#will any of those happen whomst know. not me.

[red-dyed-sarumane]

one day i'll use all these surely thats a reasonable goal

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Please, talk about the Gom Jobbar scene

Oh hell yes.

So this is one of those posts that really should be a short video essay of me talking over the scene but instead it is gonna be a loooooong wall of text and screenshots. Maybe it will assume its final form some day if I'm ever in possession of the free time and patience to make video essays. I also highly recommend watching Denis Villeneuve's own breakdown of this scene from 2021. I'll try not to duplicate things said there.

We have to start with the setup, which begins with this scene:

We see Jessica on her knees, in the rain, waiting for an arriving ship. These are the first shots in the movie where we see Jessica when no one else is watching her, and this woman who stood calm and composed before representatives of the Emperor of the Known Universe is terrified. Which creates an immediate sense of dread over whoever is coming in that ship.

Whomst in the fuck now?

We also get this shot where we're alone with Jessica. It's a little hard to see in a still frame but there's a moment where she, like, steels herself before she wakes Paul up.

Holy fuck tho, I just noticed the similarities between this shot and the one of the Bene Gesserit arriving, with the almost monochromatic color palette and the shafts of white light.

Once Paul wakes up we shift to his POV. He immediately knows something is off ("What's wrong?" is the first thing he says) but gets no information about what's happening.

Then we get this short scene, where Paul is told he is going to meet the Reverend Mother and but not much else about what's going on. The whole "She wants to know about your dreams." "How does she know about my dreams?" [no answer from Jessica] exchange, I think, implies that she knows because Jessica told her about Paul's dreams, which is this little tiny betrayal of confidence that gives Paul the first inclination that his mother may not be someone he can fully trust in this situation. Which is exactly what Dr. Yueh warns him about immediately after.

We also get two new languages used in this scene. Dr. Yueh speaks to Paul in Mandarin, which he understands and presumably Jessica does not. This gives us a piece of information about Paul's curiosity toward other cultures and his facility with languages. And Jessica uses the Atreides battle sign, which Paul also understands. Outside the library, Jessica pauses to give Paul one more silent warning, although she still hasn't told him what's about to happen.

This is just the setup. So before we've even entered the room, we've created this sense of unsettled foreboding dread (the Denis Signature Vibe) without a clear understanding of why things are happening--which is exactly how Paul feels.

I should also add that in the book, this scene takes place during the day, with the Reverend Mother sitting in front of a window. Shifting it to the middle of the night not only makes it way creepier but also tells us that (1) the Reverend Mother is the kind of person who can command Jessica's attention at any time of day or night and (2) this is all somewhat illicit and possibly is happening without Leto's knowledge.

Whomst in the fuuuuuuck?

We get this sort of weird POV shot of Paul crossing the room when it's not actually happening:

which I think is supposed to suggest some subtler form of control than the Voice, which Paul resists.

Before they've even properly entered the room, Mohiam manages to insult both Paul's parents ("defiance in the eyes, like his father" and dismissing Jessica with a curt "leave us"). And the first thing Paul says is to defend his mother's place in the social hierarchy ("You dismiss my mother in her own house?") with all the haughtiness you would expect.

The power dynamic gets rapidly clarified.

Momentary aside to say that I love the composition of this shot. Neither of them are quite on the third--they're just a bit too close to each other to make the shot look balanced. But neither of them are in center frame either--the box is in the center. They're not exactly aligned to the light gray columns between the bookshelves behind them, either, and the bookshelves are just slightly asymmetrical. It all makes things feel just a little claustrophobic and unsettling. Denis Villeneuve frequently uses this technique of creating unbalanced shots and intentionally leaving too much space in awkward parts of the frame to create a sense of unease.

Paul isn't kneeling in the book either--he's standing beside the chair in a setup that I don't think would actually work given the heights of the actors here, or would look awkward as hell. So they've solved a practical blocking problem and done some storytelling with it as well.

This is where we get our first look at the Voice at full power, and it's one of only two scenes where we get some subjective POV of what it feels like to be Voice-controlled (the other one being Feyd-Rautha and Lady Margot's interaction which deserves its own post). I really like that they didn't go for Voice Slow (zombie shuffling across the room) because Voice Fast is much more disturbing. The subjective experience of it seems closest to like, blacking out and waking up in a place or doing a thing and not knowing how you got there. The camera effect is just a really fast dolly and a slick edit, but Timothée really sells it with his split-second moment of confusion and shock before he realizes what happened and gets angry about it.

So now we're here, with the poison needle and the pain box.

"No need to call the guards. Your mother stands behind that door. No one would get past her."

This is a slick fucking piece of editing. Because just as Paul is learning that his mother has not only trapped him in this situation but is ensuring it continues uninterrupted, we cut to Jessica for the first time since she left the room and we see how absolutely terrified she is.

Also from this point, the sound in the film starts crossing the barrier of the door--we hear some of the dialogue between Paul and Mohiam when we're on shots of Jessica, and when the pain sound effect starts up, we hear it continuously on both sides of the door. So even though Jessica is not literally experiencing the pain, it feels like she is vicariously.

It would be really easy to tip the balance of sympathy in this scene one way or the other--toward Paul who's realizing his mother has handed him over to a painful and potentially lethal test, or toward Jessica who is listening to her child scream in pain and not only cannot stop it but is tasked with making sure it continues. But Denis Villeneuve is an absolute master at controlling and directing your POV in a way that allows you to feel sympathy for multiple characters at once and engage with complicated, contradictory emotional landscapes, and this is a little demonstration of what he's going to do on a much larger scale later in the story.

Timothée's pain acting...is excellent, that's all I'll say about that. Love that he's allowed to get all gross and drippy with it.

Now we get to the litany against fear.

Jessica starts it specifically in response to hearing Paul scream on the other side of the door. So, practically, she is using it to control her own fear. But the way the scene is intercut, it plays as if she is almost coaching or guiding Paul into controlling his own reactions. With every line that she says, we cut back to Paul as he is starting to master the situation.

"I must not fear." Paul is not in control here and seems about at his physical limit for keeping his hand in the box.

"Fear is the mind-killer." This is the one where it really seems like he could be reciting the same litany in his head or under his breath.

"Fear is the little death that brings obliteration." We don't really see Paul's face in the accompanying shot, but the pain sound effect really goes into overdrive, like she is pushing him harder.

"I will face my fear and I will permit it to pass over me and through me." Seems like Paul is getting to some kind of Zen place or whatever where he can withstand the pain.

This is when the first flash of vision pops up and the balance of power starts to shift in Paul's favor. We realize it at the same time both he and the Reverend Mother do.

Then we have this great moment where he looks up at her and we don't quite know what is happening but somehow Paul has started to win this interaction. And we go through a whole Face Journey with him that's intercut increasingly rapidly with Jessica's lines, flashes of the visions, and Mohiam's reaction as she starts to realize she's lost control of the situation.

"And when it has gone past--"

"I will turn the inner eye to see its path--"

"--and where the fear has gone, there will be nothing--"

"Only I will remain."

This part is great because like...nothing is happening. He just looks up at her. But we know that whatever battle is going on between them, Paul is winning now.

(Side note: this is a duel, right? This is his first of three duels, and like the duel with Feyd, he wins it on his knees.)

Then as soon as she says, "Enough," the facade cracks again a little.

And then he does the thing!! That is one of my favorite Paul physicalities!! Where he tilts his chin up so he can look down his nose at someone. Which is particularly audacious when you're on your knees.

It looks arrogant but there's also something a bit...childish? about it. It's something that he does specifically when he feels he does not have control of the situation and he's trying to regain it. He does it to the Emperor at the end of Part Two.

Anyway I LOVE the whole section of intercutting between Jessica and Paul because like. They are physically separated by a door but emotionally they feel connected. She put him in this situation, but then it's almost like she is reminding him that she also gave him the training to survive it. Which like, isn't that a microcosm of their whole fucked-up relationship?

"...You inherit too much power."

"What, because I'm a duke's son?"

"Because you are Jessica's son. You have more than one birthright, boy."

Almost all the dialogue from this scene is taken word for word from the book (although sometimes condensed). This is one of the few lines that got changed. In the book, Jessica is the one who reminds Paul that he is a duke's son--not her son. In general the movie dialogue is more faithful to what's in the book than you might expect. But every once in a while there is a line that feels like it's talking back to the original text like this.

