-Pet, if that reference isn't too niche. Which, from my understanding, and reflecting back on my five-year-old self's memories, is the mixture between the two animals. But who knows, maybe there's another glorious mixture of the two I'm failing to bring up.

As for any general animal I think she'd transform into, I guess I'd say it would be fun to see a Snake-Iris, which I know is something that's already been conceived somewhere. There's not a lot behind this past how I've connected her with reptiles, and the fact that I think she deserves to unhinge her jaw and swallow a mouse whole, just a little.

Final question! 'If she was to play Minecraft, what playstyle would she attach herself to?' Honestly, it's a little bit hard to choose on this one because I never really imagined her being a fan of sandbox types of games to begin with, but! I'd like to imagine she'd probably attach herself to the 'miner' type playstyle. She seems the type to get into the game for a couple of weeks and devote herself hard to one goal at a time, like upkeeping a fort and a farm and grinding for all the best materials (Atleast the ones she deems 'ethical', whatever that means. I think she'd learn about the villager trading system and be mortified.) only to get incredibly embarrassed that she wasted her time on such a 'nothing' task and never touch the game again.

Do I think she's good at grinding? Somewhat. On the most basic levels. I think she'd start to feel her brain twist inside her skull if she even tried to conceptualise a Redstone farm, let alone a mob farm, I mean, c'mon! She needs to give her opposition a fighting chance! Trapping them in a chamber and swiping at their legs is just too far for her! She may be a fighter, but she has morals..

Speaking of fighting, I think one of the things she genuinely does get good at in the game is the combat system, even if she's just practicing it on the hostile mobs. If there is one thing Iris Thompson cares about, it's her safety, and it's also most certainly being prepared.

Finally, I think far in the future, or perhaps not, her and Jacqueline (SCP-1985) would play together. Iris would probably play hardball at first when Jacqueline suggests they start a little world together but eventually cave at the prospect of building something with someone else. It's a flattering idea to her, even if she'd never admit that. I think Jacqueline has a much more laid-back playstyle. She enjoys the nature and life the game holds in its scenery. She enjoys being able to build something beautiful from scratch. I think she's an immaculate builder and devotes far too much time to perfecting her landscapes within their worlds. Makes her and Iris a neat little cottage away from it all, and while she finds it a bit ugly, doesn't abject when Iris builds fortress walls around them to keep them safe, maybe just spiffs up her watch towers a little bit.