There's another little emotional reversal right at the end of the scene, when Jessica comes in and her face just floods with relief at realizing Paul is still alive. But meanwhile you can see that Paul is really processing how betrayed by her he feels.

And then, after all that, they do talk about his dreams.

Denis has said in interviews that this was one of the very first scenes they filmed. Which is. Insane to me. This is an iconic scene from the book that every fan will come to with expectations and it's a really hard acting job! For everyone involved but especially for Timothée, because so much of the scene turns on him having an intense reaction to something that's not real and generally just...doing stuff with his face, and hoping that the sound design and the score and some scenes that haven't been shot yet will sell what's going on. Usually you would want to work up to an intense emotional scene like this, give the cast and crew a little time to get comfortable with each other. Nope! Anyway Denis has also said that he knew after this scene that he had cast correctly and yeah. I would say so.

[polutrope]

Just pure headcanons, what do you think happened during Maglor's reign as a king? I don't know if his reign was short or something but I remember it took some time before Fingon was able to save Maedhros and unite the noldor and there was still some division between the host of nolofinweans and feanorians. I wonder if he considered himself a placeholder until Maedhros returned or was he a reluctant king? Did the host respect him as a king, did his own brothers respect him as a king? I am so intrigued because, aside from Maedhros, I think Maglor deserved some shoutout lmao (No, this isn't a maglor-obsession-spree that I have been on, nu uh). Also, I feel like he would have some cordial relationship with Fingolfin, they could bond as the second sons having to take leadership because the eldest died/was abducted idk.

Oh no, starlitelwing. I hope you know the Pandora's Box you've just opened. King Maglor is one of my all-time favourite things to think about.

First of all: there's actually no canonical information on Maglor's position after the capture of Maedhros (in fact, we don't even know what Maedhros' title/position was after Feanor's death; all we know is that Feanor "claimed now the kingship of all the Noldor" in Tirion. Contested leadership is SO GOOD isn't it? anyway...).

The published Silmarillion glosses right over the question of who's in charge during the time between Feanor's death and Fingolfin's official assumption of the Kingship of the Noldor (which, if you ask me, Fingolfin effectively had been King since the time of Feanor's exile, and he was in any case Regent at the time of Finwe's death... he said he'd follow Feanor but the people following him were calling him Finwe Nolofinwe soooo... aiee, I digress again). The book gallops at such a breakneck speed that you don't really notice the gap in leadership. Or, I didn't.

But then you look at the Grey Annals (where Tolkien Gateway gets most of its First Age dates) and you see that there are 2-3 Tree Years and 5 Sun Years between Maedhros' capture and his rescue. Now, however you imagine time works in Tree Years when there are no Trees, that's still a long time. Maedhros was gone at a minimum 6-7 years, more likely closer to the equivalent of 30 "regular" years. (That's way longer, by the way, than the time between Feanor's death and Maedhros' capture, which was like, a day to a month, at most. Maedhros, if he even was King, was King for way less time than whoever followed him. And he sucked at the job, btw. But I digress. Again.)

So someone had to be in charge for those 6 to 30 years, but whomst? That the leadership would pass after Feanor's death to the eldest son is logical, and that it would then pass to the next eldest is also logical. I see no reason to refute that, but note: it would not be uncanonical to have someone other than Maedhros or Maglor in charge at this time. You can make King Celegorm a thing and still be canon-compliant!

This passage in the published Silm is basically the extent of the activities of the sons of Feanor during Maedhros' absence:

Then the brothers of Maedhros drew back, and fortified a great camp in Hithlum; but Morgoth held Maedhros as hostage, and sent word that he would not release him unless the Noldor would forsake their war, returning into the West, or else departing far from Beleriand into the South of the world. But the sons of Feanor knew that Morgoth would betray them, and would not release Maedhros, whatsoever they might do; and they were constrained also by their oath, and might not for any cause forsake the war against their Enemy.

The sense here is that all six sons acted as a unit. But in the 1937 Quenta Silmarillion, the text on which this passage is drawn:

Morgoth held [Maedhros] as hostage and sent word to Maglor that he would only release his brother if …

To Maglor! Excellent evidence that Tolkien was also making the logical conclusion that Maglor, the eldest, was in charge. (My best theory for why Christopher Tolkien took that out is Too Many Names, but it's an odd decision.)

All that was to say: We don't know, canonically, that Maglor was in charge at Mithrim. But it makes a lot of sense, and it's my headcanon that he was.

Now. More interesting headcanons.

I don't think Maglor was called King until it was politically necessary.

I see him as someone who is comfortable in command (one meaning of Cano is "commander", after all) but who likes to command collaboratively. Double-edged sword: he values the input of others (admirable quality) and he does not like being fully responsible for the outcomes of a decision (less admirable).

Unlike much fanon I've come across, I don't think Maglor was a particularly reluctant or incompetent leader or that he hated it. He was miserable, yes, because his father just died and his brother was just captured, and he wasn't thrilled to become a leader on top of that, but he keeps it together.

So how do I imagine it all went down?

The problem with Maglor being in command is that his "collaborative" style of leadership is not appropriate for a time of crisis or for his family. While the Silm often talks about "the sons of a Feanor" as a unit, I do not think they were of the same mind on everything. At all. They need a firm hand, and Maglor does not have that.

But who does have a firm hand? Who would be a more martial ruler, someone who could get people in order during a crisis? Celegorm. And he knows it.

So why did the Feanorians "get nothing done" during those 6-30 years (sidenote: I don't actually think they got nothing done, but it does seem they didn't get anything BIG done)? Well, for one, they were fighting amongst themselves.

Maglor could not get his brothers to agree on anything, and yet he did not know any other way of commanding, and over time he becomes more and more miserable as a leader.

Celegorm, meanwhile, is chomping at the bit to "relieve him" of the burden.

Around them, everyone else is picking sides.

Curufin is an interesting case. I headcanon he actually was fully behind Maglor at the beginning, because he respects the orderliness of succession. But as Maglor proves himself unsuitable for the role, he aligns with Celegorm.

Outside the family, I headcanon that the Mithrim Elves were actually quite taken with Maglor, the poet-king. Their alliance hinges on him. But the Noldor, especially the army, would rather follow Celegorm.

As everyone knows, a rival for leadership with the army's support is Bad News. And yet Maglor manages to hold on. He should definitely get credit for that.

But why hold on? If he is hating this ruler job, why not just let Celegorm have it? Couple reasons:

It's Celegorm. He may be able to perform well, but Maglor knows he's the most like Feanor in temperament and, well, Feanor's kingship didn't end well.

If Maglor gives up that crown, he will have admitted to himself that Maedhros is not coming back. This is the same reason he doesn't give it over to Fingolfin when Uncle Nolvo shows up. He is hanging onto that thing for dear life because, to him, it belongs to Maedhros and only Maedhros. He is the crown's custodian, never its rightful owner (this bleeds into my headcanon that Maglor does not "in his heart" agree with Maedhros' decision to cede the kingship — he'll never be as vocal about it as the others, though).

Now we come to another piece. What did Maglor call himself? Like I said up top, I don't think he initially called himself King. He was "head of his House", or maybe, "Lord of Hithlum," or maybe King Regent, but never King. If one of the Mithrim got mixed up and called him that, he would always correct them.

That changes when Fingolfin shows up. Now there's another claimant to the title of King. Possibly a more legitimate one than even Maedhros (as Maedhros later says himself).

By that time, Maglor has been keeping that crown out of Celegorm's hands for years; he is not giving it up now. And Fingolfin is less likely to challenge his leadership if he offers no room for ambiguity. If he dons the mantle of kingship and pretends Maedhros is dead.

So that is what he does... Does Fingolfin accept it? Well: "Then there was peril of strife between the hosts."

For three years, on opposite sides of the Lake, they're at an impasse. Fingon doesn't go looking for Maedhros because he thinks Maedhros is dead (and other reasons: the mission is insane and desperate not the least, and contrary to popular opinion Fingon is not a rash idiot).

How does Fingon eventually learn the truth? You'll have to wait and read what @melestasflight and I are cooking up for Silm Epistolary Week ;)

ETA: Despite this, I do think you're right that Maglor and Fingolfin could have bonded over their similar experiences! There's the personal and there's the political, and I love the idea of the tension between these straining what could be an emotionally supportive familial friendship between Maglor and Fingolfin.

[these-conquered-woodlands]

the order of the phoenix members & co as incorrect quotes pt 2

(as an anniversary post to one of my favorite incorrect quote collections)

molly: Alright, listen up you little shits. molly: Not you Harry. You’re an angel and we’re thrilled you’re here.

-

tonks: Hey guys, I found a spider. Cool little lad. Thanks for eating the mosquitos. tonks: Oh no, where did it go? mad-eye, standing on a chair: TONKS WHAT THE FUCK?!

-

remus: Snape has only scowled at me three times this week. Our acquaintanceship is really improving.

-

dumbledore: I've been expecting you, harry. harry: How did you do that without turning around? dumbledore: Let's just say the first few people I did that to were not you.

-

kingsley, warning about a death eater coming at tonks: To the left!  tonks: Take it back now y'all!

-

tonks: What happened to your nose? mad-eye: I used it to break someone's fist.

-

snape: You read my diary?

dumbledore: At first I did not know it was your diary. I thought it was a handwritten book about a kind of sad fellow. And then I came to a chapter called 'I hate my fucking bosses,' and thought it sounded a little too familiar.

-

sirius: I apologize for saying 'fuck' during the meeting and horrifying these dear kids. molly: You just said it again. sirius: I am not a role model.

-

tonks: Mad-eye said it's my turn with the brain cell! sirius: Alright, square up-

-

sirius: What do you call a dictionary on drugs? kingsley: "Addict-ionary"? sirius: I was actually going to say "high definition", but your answer's much better. kingsley:…

-

dumbledore: It’s nice to be wanted, you know? minerva: Not by the law!

-

remus, during deathly hallows probably: There’s always that weak little shit in the group who isn’t down with murder. remus: *glares at harry* harry: Well, sorry I have morals!

-

tonks: So if our plan goes poorly, where should we meet up? mad-eye: The afterlife, probably.

-

molly: Where are you going? fred and george: To either get ice cream or commit a felony. We'll decide on the way.

-

tonks: You didn't think maybe we'd need some actual weapons? dumbledore: Knowledge is the best weapon- tonks: I’m pretty sure weapon is the best weapon.

-

*trying to solve some mystery*

ron: I've connected the two dots. hermione: You didn't connect shit. ron: I've connected them.

-

tonks: Who the fuck- kingsley: Language! tonks: Whomst the fuck- kingsley: No.

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mundungus: I think I mostly want to see what happens when this whole place breaks apart.

-

hermione: Harry says thanks for popping by. He’d love to chat but he's up to his eyes in homework. perhaps if you could come by next week- snape and remus, coming to check on him: He’s climbing out the window isn’t he? hermione:

-

sirius: *closes a cabinet* a crash is heard behind the cabinet door molly: What was that? sirius: sirius: The sound of someone else's problem.

-

*after discussing a plan* dumbledore: Does anyone have any questions? kingsley: Is this legal? dumbledore: Does anyone have any relevant questions?

-

tonks: Hey mad-eye, are you awake? mad-eye: what tonks: Are you awake? mad-eye: Who the fuck do you think just said ‘what’?

-

harry, at the end of order of the phoenix: You guys really put aside everything and came all this way for me? How did you even get here so fast? arthur: Several air traffic violations.  kingsley: Three counts of resisting arrest. mad-eye: Roughly thirteen bottles of firewhiskey (collectively). tonks: *pointing at the knight bus* Also, that's not our bus.

Bonus:

dedalus, hestia, and those other guys in the order who are rarely mentioned in the books watching the main characters' shit go down: -The actual fuck is happening now??

[empressofmankind]

I know Robin is supposed to be fluent in the fantasy Linear B of the poneglyphs, but in the context of my increasingly complicated headcanon, where Croc (and Shivs) find her early on as a 14-year-old, it is much more interesting (and funny) to me if the reality of that ability is more akin to an eigth grader's grasp of English after their first few lessons. Most of it is from historical poneglyphs (they were archaeologists, after all) and mostly useless in the context of super secret weapons of mass destruction. We're not telling them that, though!

Which then caused the related notion that Robin, a tween-going-on-teen in the majority of my ship's main story real-estate, understandably considers herself crucial to everything going on and basically the Chosen One in her own life. "You need me and my special gift but I hate it here and I wish I was normal" she teen rages against her faux adoptive parents made out of literal water and sand, respectively. You can see why that fell flat, I am sure.

This ties directly into the notion that the infamous paperwork Sir Crocodile appears to always be doing isn't actually accounting of any sort. He's just been pouring over the same twenty-something rubbings of poneglyphs trying to pull a Ventris on this fantasy Linear B. After all, we've been deciphering dead languages and ancient scripts without the providential presence of magical teenager who happen to be able to read them fluently for some time now. The texts are few, but there's plenty poneglyphs and fragments out there, so we might accumulate more (and they do, several plot points in several WIPs), and they already know the context of what the critical text is supposed to be about which is a massive help. Because, the irritating part of deciphering a language, is that you need to already know what it is probably saying, to be able to figure out how it is saying it.

But I digress.

Anyway, Croco spending hours and hours pouring over those documents because that's what it takes (and is still taking, raising one for those still tackling Linear A). But as the whole looking-for-battleship-of-mass-destruction is supposed to be a secret, the minute someone enters his study he pulls his agenda and creditcard statements over it. And thus the eternal paperwork impression was made.

Shivs knows about all of this and goes along with it, apparently. He's so focussed on finding this magical-mythical ship and, she's a pirate, she's down with finding this franchise's Flying Dutchman (or Black Pearl?) What am I saying, she's a pirate helmsman, she'd LOVE to sail it, lmao. Mass Destruction whomst? Lets sail this baby into the sunset!

I digress. She Indiana-Joneses around Alabasta every so often, I am sure. I can see that in exactly the way I cannot see Croc crawling through any sort of dusty old tomb looking for new shards of frustratingly indecipherable ideograms for him to start smoking more heavily over.

What I am saying is that I've never been partial to Crocodile being a Big Stupid and that I am getting increasingly invested in him actually being a closet academic. I have a weird spin-off of the Mummy franchise in my head in which Shivs is Rick and Crocodile Evie.

APPARENTLY.

No, I wasn't really going anywhere with this, I just needed it off my chest. @tiredemomama is busy.

You're welcome.

[jlf23tumble]

First off YES the full clips of the early years are even more “proofy” which is actually fucking crazy - no romantic music needed!

But larries continue to cut off their nose to spite their face with the MaRRiED shit - why can no one be cool not all uncool. Not only do they sound detached from reality and how people/relationships work they also trivialize imo very real issues like forced closeting which did seem to happen in early 1D.

Ofc Harry is not out here (lol) simulating gay sex on stage like Troye but is he chained up by Sony or just living his life and not sharing every sexual encounter he has with People? He could easily have 15 boy toys in Italy (along with his deuxmoi approved gf) but because he HAS to be with Louis he is a poor man with evil harpies around him using him for their personal gain (hard eye roll because if you think those gfs were some version of not 100% real HE was using them). Larries would be happier if they accept HL are no longer together (or are occasional fuck buddies with a past) and/or they don’t want to tell you anything about their sex life because it’s none of your business. There is no coding or secret messages that only other queer people can see. Harry wearing that pink Top shirt is just Harry wearing a shirt he likes (he’s such a troll).

Obvs this came in before #recentevents, and I haven't had energy to process jack shit, but I feel you! And I have so many thoughts about it because on one hand, I get the comfort of it--a cozy ao3 hallmark movie of a story "come to life"/"trapped in amber," our friends are all vibing, we're just out here living/laffing/loving/hating on women/supporting--but on the other, yeah, that's not totally realistic, and that's literally fine, they don't know you! It's wilde to me how many people take the 24/7 for 5 years more than 10 years ago as a) categoric proof then but also b) categoric proof NOW, because even though there was a constant barrage of "content" back in the day, it wasn't 100% the truthTM, shit was messy then (see 2015, eleanor b/u #1), and it's messy now! Even today, pinterest loves to show me unedited/uncropped pictures that take my breath away, fandom whomst! Anyway, I'm yelling into various voids that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things, enjoy what you wanna enjoy, revel in it being fictional even though these are real people, but also, let me just take this moment to say I'm pouring one out for the real ones, the ones feeling isolated in groupchats, the ones who fear they can't post even the tiniest bit of doubt because they'll lose people they've come to rely on for their own personal comfort online via these two (or eep, followers, come on, liveeeee in the cringe), the ones who follow goldstars because they're the loudest and most terminally online, so there's a constant stream of "content," yet they have to face the ever-present barrage that comes with it, cropped pictures, shitting on women, the lack of any kind of nuance all. I see you!

[not-goldy]

Umm but Tae cross that line tho. You said you can't support taennie because what Tae doing is unfair to her I.e pushing tkk by namedropping JK while not claiming his gf and indirectly nodding his Fandom to attack her. Which is disrespectful for both Jikook and his relationship with Jennie.

I agree about JM coz personally the only member I take seriously when they speak about love and commitment is Jimin. Because when he says it he means it 101%.

Tae crossed that line with whomst?

Shipping and fan service is a normal part of Kpop and a member name dropping another member is not crossing the line in my opinion.

The part he's not protecting his alleged girlfriend is a very valid point. There's no excuse for that I agree. And yes I can't support that at all because I wouldn't want to be Jennie in that situation.

And showing love to the same people hating on your SO is wrong on every level. I would have deleted my account and only showed up on live if Hybe forced me to. I would make shitty music dissing my fans and drag them to hell if they don't buy or stream it🥲

Stream this song called my fans ain't shit armya.

I'll shave my head bald.

Wear socks for masks in public

And I'll gave a butched tattoo on my forehead.

Like forget the Y. Jx write Armpit on my neck.

Drop she's better than you out of no where.

Ipost and delete "love you armed robbers" and repost with the correct fan name so you know I meant yall.

I'll be such a terrible idol you'll regret stanning me. That's how petty I actually am.

Oooohhhh, you mean Tae's behavior is disrespectful to Jikook because of the way he acts with Jk sometimes?

I mean.... yes and no.

Stay with me alright,

People are allowed to do whatever they want. Just because there's a boundary or wall don't mean it will keep people out. Sometimes people go over walls, burn down and break walls.

When that happens it is up to the individual to take steps and actions to address those breaches and to prevent them from happening again.

Where you try a peaceful settlement and that fails cutting people off completely or keeping your distance becomes the ultimate solution.

Does that ring a bell with any ship dynamics in BTS to you? Ding ding ding

Tae "disrespecting" someone's boundaries is not what's important. It's that person enforcing those boundaries or allowing it that matters.

After all JK is not a child any more and so he shouldn't and wouldn't allow things he's not comfortable with. And in that regard, what may be a hard limit to you may not be a hard limit to him so he might allow it.

It's the same with JM and every body.

I think from Tae saying he wouldn't be willing to do red line tattoos with his members, it's safe to say he does understand some sort of limits or boundaries when it comes to relationships.

His limits may not however be the same as every body's.

For instance while he said he wouldn't do the red line tattoo at all JK didn't mind. He was willing to do it save for a few modifications.

It doesn't mean JK has no sense of boundaries because he is the same individual who said he wouldn't be okay with his SO feeding his friends perilla leaves or whatever.

Those two have different sense of boundaries.

Tae tend to be very liberal, carefree and has a lower social threshold. When he was younger the members used to say he had zero sense of boundaries and we could all see that too most times.

A reminder, he's the same person he stripped young Jk naked in the shower so he could have that male bonding experience and stop his shyness.

Yet he is also the one who wouldn't share his close friends with his band mates and said he likes girls that looked mean (unapproachable) on the outside.

So we know he has some sense of boundaries too. It's just not what you'd expect.

What is a boundary to you might not feel like a boundary to him. I recall him posting TKK photos on his birthday when Jk had gone out of his way to edit himself out of those pics.

The environment a person is raised in has an impact on their understanding of social dynamics and so we all have unique social needs and boundaries.

When it comes to Jungkook, he does put up boundaries where he feels he needs to and allows things he feels he's comfortable with including his one bandmate nibbling on his neck 🙃

He"ll quick punch us in the throat if any one of us tried that shit🤧

And I don't know if Jimin will be down to bump dicks with us- or it's just a jikook thing. Idk idk😩

[barbatos-sama]

there was a weird ass poll on my for you page a couple weeks ago that still haunts me. it was something along the lines of "if you saw people having sex in public would it bother you", and basically im pretty sure it was from a person who thinks ppl should be able to fuck whenever and wherever they want and it's the pearl clutching catholics who have a problem with it. and like 75% of people said no, it wouldn't bother them, and i was like bruv i garauntee you a lot of those ppl are just saying that to sound quirky and radically woke and if it actually happened they would realize just how uncomfortable they'd be. also it would dawn on them that it basically counts as a sex crime bc they're suddenly a part of these ppls sexual experience without giving consent. like idk why it bothered me so much it's just the fact that i Know a lot of these ppl were lying / didn't think abt it hard enough ajdjf. cause im like okay but whomst are you imagining having sex, is it an attractive couple of your own sexuality? if you'd be okay with that, whatever, but Would you be okay with it if it was two people you found really unattractive? maybe two middle aged dudes you think are ugly? what abt a guy you think looks creepy, and hes masturbating? if you can acknowledge That's a sexual crime why is the other thing not? and are we just not gonna factor in children in this scenario. ppl in the progressive scene rn are trying to call out 'think of the children' as an exclusively right wing dog whistle rn and it's starting to bother me because yes overwhelmingly a lot of ppl use that to try to outlaw shit like queers and drag queens but they're starting to suck nuance out of it and make it seem like Any instance of it makes you a puritan. like nah i don't think we should be having sex out in public where kids could see, i don't think that should be a minority vote opinion. it was just such a weird peek into a separate world from mine i guess AJDHDHF it didn't occur to me that That many people think we should be able to just have sex on a park bench and it should be socially acceptable and not a potential sex crime

[social-muffin]

🔥New Khr OC Questions🔥

💞Anyone welcome to participate! 💞

People really enjoyed themselves with the last list of questions I made! So I made an even bigger one!! So much so, I don't really expect anyone to answer all these questions. Just pick and choose whatever you want to answer if it's too much lmao

‼️This is not just for OCs! If you feels you've modified one of the canon characters so much that they're a whole different person now, tell me about them as well please!‼️

I will also tag a bunch of people whomst OCs I really enjoyed and remembered from the last list of questions! There will be some repeat questions here, so you can elaborate if you wanna or just skip those lmao

Tags under the Cut cause I will also give a lil commentary on the OCs I know so far. :3

‼️Also these Questions are mostly spoiler free so don't worry! Only one question asks about something that's introduced after the Varia Arc I think. I put a 🌸 next to that one.‼️

@juudaimes-true-form Amara & Ricardo were both very fun and I like knowing about them! But l Alexandros is a very good vibe I wanna know the him uwu

@einsatzzz Kana, Kurumi & Yui are Hella intriguing! Do pls elaborate on all of them! Particularly Yui has spiked my interest! Did you finish that art of him you were working on?

@heryemily5927 Hanabi is adorable please tell me more if you feel up to it! :D

@kiralushia Nozomi & Cloud! I would like to see both of them for this! But I also wanna know more about Arashi because she gets mentioned often too :3

@acedragontrainer Ayane & Yuki may have been randomly created but they are so gawddang fun! Please give them backstories with the questions here. If you wanna of course ^^

@masterdisastre Xavier is babiest Boi, but what about Dani!? And also pls tell me of any other OC you wanna talk about!! I'll treasure each and every single one of them! :D

@cloudspark You reblogged the old Questions once wondering if you'll find the time and motivation to introduce your OC, so I will tag you here too since there are more questions here. :3

@ciaossn Amalia is best lady pls tell me more even if her true origin story has been tragically lost ;w; I wish to know her as much as possible!

The Basics:

What's their name? Their pronouns? Sexuality? Gender Identity? Their Age and Ethnicity?

What do they look like? Body type? Identifying characteristic? Art or picrew of your oc? (No AI art pls.)

Why did you create this character? Just for fun? Or is there a purpose behind them? Maybe a canon character you created them for? As a friend, love interest, sibling, child, parent, rival, nemesis?

What's the family situation of your OC? If they have family, how about a brief summary of the relationships of their family to the canon characters?

What are their other notable relationships to Canon characters? (Example: Hibari's little brother also happens to be Tsuna's childhood best friend and Gokudera's love interest) If there are none right now, are there any plans for relationships in the future?

Does your Oc have disabilities? Mental illnesses, neurodivergencies, missing limbs, chronic pains, physical limitations, some kind of food sensitivity? Anything that affects their day to day life goes!

Combat Questions:

What are your OC's flames, if they have any? And how do they use their flames? Do they ever use them outside combat?

How do they prefer to fight? Do they know how to fight in a way they dislike or hate? (Example: Hibari prefers hand-to-hand combat and dislikes firearms, but he knows how to shoot someone if he has no choice)

Do they have formal training? How many fighting styles do they know? What weapons can they wield?

What are their strengths? Their weaknesses?

🌸Do they have a flame weapon, or a box weapon/animal? How did they get these weapons? What level ring (best S>A>B>C>D>worst E) do they wield? Can they use their ring efficiently? If no, why not?🌸

Oh no! Your OC is unable to fight! (Too tired, injured, whatever) How do they deal with the enemy now? Do they flee, still try to fight, call for backup, or what do they do?

Philosophical Questions:

Answer this first before reading/thinking further! Would your OC change anything about themselves if they could?

What's their favourite colours? Their favourite season? Their favourite weather? Their favourite animal?

What are their hobbies? What are they passionate about? Is there a passion they had to give up? If so, why?

What kind of people do they dislike? Do they like who they themselves are?

What is their biggest secret? What's the biggest/worst lie they ever told? What lie do they frequently tell themselves?

What's their darkest desire? What's their biggest hope for the future? If they had the money, how would they want to change the world they live in?

If the world ended tomorrow, how would they spend their last day on earth? Who would they want to be with? Their worst fear stands between them and saving the world, would they be able to overcome that fear to save the world?

What would be their civilain dream job? If they had to kill someone innocent to save a friend, would they be able to do it? How long would their choice haunt them? Would they be able to face their friend if they decided to sacrifice them, but things ended up working out?

Your OCs biggest, wildest dreams all just came true! What do they do next? Who do they celebrate with? How do they celebrate? Loud exhilaration or quiet disbelief?

After these questions, I ask again, what would your OC change about themselves if they could? Did the answer change?

Khr Character Questions! [Or 'I am putting the OCs in ✨situations✨']

Vongola:

Sawada Tsunayoshi burst into flames, flew into the sky and took out a missile that was headed towards the area your Oc was in. How do they go about interacting with Tsuna after that?

Gokudera Hayato dragged your OC to an empty classroom to investigate ghosts, but it turns out it was just teenagers. Hayato seems genuinely disheartened, does your Oc want to comfort him?

Sasagawa Ryohei just pulled your Oc away from oncoming traffic! He proceeds to ask them to join the boxing club! How do they go about rejecting him, given that he just saved their life?

Bovino Lambo just send your Oc ten years into the future! What situation did your Oc end up in? What's their reaction to this future?

Yamamoto Takeshi is sitting by himself, holding a baseball and looking oddly melancholic. Your OC does not know what is going on, except that usually Takeshi is a cheerful guy. Do they approach him? What do they say?

Hibari Kyoya comes across your Oc with a bleeding wound at his side. He is most obviously unwell, but also pissed, how does your Oc approach this situation?

Chrome Dokuro knows what your Oc did and it feels like she is judging them for their dirty secrets. How does your Oc try to buy her silence?

Rokudo Mukuro wandered into the dream your Oc had last night! Does he leave with even more trauma, creepily amused, weirdly charmed or thoroughly bored?

Fuuta DeLa Stella fianlly ranked your Oc first in something! What category did he rank them first in? What is your OC's reaction?

I-pin just blew up and then landed gently in the arms of your Oc. How do they react to this literal pipe bomb baby?

Sasagawa Kyoko handed your Oc Valentine's friendship chocolates and thanked them for looking after her brother! This might be a misunderstanding, but these are also the only/first chocolates your Oc was given, so what do they tell her?

Miura Haru made your Oc their dream outfit! But something significant about it is wrong, how does your Oc give critique on that?

Kurokawa Hana just called your Oc a monkey to their face. How ready, if at all, are they to throw hands with this civilain middle/high-school girl?

Arcobaleno:

Fon wants to share spicy curry with your Oc, but the spoon is glowing red hot. Does your Oc risk it?

Reborn shot someone infront of your Oc. Tsuna won't believe them. What will they do now?

Verde wants to study your Oc so he asks if they'd volunteer for science. No money is involved but they do get to hang out with Verde, do they take the offer?

Lal Mirch has taken over the CEDEF and there is a party that your OC somehow ended up invited to! Do they bring Lal a gift? If so, what kinda gift?

Colonnello got drunk from sipping some wine, he is sad, melancholic and heavily armed. How does your Oc handle the situation?

Skull thinks you're really cute and creative! He wants to know how you came up with your Oc? And your favourite scene of your Oc!

Viper just gave your OC a slice of pizza. Will they eat it? Are they aware of the risks? Are there risks?

Varia:

Xanxus meets your Oc at a bar and tells them to get him a drink. What does your Oc do? If they make an order, what would they order for Xanxus?

Belphegor is staring at your OC from a distance and chuckling maniacally. What wardrobe malfunction did he notice on your OC?

Lussuria slings his feather scarf around your Oc and tells them they're a cutie. How does your Oc respond to the sudden flirting and closeness? Do they know Lussuria is powerful as well as queer?

Levi-a-Than just told your Oc that they'd be so pretty if they put a bit more effort into their look. How does your Oc react?

Superbi Squalo yells so loud it's almost bothering your Oc! How do they tell him to quiet down? How long do they last in the every-man-for-himself Varia-style brawl that comes next?

Mammon is wanting to extort your Oc for money. What blackmail material does Mammon have to do so? (What is an embarrassing thing your Oc did that Mammon could reasonably find out about?)

Fran is getting on your OC's nerves, constantly and seemingly very much on purpose. Everyone else is already using that boy as target practice, so does your Oc join in?

Others:

Dino Cavallone compares your OC to Tsuna. Is your Oc insulted by the comparison? What if it was accurate?

Dino's right hand man Romario invites your character out for a drink! What drink do they order to impress, intimidate, or endear themselves to the Cavallone Familia? Or do they reject the invite entirely?

Hibari's right hand man Kusakabe Tetsuya thinks your Oc is too noisy and tells them to shut up if they don't want to get bitten to death. Does your Oc take that as a challenge? Hibari Kyoya does not seem to be nearby in the first place... (He is watching from a nearby roof)

Something got past the safety on your OC's garbage cans and made a massive mess! Ken stands as the main, but not the only suspect. Does your Oc make that accusation? Do they worry they would offend Ken for accusing him of that, just for having more animalistic behaviours?

Chikusa's yoyo just flipped off it's string and bonked your Oc on the head. He acts apologetic, but your Oc has a feeling he did that on purpose. How does your Oc proceed?

The Last Question!!

Please gimme links as to where people can find stories or art about your OCs!

Thank you for reading and answering if you do! :D

[spahhzy]

Jaune smiled tenderly at the heartwarming scene of Ruby getting hugged to death by the rest of her teammates, happy that everything had worked out in the end.

Almost everything.

He turned around, and his eyes caught sight of the sitting Neo, who looked defeated and lost after being freed from the bastard cat. She was clutching her side as it bled from Ruby's final attack.

Jaune sighed, knowing he was probably going to make a big mistake.

It's over, I have nothing left

Was the current thoughts of Neo as she just gripped the wound, trying to get her aura to start back up so she could heal.

Why bother?

Came an intrusive thought as Neo crestfallen look deepend.

What more is their to go on? Roman's gone, and revenge did nothing.

Maybe it would be better for here to just let the blood flow and sink away into death?

Neo just continued to let those negative thoughts invade her mind, not hearing the sound of boots walk up right next to her.

A shadow casted over her, and Neo looked up behind her to see that blonde man staring back at her.

Neo just glared at him as if saying,'What do you want?'

But Jaune said nothing he just looked at her with those blue eyes as if searching for something.

Neo turned away from him and just used her other hand to try and shoo him off to little success.

Suddenly, she heard him move, and part of her wondered if he was going to strike her down a thought that she sort of relished, she would finally be free of this torment.

...but that not what happened as she felt a hand on her shoulder before a warm feeling started spreading over her body.

Wha-

Soon, she felt her aura surge back up within her as the large wound was quickly beginning to heal.

She looked at the man behind her as he concentrated his on healing her. It wasn't long before Neo' s wound had closed leaving a slight scar.

Baffled Neo just tilted her head to Jaune, whomst stood back up.

"I won't say you didn't deserve everything you got," he told her as he walked in front of her. "You've done some pretty terrible things to my friend, things I'm not sure she could forgive you for," Jaune said to her as Neo looked back to Ruby, whomst was still being dotted on by her team.

" So now the next question is what will you do next?" He asked her."Will you still keep on this sad quest for vengeance?" Neo shook her head, remembering the feeling of emptiness she got when she succeeded.

Neo just shrugged her shoulders as she grabbed the sides of Roman's hat on her head and just thumbs the outer rim.

" That belonged to your partner, didn't it?" Jaune asked, observing Neo actions.

She narrowed her eyes at him but nodded.

" I'm not judging you or anything, I too have a momento of my partner," Jaune said as he reached behind his head and undid his partners sash that tied his hair up before showing it to Neo who looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

" She passed too," he told her, and Neo stared still at the red sash.

"But... I think now I've come to grips with it, finally ready to move on from it " he told Neo as he squeezed the red sash.

"This is not me trying to pity you, I think you don't deserve pity from any of us," Jaune said to her as Neo just shifted her gaze elsewhere.

" But I won't lie and say I don't sympathize with you," he told her, earning a raised eyebrow from Neo before it turned into a glare.

" Yeah, you don't want my sympathy well, unfortunately. That's what you're getting." To that, Neo just gave him the finger.

"Look, I know you think you have nothing left to go back home too, but maybe you can figure that out and not let this be the last chapter in your story," Jaune said as Neo let out a silent sigh.

"This depressing chapter of yours is over, but I'd like to think the story of Neopolitan is just getting started," He told her as he looked at the sash In his hand before finally letting it go as it flew away into the wind.

"Just like how that chapter of mine is done," he said to her before looking back to the mute.

"How you start this next one is on you; either you sit here be stuck and maybe ascend and become something totally new or..." Jaune said to her as he then extended his hand, the one that had his partners red sash in .

Neo looked at the hand, and then back to blonde haired man, it was almost like a feeling of Deja-vu for Neo, in a way, as just like how she met Roman at her lowest and he offered her something, here was this blonde haired...Knight?

Offering her something too, what it was she wasn't so sure but something inside her said to take a leap.

" You can come along and see where your story really takes you?"

[fereldanwench]

okay so

i guess i'm doing this

i've avoided talking too publicly about any of this because it's... messy and uncomfortable for me, and probably other people, too. i also don't want to perpetuate drama and i was hoping i could just move on, but i don't think i can without unburdening myself a little here and i need to be witnessed, lmao.

i think this fandom also has a culture of whispering and gossiping in discord servers and dms rather than addressing anything head-on, and breaking that norm is also uncomfortable.

but the thing is, even if no one explicitly shares anything, that energy still obviously influences more public spaces and how we interact with each other. it breeds a lot of paranoia and mistrust, i think, even for people who aren't predisposed to dealing with issues like social anxiety or RSD. but given how many of us do actually deal with those things, it makes it even worse.

(although on the flipside, i think there are also plenty of conflicts that should be resolved privately and sometimes going full salted-earth publicly is also the wrong move, but I DIGRESS)

and look, yes, i am bad in this regard, too. i got sucked into this shit with everyone else, and i fuckin' hate it. i hate how much inconsequential knowledge i have rotting inside my already very overloaded brain about who's besties and who blocked whomst and WHATEVER THE FUCK I DO NOT FUCKING CARE

i didn't get involved in this shit in high school, i certainly don't need to be getting involved in it now

having said all that, here's some internal fandom conflict i've been dealing with on and off since january of this year.

about a week after lizzie's shutdown, i did notice that people i thought i was cool with were seemingly no longer cool with me. it was also happened not too long after i made the how-to fandom guide that i realized missed the mark for some folks, so i was like, well, maybe it was just that.

but to be completely honest, even if it was just that, that still kinda sucked too. although i agreed with the feedback that i should have taken a different approach to some areas in that guide and been more sympathetic to other sensitivities for creators in the fandom, my heart was in the right place. intent doesn't override impact, of course, but intent should still count for something, i think.

and i'm not asking for sympathy, i don't want or need it, but i do just want to share where i was mentally at the time to set the stage for later anxieties: no one likes getting yelled at for doing what they thought was a good thing.

but yanno, also, again to be fully transparent, i did feel like some folks were projecting their insecurities onto some sections and were just taking an uncharitable read on it as a result. i think a handful of people just didn't read it at all and wanted to revel in some righteous indignation, an impulse i unfortunately also understand too well so i can't judge too harshly there. sometimes you just see a phrase that just gets under your skin and nothing else said before or after that matters. i know. I've been there. but it is still kind of unfair to the person on the receiving end.

but i tried to walk away from that situation with humility and understanding and as a lesson to be more thoughtful in the future. i also had enough people say that it was helpful for me to feel like ultimately was a net positive, and i felt like everyone was moving past it.

so a few weeks later, after lizzie's had shut down under INCREDIBLY ABRUPT AND CONFUSING CIRCUMSTANCES TO ME, and i noticed i was being seemingly shunned or even blocked by folks i was like...

are people mad at me again for the how-to-fandom post?

or, because i am publicly friends with some prominent members of lizzies who have been accused of bullying and other bad things, that i am guilty by association?

at the time, i actually considered making some sort of public statement, but i took a step back, and i told myself "no, you're just still dealing with some lingering anxieties about The Fandom Post and you're extra sensitive and inclined to some paranoia right now. you were mostly active in the 3 months in lizzie's before it shut down. you don't have a strong association with the server. that's silly. and making a post like that will probably just make things worse because people will assume a guilty conscience is an admission of wrongdoing in and of itself."

(and i do have a guilty conscience, but i was raised catholic, my natural state is to assume i did something wrong even if i quantifiably didn't, lmao.)

but i would still catch little comments here and there, notice passive-aggressive tags on someone's post, or even just feel a vibe that kept me thinking... maybe i actually am accused of doing something.

so when That Blog started up (and yes i hate myself for being enthralled by it and i just blocked it because i know my curious monkey brain will continue leading me to the dark side if i don't), and i saw that i was explicitly accused of being a part of some inner cabal of 30-year-old women who were bullying everyone in lizzie's, i was like OH okay. so it wasn't paranoia, i was right. being friends with a few people who have been accused of wrongdoing and i guess... winning a photomode contest once was enough for some people to assume that i was one of the big baddies in the server? cool.

but the other big reason i didn't want to say anything publicly at the time was the two incidents that i was aware of did not involve me at all. i literally just did not do anything. and it wasn't my place then nor is it my place now to weigh in on other of those, especially in a public setting. i don't even want to say anything beyond this, really. i wasn't involved in any capacity, and i don't want to be involved. they're just not my conflicts.

and i know some people will take that stance in and of itself as being complicit or whatever, and that's your perogative, but i just don't feel right about inserting myself in a situation that never involved me. and i certainly don't want to drag anyone, friend or otherwise, into anything when they're probably trying to work past it in their own ways, too.

i'm also not even that pressed about people deciding they don't "trust" me or whatever for being friends (or just being friendly with--some of the people I'm accused of conspiring with i don't even know that well) with people they don't like. I'm sometimes wary of people who are friends with people i don't vibe with, too. i get it. so if you want to label me as guilty by association, knock your socks off. but just know that within the context of The Lizzie's Situation, that is the extent of my trangressions.

and outside of The Lizzie's Situation, the only two things i can think of that i did were 1) foot-in-mouth guide as addressed up there, which i really think is more of a miscommunication than an actual Bad Thing and 2) acting like an asshole in another server to someone because i was mad about how they treated my friends, which was still the wrong way to handle those feelings, and I apologized for the best way i can under the circumstances.

i genuinely cannot think of anything else I've done to cause harm to anyone in this fandom. even with people i don't like, i still don't want to hurt them. i just don't want to interact with them. if there is something else i did and you want to talk to me about it, i am open to hearing about that and doing what i can to alleviate that hurt (if it's possible, i know sometimes it's not) and making the effort to not do that again in the future.

i know i can't do anything about people who are already convinced that i am the devil, but i don't think i could really accept that and move on without at least getting my side out there. so if you read this, thank you.

that said, i do think i need to disconnect for a while so if anyone reaches out one way or the other, I'm taking the day off from social media, lol. maybe the weekend, idk, we'll see.

but yeah. that's it. thanks. 💙

[vivispec]

hey, i’m bloo/vivi (she/her, 25). feel free to send me asks/message me/tag me in stuff, i always love interaction! icon and sidebar by my bestie @sweetmage

mostly posting dragon age rn (and for the foreseeable future) but i’m also pretty big on bg3, outer wilds, mass effect, zelda, msa, ghibli, ancient magus bride, and lots of other things i pick up and put down. i do a lot of writing for my da ocs which you can find on my ao3 here.

speaking of, here are links to my big completed projects:

reckless momentum (what would hawke do if carver was the warden contact? my submission for the 2024 dragon age big bang with art by @ladyofc)

kindling and set yourself on fire (my DA2 submissions for the wipbigbang with BEAUTIFUL art by @sweetmage)

derecho (my DAI submission for the 2023 dragon age big bang, with AMAZING art by neoendydy)

my whumptober 2022 collection (100% completed because. i have issues.)

under the cut are my dragon age ocs whomst i love dearly, and write about pretty much exclusively! i am a dirty dirty console player so janky quality be upon ye

just realized all but one of these bitches is elves. look. i told you i got issues ok.

here we have my beloved viera’vun ‘viera’ lavellan, my inquisitor and a solasmancer (i am so sorry to her), as well as the oc i write most by far. she was a dalish hunter trained primarily in daggers, later specializing as a tempest. she is a pathfinder at heart whose greatest strengths are her perceptiveness and resilience, while her greatest weaknesses lie in her impulsivity, lack of assurance in her identity, and her tendency to run from her problems. i have a bunch of fucked up aus centered around her and all the situations i put her into! she likes to run, climb, and sing (she is Bad at it). varric calls her ‘finch’.

iloniyn, my most preciousest boy. him and viera are hunting partners as well as (platonic) soulmates, a phenomenon known to the dalish as tael’inan. they are each one half of a whole. iloniyn is incredibly sarcastic, confident, and prickly, but tends to care deeply about those that he considers his people, and gives of himself freely to them (even if he complains while doing it). he is bonded to @sweetmage​‘s oc athimien, likes to whittle, is a great shot, and can play the lute. varric calls him ‘snipe’.

ishme aeducan, a sharp, hard woman who will not be made a fool again. raised to navigate the subtle and dangerous world of dwarven politics, she is incredibly cunning, and often pulling the strings in any given situation. she is softened by alistair, who teaches her how to be a person as she teaches him how to be a king. wields dual blades as a warrior.

taufei! oooh i love taufei. a leader alongside ishme by the end of origins, she is idealistic, friendly, and generally just a chill person to hang with. though content enough to do her own thing, once she sets her sights on something, she does not relent, often leading her into...hairy situations. those situations include wooing a witch of the wilds and having a sweet lil totally-not-in-any-way-shape-or-form-creepy baby with her! yippee! she was the second of her clan, though her magic was never incredibly powerful and, as such, she made her living on making and infusing potions for her clan. she is a skilled herbalist, knows enough archery to protect herself, and actually has really long luscious curls that Do Not Exist in game you are just going to have to trust me okay.

kita tabris. she is...intense. if you are her friend she is kinda just a dudebro. picked up the big sword her mother used to wield and decided to learn how to use it because, hell yeah, big sword (which, as it so happens, is exactly what her mom did). if you are not her friend, she is. intense. finds battle thrilling, and isn’t afraid to spill blood. while she can come across as flippant or immature, much of her disregard stems from an avoidance of her more serious (and painful) thoughts and emotions. she is zevran’s gorgeous and incredibly powerful girlfriend whomst he adores and cherishes, and the fact that she can, will, and has crushed a man’s skull with her bare hands only strengthens his devotion. 

araia surana, a very sweet young mage who is wholly overwhelmed by this big, new world around her. previously a teacher’s pet who didn’t much mind kinloch hold with little in the way of friends, jowan’s ‘betrayal’ left her reeling with nowhere to turn. while she is curious of the world beyond, she is also incredibly anxious. she picks up a habit of lying to avoid confrontation, and while she is very good at it, her dishonesty puts strain on her and leliana’s relationship early on. her passion is in ancient and forgotten magical techniques and practices. she loves listening to leliana’s stories of adventure and romance, and often plays ‘doll’ when her girlfriend decides she needs something to dress up. after the archdemon is defeated, she spearheads efforts to find the cure for the joining.

[thenopequeen]

99 or 100 for the prompts list?

So, this is about my ESO Vestige, Hela the Unchosen, whomst I started out in the Greymoor chapter with all the spy shenanigans and murder and vampire bullshit. She imprinted on Lyris Titanborn pretty much immediately, and Fennorian Ravenwatch pretty soon after. The scene is just after finishing up at the Mount Kilkreath temple that got destroyed by the aforementioned vampire bullshit

Image for reference

“Do you see me as an equal? “

Lyris Titanborn doesn't look uncertain all that often,  but she does now.

“I guess it depends on what you mean by that.  You're younger and more breakable than me, so an equal in heavy-hitting rough and tumble brawling?  No.  I would rather you didn't have to tend your own injuries and handle your problems alone as much as I did when I was a teenager freshly out on my own,  but I won't try to keep you out of this mess, not when you were already involved before I met you. I see you as an equal in courage,  certainly.   And definitely my better in magic,  the way you made those frost spells look so natural. What's got you asking,  partner?”

“The guards talk down to me, the people we've met in this investigation all do except Fenn, and I'm not sure he knows how human ages work.  High elves don't seem to be very good at that when they're alive, much less undead.”

“Well, I know most people might be calling you kid as an insult,  but I'm impressed that a warrior as young as you is willing to keep going with this after a whole lot of unfriendly vampires got involved.  I trust you with my life, but I don't want to leave you to face something like that alone again.  I wouldn't be too thrilled to face that many face-munching monsters on my own, and I've been a warrior longer than you've been alive.”

Her big hand settles gently on my shoulder 

“This investigation has gone from looking into suspicious activity to damn near all-out war.  Let's stick together from here on out.  If there's any chance of encountering the enemy,  nobody goes in alone.   Not even Fenn, and he still gives me the creepies.”

I pat her wrist and grin a little 

“Yeah, I'm not in any big hurry to find out if I'm delicious.  I just want to get back to Solitude and yell at all the people who wouldn't listen to us before all this happened”

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 045: Snuff Out the Light (SSM 19-21)

MASTERPOST

This week: a mystery! Because it worked so well the last few times :D

We also see quite a bit of Peter's social life, fanservice, and a character I love is back <3

SSM #19 starts in medias res: Spidey's been captured by the Enforcers and is bullied by then. I already suspect it's not actually Spidey under the mask... especially since he doesn't say anything. That's weird, right?

I suspected as much.

At the Bugle, Peter Parker lets Jameson know that his recent adventures in L.A. didn't let him take any picture.

I know what you are, you fruit <3

I wish he stayed to chat with Gloria. Give her some development!

Know who gets developed? Hector Ayala (White Tiger!) and Holly Gillis, his new romance, gazing at Flash and Sha-Shan from afar. It feels like the first time in ages that we get smooth cast interactions like that. It's neat!

Turns out that Sha-Shan got a new job and an apartment, good for her! Meanwhile, Flash got news from Razorback. He's doing alright, back in his hometown and adulated!

His proposal ('tis the season) is interrupted by the Enforcers, who take everyone hostage at the Coffee Bean until they get to fight Spidey.

Yes please.

Peter thinks the leaves will hide his clothes... just next to a tree that has no leaves. Is it winter? Isn't graduation supposed to be coming soon? What the heck.

All throughout the issue, the mystery of the one who hired the Enforcers is teased, but I can't say I'm particularly invested in it. Doc Ock could be alive, or it could be the Molten Man... Who knows? For now, there isn't any hint. Maybe it's the Empathoid?

It might be the Lightmaster, an early villain from the first issues of SSM. And yeah, it's him. Okay. Whatever. Mysteries are only mysteries when they feature clues.

So Spidey deals with his enemies while everyone escapes, except for that Hector hottie.

The Lightmaster is trying really hard to be menacing.

In SSM #20, Spidey tries to eavesdrop on the cops interrogating the Enforcers, but he can't get new information. He decides to get home, but his skylight is so bad that it breaks...

It's a funny scene and it gives me fanservice. I'll allow it. Maybe SSM has rights after all...

And we get some more of Peter's social life, that's neat! It's nice to see more of the cast, and new characters, especially nonwhite characters!

The Lightmaster interrupts them and kidnaps my beloved Hector. Before leaving, Holly gives Peter Hector's amulets, which he instantly recognizes.

In the Lightmaster's crutches, Hector needs his amulets to survive! And here comes Spidey, ready to help him. I'm kind of shipping them...

The Lightmaster's about to broadcast Spidey's identity to New York itself (or so he thinks!).

As you know, I love those kind of moments!!!

So Hector's true alter ego is revealed to the city, which annoys Holly who keeps flip-flopping on whether she loves him.

The two heroes fight their enemy, who eventually just channels too much energy and dies.

A letter at the end of the issue informs me that Jean DeWolff appeared... in Team-Up. Oh. For such a key character (she has an entire arc, doesn't she?), it's disappointing. Oh well.

I enjoyed those two issues! It was nice to see Hector again <3 And to see more of the cast! This is almost what I expected of the series. We'll see if it continues like that...

For now, there's one last issue we read in this post: #21.

The Scorpion has become a sex symbol, wouldn't you know it!

The issue begins with a soliloquy to catch up new readers. Hell yeah, Scorpy, tell us all about that time Ms. Marvel got rid of you!

Meanwhile, Peter finds MJ, whomst we haven't seen in a while! They kiss, but they quickly talk about MJ's rejection of Peter's proposal. Oof. She's not ready, and a bit upset.

At ESU, Holly's still angry at Hector! It's a smart way to show both Peter and the readers what could happen if Spidey revealed his identity to MJ.

Later, at the Bugle, the Scorpion makes it known that he wants to skin Jameson alive, or something like that. Spidey intervenes, wins the fight, and he soon says that contrary to what the Scorpion believed, he can get rid of his suit just fine, and Spidey tears off his mask.

That's. Uh. That's something. Themes? In MY Spider-Man comics? It's handled ridiculously, but for what's worth, I feel like the groove is finally back with a better social/fights balance.

Next time: Moon Knight!

[mooncaps]

my first thoughts on TOH 3x02

Ooh, it’s that bit of score that I liked before. I’ve probably rewatched that scene in 2x21 about ten times now just to listen to it.

Oh no, Hooty! The writers knew he was too overpowered and the fight would be too easy if they had him.

Ayyy, Raine’s okay!

Okay, we are getting Luz and Co. too. I was half-worried that this might be all from the Boiling Isles crew and then Luz would show up at the end.

Whomst?

Wait, this is the space between realms. Where The Collector was. Is this another one of The Collector’s people?

Same, Gus.

Whoa. Interesting choice. I don’t know why I keep getting surprised by how direct and dark this show is willing to go. You’d think I’d be used to it by now.

Oh, I forgot, but I was wondering that too.

These girlfriends continue to give me life.

Yeah, so that graffiti’s pretty ominous.

Wait, so is he just playing the role of Luz in taming the Owl Beast?

Ha! It’s what she deserves.

Hell yeah! It’s what he deserves.

Oh, the Golden Guard graveyard. This is probably gonna be disturbing.

Are you kidding me?! Everyone gets turned into puppets, but this evil witch gets to pal up to power?!

You know what, maybe playing mother to The Collector is a fitting punishment for being such a bad mother to her own children.

Ooh, is this ancient Titan lore? Or Collector lore? Both?

Yeah, you’re making me suspicious. And that red skin is making me think of Kikimora. Is this her and one of those family members mentioned in her season 2 episode?

(Narrator Voice: You’re half right.)

Creepy.

Oh! Hi Lilith. That’s a new look.

You stay away from my Rainstorm, you decrepit goop monster. (Also, get wrecked Odalia! Even the evil goop monster doesn’t want you.)

Oh, that’s maybe gonna be a tough one to explain to Camila.

So of course she’s looking right at it. Of course.

Oh, mess her up, Willow!

Ugh! Damn you, Kikimora! You’re the one who told King about The Collector in the first place. This is as much your fault as anyone’s and now you’re pulling this crap? Piss off!

Wait, are those The Collector’s eyes? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Dude has every power imaginable.

Ugh! And of course The Collector’s conveniently not listening to this part even though he was listening two seconds ago.

Thank you for acknowledging that, Camila.

Wait, so is it a crystal ball or are we just dangling the audience on the cliff even longer?

Is it actually happening or are they just gonna keep teasing us until the finale?

Yeah, that makes sense. Shapeshifter fits with her multitrack kind of personality. And she even had snakes in episode one. I can dig it.

Okay, these two are sweet. I was kinda shipping him with Gus, but now I’m appreciating this too.

And of course I’m always down for more of these two.

Mmmm, too happy for the final moments of the penultimate episode. The Collector’s about to mess things up, isn’t he?

Awww. Shame we didn’t get a full season 3 so we could have this as a proper scene.

So I guess I’m totally caught up for realsies now. Any word on when we get the next one? I don’t like the waiting part. I typically don’t start shows until they’re over for that reason, but I figured this one was at least close to done.

I’m still very much feeling like they can’t possibly deal with every dangling thread that I’m interested in, but hopefully they’ll at least bring things to a semi-satisfying conclusion.

[spacecatdet]

I find it a bit...odd... that you'll begrudge people saying that CC!Scar is attractive and tells people to be "normal" about Cs and CCs... but you ship Pearleo when CC!Pearl has stated that she doesn't want her character shipped. What we did doesn't violate any boundaries. Shipping Pearl, however... If you didn't know, it's fine, but if you did and still ship Pearl, then it feels like a double standard.

What I had heard was she didn't want to be shipped with Grian. If its at all then I will stop. Its not hard for me to drop a ship, since I don't see her interacting with others through a shipping lens What I'm talking about is how far people will go to sexualize and strip Everything away from a cc or c and boil it down to, being shipped and sexualizing them To the point that people can not see normal interactions as just Normal Interaction. And will find any little bit little crumb as they want to call it. And make it romatic ship stuff or try and find any way for people to just drool over them. Ccs have boundries and I've watched so so many push those boundries and over step them Other ccs have asked for stuff to not happen and yet people are still willing to push those boundries even after learning. I for one can and will stop shipping Pearleo if thats Pearl's boundries. Easy Next time maybe ask if I knew or something. If you don't like my takes, you can leave and block me on the way out. Make your dash a place you feel comfortable and I'll do the same Do I like ships? Yes. Do I draw, write and read stuff? Yes. But getting tired of characters being boiled down to sexy and sex, losing all that made them interesting. Well thats my take and I'm entitled to it, I'm not along in this either. But I'm not going to say whomst of my friends also are behind this cause thats not my call I'm allowed to find it weird as do others that people will drool all over CCs. Since I've seen far to often people don't seperate themselves enough from c and ccs. Not all people are like this sure but again this is my blog and my space to vent I've seen people go to far here and else where and how uncomfortable ccs have been over it. This goes for actors and random people that others will see and be weird about, it doesn't stop at mcyt But again, you are free to leave. And if you don't want to see my takes you can block me its simple and no hard feelings. Not everyone will agree, as you obvs don't agree with my views.